Your Fave Five...

[BooCocky]

I stole this idea off of NSL. He did football baseball and hockey, but forgot basketball. So I decided to steal it. The idea of this thread is to create your starting five for a basketball team. You can use any criteria. You can create your all San Antonio Spurs basketball team, Knicks, or just five random players. You can use the three guards, a power forward and a Center. Or you can use the two guards, Small Forward, Power Forward, and Center. What ever you want go and do it.

Guard - Oscar Robertson. When looking at the man he could do it all. He could score, rebound and dish. Entering the league he did something that would never be duplicated, he averaged a triple double.

Guard - This is easy, this goes to Michael Jordan. He was so competitive, he was so clutch. He could shoot from just about anywhere, and he was a hell of a defender in his own right.

Guard - My floor general is going to be Magic Johnson. Magic Johnson was basically a power forward with Point Guard quickness. He could score on anyone, he could run the fast break with MJ, and he saw every passing lane available. Magic was all that and then some.

Power Forward is Tim Duncan. Is there anything he can't do? He is a winner, he is clutch, he has good ball skills for a big man and he can come up clutch in big games. He averages a career double double. He has been an MVP of the league, been on all defensive teams and he is a hell of a team player. Carrying several sets of team mates to championships.

My Center- While this is tough and I narrowed it down to Wilt Chamberlin and Moses Malone. Well, I couldn't go wrong with either, but I am going with the Ultimate Defender is Moses Malone. He is a relentless rebounder, shot blocker, and post defender. Basically, if he is around you aren't coming into the paint.

 

[jmt225]

Point Guard - John Stockton. I love Magic, but for a team such as this, you need a true point guard. And that's exactly what John Stockton was. He was the best distributor of all time. Hell, he's basically the reason Karl fucking Malone is the second leading scorer in the history of the NBA. Seriously, put Malone on any other team than one lead by John Stockton, and he's not top 20 in the top scoring in NBA history category. Dude was a good player, don't get me wrong, but he was great because of the looks Stockton was able to get him. And that's this type of point guard an all star team like this needs needs.

Shooting Guard - Michael Jordon. Simply put, the greatest player to ever play the game. The guy had it all. He could get to the lane whenever he wanted, he could create good shots for himself outside the paint, was able to find the open man played great defense, and of course... there's no one in the history of the sport you would rather have the ball in their hands at the closest seconds of a basketball game than MJ. The guy's not only the greatest basketball player to ever live, but maybe also the greatest athlete period in sports history.

Small Forward - Larry Bird. The greatest shooter of all time, bar none. Plus, the guy ‘s the heart, toughness, and work ethic matches against anyone in the history of sports. He was also a clutch performer, a great distributor, and could guard any man on the court as well.

Power Forward - Chris Webber. Like my man Becker, I strongly believe that Tim Duncan is the greatest Power Forward of all time, but I have to be a fan boy here and say I would take Chris Webber over any Power Forward in the history of basketball. He's by far my favorite player of all time, and the only reason I became such a big fan of the sport in the first place. The guy was phenomenal. In his prime, there was never a more graceful big man in the history of the sport. He had such a soft touch, and could create a good shot not only for himself... but for ANYONE on his team because of his passing and ability to read the defense. Plus, for a big man... he had a great outside shot, and he was very quick and could run the fast break if the situation called for it. He was a fantastic player.

Center - Bill Russell. Every basketball team needs a leader on the court, and there's no better man in the history of the sport to give that honor to on such a team than Bill Russell. The guy's leadership skills were unmatched. He could keep any team together, and there's not a person on this Earth who doesn't respect this man, if they know anything of him. But the thing is... not only is he a fantastic leader, but the dude was also a great, great player. I mean, fuck... the guy won 10 Championships as a player (add 1 more if you want to include as a coach). That's unbelievable. And his stats are phenomenal. But yeah... when you look at the whole picture, there's not a better center, or on-court leader, you could ask for than Bill Russell.

 

[Pimpin]

Point Guard- John Stockton. I would have probably gone with either Steve Nash, Isaiah Thomas, Reggie Miller or Magic Johnson, but for my fave five. I need a true point guarrd which is something Magic ain't & Stockton is & was a better point guard than Nash ever will be. He was the bread & butter of the good Utah teams of the 90's as he made everybody around him that much better. Hell if it wasn't for him, then Karl Malone wouldn't have been as great as he was.

