Please vote for your winner.Who wins this 7-game series?
Please note the 4-year peak of each player.Rosters could be compared in the following areas:
ABILITY & SKILL: inside/outside scoring, interior/perimeter defending, rebounding & playmaking.
ATHLETICISM, MENTALITY INTANGIBLES, CHEMISTRY & other tactical factors.
NICHOLLS
G: Payton/Billups/Allen/Klay
F: Pippen/McGrady/Giannis/Love
C: Shaq/Marc Gasol
Spoiler
I have tried to build the most unguardable team of all time, while also being defensively immense too. A formidable and dominant front court combined with an elite shooting back court. Our roster has a great balance of team-players, two-way ability and facilitators:
LIGHTS OUT SHOOTING
Ray Allen and Klay Thompson are elite shooters (off-ball movers, who will generate so much spacing and don't need the ball in their hands). Supporting cast T-Mac, Billups, Love and Marc Gasol add yet more clutch shooting and spacing. It will be impossible to guard Shaq/Giannis and my splash brothers at the same time.
LOCKDOWN D
Pippen and Payton are elite perimeter defenders (the all-time best defensive wing and point guard). Billups and Klay are solid defenders too. Both Pippen and Giannis are versatile defenders, able to defend multiple positions. Elite rim protection: Shaq + Giannis are paintbeasts, while Gasol, Love and Pippen will help me grab even more boards.
POSTERIZING & FINISHING
Shaq (the most dominant player of all time) and Giannis is a frontcourt that will bully any defense in the paint. If we need more finesse, Love and Gasol are a dynamic duo: efficient mid-range shooting and post moves. Speed and athleticism from the wings in T-Mac, Greek Freak, Ray Allen and Pippen, driving to the rim.
PLAYMAKING & PASSING IQ
Floor generals (Payton/Billups) and point forwards (Pippen/Giannis) can distribute the ball to our offense that can score from anywhere. Marc Gasol's vision gives me an extra dimension too.
Shaquille O'Neal 99-03 (C)
Marc Gasol 13-17 (C)
Kevin Love 13-17 (PF/C)
Giannis Antetokounmpo 19-23 (PF/SF)
Scottie Pippen 92-96 (SF)
Tracy McGrady 01-05 (SG/SF)
Klay Thompson 15-19 (SG/SF)
Ray Allen 05-09 (SG/PG)
Chauncey Billups 03-07 (PG)
Gary Payton 96-00 (PG)
Gerry Attrick
G: Magic/Drexler/Ginobili/Iverson
F: Paul George/Iguodala/Nowitzki/Pau Gasol
C: Embiid/Howard
Spoiler
Point Guards
Magic Johnson
The best point guard of all-time. Bar none. 3 MVP titles in the 4 year stretch selected. All NBA first team in all 4 years. 2 time champion. Averaged over 20 points, 12 assists and 6 rebounds a game from the point.
Shooting Guards
Clyde Drexler
4 time All-Star. 3 time all NBA team. Averaged over 25 points a game in this stretch, took the Blazers to the finals and also chipped in with 6 assists and 6 rebounds a game. A terrific scorer, rebounder, playmaker and defender on the wing.
Manu Ginobili
The best Latin player in history. The godfather of the Euro step. Not the most athletic shooting guard ever, but without doubt one of the canniest and his skill set perfectly rounds out my collection of guards. An All Star, NBA champion, 2x NBA third teamer and 6th Man of the Year. A great weapon to bring off the bench.
Combo guard
Allen Iverson
A phenomenal scorer and elite on the ball defender. He won an MVP, was a 2x NBA first teamer, 2x NBA second teamer, 3x scoring champion and oh yeah, he led the league in steals for 3 years on the bounce. In a 4 year period. A fearless competitor and an amazing player to watch when he brought it.
Small Forwards
Paul George
A truly elite 2 way player. He can do it all. A perennial all star. A great playmaker from the SF position, gifted scorer, tremendous 3 point shooter and an elite on ball defender. He led the NBA in steals in 2019 which shooting 38% from 3, putting up 28 a night and 8.2 RPG.
Andre Iguodala
A perfect role player. Won’t do anything flashy but a supreme athlete who was integral in the Warriors challenging year in year out for a long stretch. He was a finals MVP and locked down LeBron James and Kevin Durant amongst others.
Power Forwards
Dirk Nowitzki
The instigator of the stretch 4 style of basketball. 7 footers didn’t dribble and shoot like him. In 2010/11 he became the 4th player ever to put up a 50/40/90 stat line. No surprise he was the MVP and first teamer. 7 footers don’t do that. Even in the jumper heavy modern NBA only 9 members are in the club. He was a matchup nightmare.
Pau Gasol
Very good at everything, without being outstanding at anything. He won 2 championships, made 3 all star teams and a 3x NBA all teamer in this stretch. He was a solid post player, face up jumper, passer and shot blocker. Traditionally a PF he was also capable of playing the 5. As Kobe said “You’d be hard pressed to find a big man with his skill set in the history of the game”
Centres
Joel Embiid
Insanely skilled big man when he’s at full tilt. An MVP, 2x scoring champion, 4x all teamer; in 2022 he became the first centre to lead the scoring since Shaq in 2000 and the first since Malone in 1982 to average over 30 a game from centre. In the last 4 years he averages over 28, 11 boards and 4 assists. A block and a half a game too. He’s absolutely dominant.
Dwight Howard
His reputation has fallen off but make no mistake, in Orlando he was as dominant as any 5 for the last few decades. He was a constant first teamer, 3x defensive player of the year, constant defensive first teamer, 3x rebound leader and 2x block leader. 20 points a game, 14 boards and 2.5 BPG will get it done. An otherworldly athlete and presence in the paint.
A roster without weakness and capable of thriving in all styles of basketball. Great playmakers, scorers, shooters, positional flexibility, athleticism and defensive prowess.
Poll