ABILITY & SKILL: inside/outside scoring, interior/perimeter defending, rebounding & playmaking.
ATHLETICISM, MENTALITY INTANGIBLES, CHEMISTRY & other tactical factors.
Spoiler
Game PlanOFFENCE My team will make use of the size and offensive ability of the big men at my disposal. We will use Hakeem and Kareem's footwork and size to create close and mid-range shooting opportunities. No team can stop the skyhook or the dream shake. Malone and Erving are two of the best at driving to the basket and absolutely unstoppable on transitions. If the opposition tries to defend the big men with numbers we can cyle the ball to the 3 point line for Steph to shoot some easy 3's. Stockton or Rondo will run the floor and get the ball in the right hands and they are both efficient shooters if given an opportunity.
DEFENCEOn the perimeter the team will use pressure and try to get steals and turnovers, Stockton and Curry are both some of the best to ever do this. I have five players that have averaged over 10 rebounds a season at some point in their career. So not many teams will out-rebound this team. My team will use the size and agility of Kareem and Hakeem to defend the opposing bigs 1 on 1. Depending on the matchup Bosh can add even more size to the team. Butler can also be used against teams that are more reliant on perimeter scoring as his stealing ability is second to none.
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PlayersCENTRES
Hakeem Olajuwon (1992-96): The best big man of all time IMO. Top 15 all time in Points, FG%, Steals, Blocks and Rebounds. His size, footwork and agility make him impossible to stop offensively in the paint or from mid range.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar (1980-84): Skyhook is the most undefendable move of all time. Having him come off the bench or occasionally double up with Hakeem will make any other team tremble between Hakeem and Kareem my team has the best big-man offence in this draft.
GUARDS
Steph Curry (2015-19): When you have two of the greatest centers of all time. You need to strech the play to give them space. Enter the greatest shooter of all time. Teams won't know wether to double up on the bigs or let Steph have easy threes or try to defend the perimeter. Also with the size in my team there is going to plenty of pick and roll oppurtunties for Steph.
John Stockton (1992-96): You also need a guard to run the floor for the team and who better to do it than John Stockton? The greatest passer of all time and a tenacious perimeter defender with the most steals and assists in NBA history. His chemistry with my #1 PF Malone is gonna cause a lot of teams some big problems.
Rajon Rondo (2008-12): Rondo at his peak was a visionary and had elite basketball IQ. Seeing and executing passes that not many others could. A great defensive player when it counted the most too. He is a perfect backup for Stockton.
Devin Booker (2019-23): One of the best shooting guards in the game today. He adds offence off the bench when Curry needs a rest.
SMALL FORWARDS
Julius Erving (1980-84): The most skillful and stylish player of his generation. His ability to dunk and pull off ridiculous moves was second to none. He is a player capable of taking over a game at both ends of the court. Although he was more known for his scoring, he was perfectly capable of getting 10-15 rebounds or 5 steals in a game too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pqbv1bzddFE&ab_channel=NBATop10Jimmy Butler (2019-23): Not the most skilled player in the game today but his grit, defensive play and strong fundamentals can't be matched. Perfect player to come off the bench and play lockdown defence.
POWER FORWARDS
Karl Malone (1994-98): The Mailman. One of the best power forwards if not the best power forward of all time. Great at running to the basket. Had good a mid-range jump shot. Built like a Tank. One of the most athletic players to play the game ever. Averaged over 10 rebounds a game over a 20-year career.
Chris Bosh (2009-13): The most underrated superstar of modern times IMO. A great defensive player. Could get you 10+ rebounds and 20+ points on a consistent basis every night. Sacrificed his scoring when he moved to heat but still was an integral player defensively. Could play as Power forward or a Center. One of the best shooting big men of all time. Gives me a lot of options off the bench.
Spoiler
Really happy with my team. Great mix of scoring, passing, defence, size and skill. Fantastic versatility and basketball IQ.
By the way, I changed some of the years for a couple of players, so the first post in the Selections thread is a bit inaccurate.
GUARDS:
Jason Kidd 2000-2004
One of the most creative and effective passers in the history of the league. Fantastic defender, bigger and stronger than 99% of the point guards of his generation. Underrated scorer when his team needed it. As soon as he landed on the Nets, a team that had been comically hopeless for the past 20 years, he led them almost single-handedly to back to back final appearances.
Accomplishments during this period
4× All-NBA First Team (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004)
1x All-NBA Second Team (2003)
4× NBA assists leader (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004)
2× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2001, 2002)
3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2000, 2003, 2004)
5× All Star (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)
1x 2nd in MVP voting (2002)
Steve Nash 2005-2009
Unbelievably efficient passer and shooter, one of the most creative passers in the history of the league. Had everything to be Curry before Curry, if only he wanted to shoot more often. His Suns teams were the basketball version of the 70s Dutch national team, and he was their Cruyff. Revolutionary team in terms of style of play, for bad luck and controversial decisions against them they could never quite win it all. In this team he will actually play shooting guard as well to lean into his underrated scoring prowess.