Shooting Guard- Michael Jordan. One would have to be absolutely fucking nuts to not have him in your list. Arguably the greatest player of all time & is most definitely my favorite player of all time despite being a Mavs fan. The guy could do it all as he could get to the inside whenever he damn well pleases, he could create great shots from anywhere whether it be from mid-range, beyond the ark or even the paint. I There is nobody in the history of the NBA that you would want to have the basketball in the final seconds than good ol' Michael Jordan. Like jmt said, He's not only the greatest basketball player to ever live, but in my opinion. He's the greatest athlete in sports history period.

Small Forward- Larry Bird. One of the greatest shooters of all time without a doubt in my mind. This dude's got the heart, toughness 7 his work ethic is simply phenominal. He was one of the greatest performers in the clutch as 9 times out of 10, he would come through for the Celtics in the clutch. He was also very versatile as he could guard any man on the court.

Power Forward- Tim Duncan. As much as I hate the Spurs & Tim Duncan for that matter. I fully recognize that he is a great player as believe his best play comes inside the paint as he is usually automatic in the paint, he can defend like nobody's business, he's a former NBA MVP, has been on numerous all defensive teams multiple times, he averages a career double double & he is a team player. He is one of the main reasons why San Antonio has been a force to be reckon with in the past 11 years as they have made the playoffs about every year with him & he's only been the number one player since David Robinson retired.

Center- Patrick Ewing. Ewing was no doubt one of the toughest players in league history. Ewing was an 11 time all star, 1990 All NBA 1st Team Selection, & was selected to the NBA's All Defensive Second Team 6 times. He was a great post player as he was a great scorer, a great rebounder & could no doubt block shots with the best of them then & no doubt could do it against some of today's great players.

 

[Big Sexy]

Point Guard- Oscar Robertson. The Big O has some of the most impressive stats in NBA history. Basically averaging a triple double per game in his first four seasons. He finished his career averaging 25.7 points, 9.5 assists, and 7.5 rebounds. For the majority of his career he didn't have much talent around him playing for the Cincinnati Royals, but then when he was traded to Milwaukee everything changed. He was teamed up with Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and in their first season together they won the NBA Title. They made another trip to the finals 3 years later and lost to the Celtics in 7 games, that would be Robertsons last season. He gets the nod for me over Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas by a very slim margin.

Shooting Guard- Michael Jordan. How can you not go with MJ? Considered by most to be the greatest player ever, Jordan won 6 NBA Titles and was the finals MVP for all 6. If he wouldn't have retired for a year and a half to play baseball then it could have won 7 or 8 titles. He finished his career averaging over 30 points per game and shooting just under 50 percent, which is almost unheard of for a shooting guard.

Small Forward- Lebron James. As much as I dislike him, you can't deny his talent. When it's all said and done he might very well be considered the greatest player to ever play in the NBA. He continues to improve every year and as soon as he gets some real talent around him, we'll really be able to see what he can do.

Power Forward- Ben Wallace. I have to go with one homer pick. Big Ben when he was in Detroit was a force to be reckoned with. There was really know one better on the defensive side of the ball during his time in Detroit. In his 6 seasons with the Pistons he averaged 13 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and 1.6 steals. Every team could use a hard working, blue collar guy like Ben Wallace.

Center- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The leading scorer in NBA history and he has won 6 NBA titles. He made the sky hook famous and was still an elite player well into his 30's. He ended up playing until the age 41 which is almost unheard of for a guy his size.

 

[NSL]

I stole this idea off of NSL. He did football baseball and hockey, but forgot basketball.

I didn't really forget it, I'm just not a huge fan. I don't follow teams, just players. so, this is actually one I can post a dream team in, instead of trying to follow my favorite franchise. These are my favorite active players, who coincidentally could be a starting five...

G - Nate Robertson - He may play for the Knicks, but he still plays with hustle. He's small, but he can drive to the hoop, and can defend rather well. On any team not playing in NY or NJ, he'd be a big help to get through the playoffs.

G - Chauncey Billups - He is possibly the best player in the game today. Yes, that means including LeBron and Kobe. He may not put up as many points, but he creates plays, and can defend anyone. He's a true leader, and is an asset to any team that he plays on.

