The season is over, the Mavs are the Champs, and basketball talk is beginning to wane. For me, that means (other than the NBA draft), no more sports talk until October. In an effort to keep the conversation alive, I've been brainstorming my "all-time NBA team".
To begin I decided to list (I love lists) my Top Five at each position. *a few positions received a 6th as honorable mention.
PG: Magic, Oscar Robertson, Isaiah Thomas, John Stockton, Jason Kidd, *Steve Nash
PG: Magic, Oscar Robertson, Isaiah Thomas, John Stockton, Jason Kidd, *Steve Nash
SG: MJ, Kobe, Allen Iverson, Pistol Pete, DWade
SF: Bird, Dr. J, Pippen, Rick Barry, Dominique, *LeBron
PF: Tim Duncan, Barkley, Dirk, Mailman, KG
C: Kareem, Wilt, Hakeem, Moses Malone, Shaq, *David Robinson
Then I created my 1st team, The Starting Five:
Jason Kidd - This may seem ridiculous considering his company on the Top Five, but in relation to the reset of the Starting Five, I want a PG with high bball IQ and great passing ability (goes for all my PGs), who also has defensive prowess, and the ability to not be a shoot-first PG. Of course Kidd can score; he's proved himself on the drive and at the 3, but he does look to create opportunity for others to score first. With the scorers he's playing with here, that's what I need from him.
Michael Jordan - It's MJ. The ultimate scorer. Defensive beast. His Clutch-ness. The best.
Larry Bird - A great SF is a multi-dementional workforce who can score, defend, run, gut-it-out, and take over when necessary. Larry Bird is the best SF ever. Period. MJ is the centerpiece of this team, Larry is his VP. His hard work, leadership, and overall bball ability are core to our defensive and offensive strategies.
Tim Duncan - Though I have cross-state rivalry with the SA Spurs, I cannot deny Timmy his place as the best PF in history and the perfect PF for my team. Pass it to him on the post, let him back in a couple of steps and drop it in...all day.
David Robinson - As a MFFL I really struggled with this decision, but my need was for an athletic, strong, center who can rack up blocks and rebounds while working with Tim Duncan and company. That leaves me David Robinson. The same could be accomplished with my Top Five, but not with his humility and teamwork.
Next, I worked out my 2nd Team...it seems ridiculous to call these guys The Bench:
John Stockton - I know, I know...with Kidd and Stockton - Where's Magic!?! Considering the number of dominant players on my team, I had to work hard to choose the outstanding players who can also step-down to the highlight reels. Stockton's game-vision and shooting ability should be rewarded with a ring on this team.
Kobe Bryant - If MJ wants a break, Kobe isn't a bad 2nd option for the SG. I don't care what you say, there is only one MJ. But IF there was a player worthy of the conversation, it's not Grant Hill, LeBron, DWade, AI...it could only be Kobe.
Scottie Pippen - Scottie Pippen obviously has the chemistry to play on the Starting Five with MJ, but Bird gets the edge. The 2 SFs can be switched out as needed. His athleticism and defensive play are key here.
Charles Barkley - Sir Charles is our bad-boy. his aggressiveness on both ends of the court should give our team and fans a boost when needed.
Hakeem Olajuwon - Hakeem is versatile and quick enough to build a team around. Here he pairs with Barkley to move the ball quickly and soundly on the offense, and dominate the boards and blocks (and steals) on the defense.
Finally, I needed a couple of role players as my 11th & 12th Men:
Gary Payton - "The Glove" is here to harass the other team's offense.
Steve Kerr - Think of Kerr as our 12th man/player-coach. Steve can run the offense when/if needed, but also plays a role in sharpening and directing the team as an assistant coach.
I challenged a few friends to create their "all-time NBA team". I'll post the ones I receive in the comments section.
10 comments:
FROM SHAWN ASHMORE:
You know I'd take the '05 Spurs in a heartbeat, right? But here's the team you requested:
Starting 5:
C-Bill Russell
PF-Tim Duncan
SF-Larry Bird
SG-Michael Jordan
PG-Magic Johnson
Bench:
Scottie Pippen
Kobe Bryant
Hakeem Olajuwon
Oscar Robertson
Isaiah Thomas
Jerry West
Dirk Nowitzki
Missed the Cut:
Shaquille O'Neal
Lebron James
Charles Barkley
Kevin Garnett
Julius Erving
Robert Horry - This is not a joke.