Accomplishments during this period
2x MVP (2005, 2006)
3× All-NBA First Team (2005, 2006, 2007)
1x All-NBA Second Team (2008)
3× NBA assists leader (2005, 2006, 2007)
4× All Star (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
1x 2nd in MVP voting in 2007
George Gervin 1980-1984
The best scorer of the pre-Jordan decade. One of three players in NBA history (along with Jordan and Curry) to average 30 PPG and shoot 50% from the field in a season as a guard. Although at a very low shooting volume, as was the case in the early 80s, he was also an excellent 3 point shooter (42% in the 1984 season). He was already at his peak at the end of the 70s, unfortunately just before the cutoff point of the draft.
Accomplishments during this period
2x Scoring champion (1980, 1982)
3× All-NBA First Team (1980, 1981, 1982)
1x All-NBA Second Team (1983)
5× All Star (1980, 81, 82, 83, 84)
Joe Dumars 1989-1993
The perfect second fiddle to Isiah Thomas in the "Bad Boys" Pistons that dominated the Eastern Conference in the late 80s-early 90s, before finally giving way to the Bulls dynasty. Excellent shooter (3 times above 40% from three during this period), underrated all-around scorer, fantastic perimeter defender. The ultimate 3&D player, before the definition existed.
Accomplishments during this period
2x NBA titles (1989, 1990)
1x NBA Finals MVP (1989)
1x All-NBA Second Team (1993)
2x All-NBA Third Team (1990, 1991)
4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1989, 1990, 1992,1993)
1× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1991)
4× All Star (1990, 1991, 1992,1993)
FORWARDS
Kevin Durant 2015-2019
Arguably the most skilled and complete scoring forward in the history of the sport. Capable of scoring from anywhere on the court, very underrated passer and defender, both on the ball and as a rim protector. Some injuries have somewhat slowed him down lately, but at his peak he was absolutely unstoppable. He took the Warriors from great team and deserved champions to arguably the greatest team in the history of the league.
Accomplishments during this period
2× NBA title (2017, 2018)
2× NBA Finals MVP (2017, 2018)
1x All-NBA First Team (2018)
4x All-NBA Second Team (2015, 2016, 2019)
5× All Star (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Kawhi Leonard 2015-2019
Probably the best wing defender of all time after Scottie Pippen, on top of being an unbelievable scoring force. Limited by injuries (even during this peak unfortunately), but a fantastic player at both ends of the floor. Obviously his crowning achievement is the 2019 title with Toronto, having previously beaten Philadelphia at the last second of Game 7 with the most iconic shot of the last decade.
Accomplishments during this period
1× NBA Finals MVP (2019)
2× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2015, 2016)
2x All-NBA First Team (2016, 2017)
1x All-NBA Second Team (2019)
3× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2015, 2016, 2017)
3× All Star (2016, 2017, 2019)
1x 2nd in MVP voting (2016)
1x 3rd in MVP voting (2017)
Grant Hill 96-2000
One of the greatest injury what ifs in modern NBA history. One of the best all around players in the league in his prime, playing as a point forward and leading his team in points, rebounds and assists in the same season on three separate occasions. Right after the end of the 2000 season, his chronic ankle injuries took over and he was never the same player again, despite being in the league, mostly as a role player, until the 2012 season.
Accomplishments during this period
1× All-NBA First Team (1997)
4x All-NBA Second Team (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000)
4× All Star (1996, 1997, 1998, 2000)
1x 3rd in MVP voting in 1997
Blake Griffin 2011-2015
One of the most athletic players in the history of the league, but also an excellent scorer and rebounder, and underrated passer. Teaming up with Chris Paul as the leaders of the Clippers he could never quite make it all the way in the playoffs, often because of nagging late season injuries either to him or to Paul (or both). Still, an unbelievably entertaining and versatile player.
Accomplishments during this period
3× All-NBA Second Team (2012, 2013, 2014)
1x All-NBA Third Team (2015)
Rookie of the Year (2011)
5× All Star (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
1x 3rd in MVP voting in 2014
CENTRES
Tim Duncan 2001-2005
The most accomplished two-way player of his generation, indisputably a top 10 player in the history of the league. Textbook big man scorer and defender, leader of one of the most impressive dynasties in the history of basketball
Accomplishments during this period
2x MVP titles (2002, 2003)
2x NBA titles (2003, 2005)
2x NBA Finals MVP (2003, 2005)
5x All-NBA First Team (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)
4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005)
1× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2004)
5× All Star (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)
2x 2nd in MVP voting (2001, 2004)
David Robinson 1992-1996
Fantastic centre at both ends of the court, capable of winning the MVP title, the scoring title and Defensive Player of the Year within a 3 year span. In the golden era of the centre of the 1990s only Olajuwon could rival him. During the latest stages of his career, after the Spurs drafted Duncan, he also found the team success that he deserved.
Accomplishments during this period
1x MVP title (1995)
1x Scoring champion (1994)
1x Defensive Player of the Year (1992)
3x All-NBA First Team (1992, 1995, 1996)
1x All-NBA Second Team (1994)
1x All-NBA Third Team (1993)
3× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1992, 1995, 1996)
2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1993, 1994)
5× All Star (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996)
2x 2nd in MVP voting (1994, 1996)
1x 3rd in MVP voting (1992)
Poll