F - Richard Jefferson - Living in this area, I am forced to watch a lot of Nets games. This man made it OK to watch. Like Robertson, he showed a lot of hustle on a bad team, and was always in the middle of the play. He's a good shooter, and doesn't get into too much foul trouble.

F - Kevin Garnett - I was a fan of his when he was in Minnesota, so don't call me a front runner. He's a great players, and would be a great presence on the baseline for this team.

C - Dwight Howard - You can call me a front runner for this one. Ever since his "Superman" display at the Slam Dunk competition, I've been a fan. He's got some pizazz, and can do just about anything on the floor. With Robertson and Jefferson being so small, his defensive presence would be a big help also.

 

[FromTheSouth]

PG - Magic Johnson. Magic is the best open court player in the history of the game. He has the size to go over smaller guards, he is the best passer ever, and no one is a better decision maker.

SG - I put LeBron at the two. LeBron will go down as the greatest player in NBA history. Michael Jordan needed Scottie Pippen to get past the better TEAMS in the east in his day, and LeBron still needs his Scottie. If we remember, LeBron has already taken a team to the finals, something Mike couldn't do alone. LeBron can play four positions and spread the floor. He might become a better distributor than Magic in time.

SF - Larry Bird. Every team needs a "glue guy." They need someone to dive on the floor, jump the passing lanes, take a charge, etc. If he happens to score 20 a night and shoot 40% from three, he can be on my team.

PF - Kevin Garnett. I always wondered how good he could have been if he could focus all his energy on basketball and not on firing up his team mates. On a team full of the ultimate competitors, Kevin Garnett would be free to roam the floor and make plays. He could be a focused Dennis Rodman. He wouldn't need to score. He would be his happiest setting bone crushing picks and rebounding.

C - Hakeem Olajuwon. The Dream was one of the five best players of the period from 1984-2000. Along with Jordan, Bird, Magic, and Barkey, Olajuwon took the reigns of the NBA from Bird and Magic and propelled into a new level. Hakeem is the NBA's all time leading scorer, and if memory serves correctly, he was the last player to win MVP, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. He is the all-time leading shot blocker, a two time champion, and one of the greatest play off performers of all the times. The way the center position is played today is because of The Dream. before him, very few centers had more than tow post moves or any semblance of a jumper. His drive to add something to his game every year is the model by which all big men measure themselves. It is nice to compare Amare or Dwight to Shaq, but if you ask them who's game they would most like to emulate, I bet they say Hakeem.

 

[FromTheSouth]

Shooting Guard- Michael Jordan. How can you not go with MJ? Considered by most to be the greatest player ever, Jordan won 6 NBA Titles and was the finals MVP for all 6. If he wouldn't have retired for a year and a half to play baseball then it could have won 7 or 8 titles. He finished his career averaging over 30 points per game and shooting just under 50 percent, which is almost unheard of for a shooting guard.

I don't think that they beat either of those Rocket teams. Those Rockets were good enough defensively to give Jordan his 40 and shut down the rest of the team. The Bulls couldn't guard The Dream. BJ Armstrong isn't shutting down Kenny Smith. If you look at the second Rockets team, Drexler and Hakeem would have been too much. Toni Kukoc would have been neutralized by the physical defense of Carl Herrera. Kukoc never played well when he was bumped.

I'm not saying those Rockets were better than the Bulls, but the matchups were troublesome for the Bulls, and much like the Cavs/Magic series this season, the better team doesn't always win a seven game series.

 

[Big Sexy]

I don't think that they beat either of those Rocket teams. Those Rockets were good enough defensively to give Jordan his 40 and shut down the rest of the team. The Bulls couldn't guard The Dream. BJ Armstrong isn't shutting down Kenny Smith. If you look at the second Rockets team, Drexler and Hakeem would have been too much. Toni Kukoc would have been neutralized by the physical defense of Carl Herrera. Kukoc never played well when he was bumped.

I'm not saying those Rockets were better than the Bulls, but the matchups were troublesome for the Bulls, and much like the Cavs/Magic series this season, the better team doesn't always win a seven game series.

I'm not saying it was a guarantee that they would have beaten those Houston teams, but the Bulls definitely would have given the Rockets a run for there money if they had Jordan. It's a series that I would have loved to see because those Houston teams were better then any other team the Bulls played in the finals to win their 6 titles.