Maybe 5-10 years from now they're in the conversation:
Kevin Durant
Chris Paul
Derrick Rose
My starting 5 is a big lineup, but versatile and selfless enough. Bench is small but I've got guys that can play multiple positions from the starting 5. My 12 all have at least 1 ring, so they know how to win and what it takes to win. All these guys (Dirk being the outlier) were known for individual defensive chops. I've got multiple guys with a killer instinct mentality. They not only want to win, but impose their will on you.
Shawn
How do you leave Bill Russell, Elvin Hayes, John Havlicek and Bob Cousy off any list? KG, Nash and Wade are great players but not All-Time great. Russell, Hayes, and Cousy are ALL-TIME GREATS and those guys changed/impacted the game. You need to read up on these guys and you'll never leave them off again ;-)
My favorite Center was Bill Walton. Can you name another member of the Portland Trailblazer team he led to the NBA Title? Unfortunately a career cut short because of terrible medical advice.
The greatest SF of all-time John Havlicek. Only 6'5" but a tremendous athlete and perhaps the greatest defender of all-time. The Celtics all-time leading scorer by the way.
My favorite power forward is Larry Bird and maybe my favorite player of all-time.
Starting 5:
C-Bill Russell
PF-Larry Bird
SF-John Havlicek
SG-Jerry West
PG-Oscar Robertson
Bench:
Michael Jordan
Magic Johnson
Wilt Chamberlain
Hakeem Olajuwon
Bob Cousy
Isaiah Thomas
Julius Erving
@Ronnie - have had a little conversation with Bob Muegle about this. Of course my perspective is limited by what I have witnessed. I certainly have read plenty of Russell, Hayes, Havlicek, and Cousy...and seen some video clips of their play. I realize the game-defining impact that they have made on bball, and yet without watching them, it's hard for me to understand how they would fit within my team. I picked my team in regards to ability and chemistry.
As far as their place on my top 5s: Russell could easily be top 5...but so are Kareem, Hakeem, Moses, and Shaq. Russell was amazing, and yet just a piece of the pie (including Cousy and and THE coach). Wilt was the whole pie. Hakeem was most athletic center ever. Shaq, most dominate. Kareem = best C ever. If Russell was to bump any of these guys, it would be Moses Malone...but again, Russell was an anchor on a talented team, and I believe Malone was more dominate.
Elvin Hayes doesn't make it to the C list...but is probably a better consideration than KG...but again, I have much less experience with Hayes. I'll give you this one...but I stand by my top 4 PFs.
Havlicek & Cousy run the same fate as Russell for me. Surrounded by the outstanding on all sides...the great making the great greater. I mean seriously, when Havlicek is your 6th man... I'm sure this is unfair to count out an era of Celtics - but I never really liked the Celts anyway! ;) (excepting Bird)
The problem with an all time team is that the players are from different eras, and should be judged inside there own era. We all know that players are bigger, faster, stronger, can jump higher, more skilled than ever. Its unfair to take Russell and judge him against today's players, because of all the weight training, skill training that today's nba players have done since they could walk. You make Dwight Howard a rookie on the 1956 Celtics and, I would say the Celtics had the same run. Nostalgia, aside. Cousy, the "Hardwood Houdini" was a 6'1" point guard who had trouble dribbling with his left hand, who never shot above .400, his entire HOF career. He was the first to show boat with the behind the back, no look passes, and the fans fell in love with that. He made a career running the fast break. He did things that no one was doing, but we shouldn't consider that as "greatness". Bob Cousy was great in his era. So its unfair to Bob to compare him to Magic, Stockton, Kidd, Paul, he won't matchup. Russell was a great defender, rebounder, athletic great player. But VERY limited on the offensive end. Also note that the 1956 Celtics had two “centers” listed on their roster that stood 6'7". The majority of his points were dunks and lay ups, yet he still managed to shoot 44% for his career. That’s not too impressive for a big. If you ask me right now to choose between him and Duncan, I take Duncan everytime. Elvin Hayes is a good argument, he played in the modern era of hoops, won a title put up numbers, matched up against Kareem, Wilt, Reed, M. Malone...tough competition. And more than held his own. But I never saw him play outside of highlights, so there is this unknown, when selecting an all time team. In 1912 Donald Lippincott set the 100m world record at 10.6 secs. In 1988, Florence Griffith-Joyner, a woman, ran a 10.49
I made this before Kevin posted his team, but it looks like I cheated off his paper...
I will select an entire nba roster. My restrictions will be on players I've seen play. This obviously excludes greats like Kareem and Wilt. But its hard to choose between what I've seen and what I've heard. So...
My Starters.
1. John Stockton
True grit, hard nose, facilitator point guard. Never loses the ball, always in control. Oh and the NBA’s all time leader in steals and assists. His career steals are about 700 more than the nearest competitor, who happens to have the last name of Jordan.
-why not Magic, Paul, Kidd, Payton, Thomas. The Stockton I saw, was better than the Magic I saw, granted Magic was past his prime and HIV positive. If I had sports consciousness in the 80’s, Magic may be my pg. Paul, excellent handle, excellent defender, penetrates, pass first. Closest thing to Stockton. But I trust Stockton with the ball in crunch time more than Paul. Kidd, he did it all. One of the smartest players I’ve seen, but lacking on the offensive end, and TO prone. Payton, the glove, probably the best defensive pg, but simply not the quarterback Stockton was. Thomas, scoring pg, would could also dish. He had “it”, one of the most competitive pgs, but my team is focused around the prowess of Jordan, and Stockton seems to me to be the best fit. If you doubt this pick, go to you tube and pull up some Stockton highlights.
2. Jordan
The greatest competitor in my nba history. He would not lose, his will to win is what separates him from the elite. Some players love winning, Jordan hated losing. He was an athletic animal. A shooter, the best on ball defender the league has seen, he would take over the game like no one’s business. He faced double teams, virtually his whole career. He would blow by and or dunk on the second defender with frequency. Excellent shooter, and willing passer. He attacked the defense with no mercy. An offensive machine. His basketball iq is off the charts.
3. Grant Hill
What?! Grant Hill? Yes, Grant Hill. One of the most versatile players in his era. At 6’8”, he could and did defend 4 positions. Extremely good defender. Unselfish, understood the game. Great locker room guy. He gets tips, deflections, loose balls. Injuries took away from his career. Those who watched him in his prime, know what they saw. Hill is possibly the NBA’s all time leader in posterising dunks (VC and Nique may have something to say about that though). If MJ need a blow, Hill could take over. He was the first “next MJ.” He gets the edge over Pippen, because of the offensive end. His creative handle and passing, in particular, slightly edge out the defensive juggernaut that Pippen was. I talking Detroit’s Grant Hill. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma_3u4-124g
4. Duncan
The best pf to play the game. Unselfish, team first mentality. 8x all defensive 1st team. Excellent post game. Excellent rebounder. Great pick and roll duo with Stockton. Don’t have to worry about chemistry, technical fouls, off the court issues, shot selection, effort. Class. 4x NBA champion.
5. The Dream
Most skilled center of my all time. The dream on the block, that’s all you need to win a nba title. Unselfish, team first player. And he was even better on defense. 7x all defensive 1st teamer. Best foreign born player in nba history, slightly edging out Dirk, due to the defensive side of the ball. He would take you to school, take your lunch money, where better clothes, steal your girl friend, and make better grades than you.
cont...
FROM BOB MUEGLE via Facebook:
You left out Bill Russell -- not a great scorer, but greatest defensive center ever. "Bill Russell was the cornerstone of the Boston Celtics' dynasty of the 1960s, an uncanny shotblocker who revolutionized NBA defensive concepts. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 12-time All-Star, the angular center amassed 21,620 career rebounds, an average of 22.5 per game and led the league in rebounding four times. He had 51 boards in one game, 49 in two others and a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds.
if we are stuck with KB's lifetime, "all-time nba team" is really limited to the 80'-present. My perspective is different because, unfortunately, I have the misfortune of being older than the NBA. :-)
Go do some research on the "game of the century" and get back to me on your Big E comment and tell me why he doesn't eat at the same table as Lew Alcindor...tell us exactly how Kareem fared against Big E.
Cont.
My bench.
-Kevin Johnson
What, KJ? First he said G. Hill, now he says KJ? Yes, Kevin Johnson made the team. To complement Stockton, I went with a penetrating pg. NO ONE, not even the glove, could keep him in front. He would break down your defense, and cause chaos on switches and rotations. Excellent shooter. Excellent passer. And he’s a mayor. Something to think about:
K. Johnson is one of only three players in NBA history (Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson are the others) to have averaged at least 20.0 points and 12.0 assists in a season.
K. Johnson is one of only three players in NBA history (Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas are the others) to have averaged at least 20.0 points and 10.0 assists in three consecutive seasons.
K. Johnson is one of only two players in NBA history (Magic Johnson is the other) to have twice averaged at least 20.0 points and 10.0 assists per game over the course of a season while shooting at least .500 from the field. The only other player to produce 20.0/10.0/.500 over the course of a single season is Chris Paul.
K. Johnson was the first player in NBA history to average at least 20.0 points, 10.0 assists, a .500 field goal percentage, and 2.0 steals in a season (in '90-'91); he has since been joined in that regard by Chris Paul (in '08-'09).
K. Johnson is one of only two players in NBA history (Magic Johnson is the other) to average at least 20.0 points and 12.0 assists in a season while shooting at least .500 from the field.
The only team to defeat both Magic Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers and John Stockton's Utah Jazz in the same postseason was Kevin Johnson's Phoenix Suns in 1990.
-Reggie Miller
A knock down shooter. He had a more complete game than people give him credit, but he’s on my roster to knock down the shot. You can’t double off of him or play zone with him on the court.
-Matrix
Versatility defender. Can guard every position. Gets loose balls. Gets his hands in the way. Long. Athletically superior to nearly everyone he was matched up against. One on the best finishers on the break. “Stockton with the steal, whips long pass to streaking Marion, tomahawk dunk,” would be heard often. Possibly the best “cutter” in nba history. Don’t underestimate the cut to the hoop.
-Dirk
The most unguardable player in my nba history. He makes shots. Team player. Pure shooter. Clutch. With Duncan or Hakeem on the post and Dirk on the court, its curtains for the defense. Loyal, humble, champion.
-Shaq
Most dominant player since Wilt. His size causes massive headaches for the opponents. Impossible to move, impossible to guard once he got the ball down low. Only thing you could do is foul, which is why he’s coming off the bench. Team player.
-David Robinson
The Admiral. Excellent shot blocker. Excellent rebounder. Knocked down the 15 footer. Athletic defender. 7x all defensive 1st team. Scoring title, MVP, NBA champion. He accomplished it all. Professional, never had a problem with him off the court or on.
-Ray Allen
Another knock down shooter. Zone killer. Best pure shooter in my nba history. Don’t double my bigs. I’ll kill you with Miller and Allen on the outside.
Note: If Jordan is off this team, I will put Kobe on. But they can’t coexist on my team, together. This team is centered around Jordan, and every player I selected, I considered how they would play with Jordan. That’s why you don’t see James, Wade, Malone, Kobe, Barkley, Drexler, Iverson, Nash, Carmelo and other players that primarily need the ball to be effective. And if there was a close matchup, I usually went with the guy I trust the most for his role. …And if the game got close, you would see Jordan at the point, on the ball, Miller and Allen at the 2 and 3, Duncan at the 4, the Dream at the 5. And I would initiate the offense with Duncan setting an elbow screen for Jordan, this would cause chaos on the pick and roll, resulting in winning every single game.
@Ronnie That's a referrence to a college game, not NBA. He did blow KAJ away in that game, but one game...and college status does not determine NBA status. Besides, Kareem had an eye injury in that game. The Big E was great in the NBA, no doubt. He deservedly can knock KG off my PF list. I know he played both positions...and in todays game, at 6'9", he'd most likely play PF. But, at the center (based on NBA performance) I choose Kareem.
Also to note. Alcindor's Bruins had a rematch with Hayes' Cougars two months later, in the NCAA semis. With a healthy, 2 eyed Alcindor, the Bruins won by 32 and went on the win the championship.
Post a Comment