Pick your all-time starting 5 (NBA.. not just Pistons)
Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 4:05 am
Today's rules. Not necessarily the 5 greatest players of all-time.. but the greatest combination of players possible
My team:
C: Kareem
PF: Hakeem
SF: LeBron
SG: Kobe
PG: MJ
HC: Pop.
Suffocating defenders at every single position. Kobe, a 12x all-league defender. Kareem, an 11x all-league defender. MJ and Kareem--9x all league defenders. LeBron, a 6x all league defender (so far). Great size at every position. Insane rim protection. Great, great rebounding. Hakeem athletic enough to guard any stretch-4 in the history of the game. He and Kareem strong and smart enough to guard any big man in the history of the game (watch old tape of Kareem v Wilt; Hakeem v Shaq). LeBron, Kobe and MJ all ferocious, out-worldly athletic perimeter defenders. Great athleticism, all-around.
Winners, with character, all around. MJ-6 rings. Kareem-6 rings. Kobe-5 rings. LeBron-3 rings (so far). Hakeem-2. Those obsessed with winning. It would be MJ's team (who always used his teammates as well as he needed to to win). But it would really be his wise zen partner Kareem's team too. LeBron, a pass-first player at heart, would relish the opportunity to be himself.. in a Draymond Green-dirty work like role. Kobe would embrace his role as a shut-down defender, as he has on olympic squads. And Hakeem would just play, as he always did.
Good, not great outside shooters.. LeBron a career 34% 3pt shooter, MJ and Kobe career 33% 3pt shooters. A death to small-ball team. Twin-tower offense centered on Kareem. Two moving big men who could pass and score from anywhere inside the paint. Three of the greatest attacking perimeter pieces to ever play the game.. with outside shooting enough to at least keep defenses honest, and spread. LeBron probably operating the point as much as Jordan.
No career 50% ft shooters (Shaq, Wilt, Russell). No defensive weak points (Magic, Bird, Curry, Durant, Dirk). No little guys (Zeke). No busters (Pippen). No "defense-only" threats (Rodman, Ben).
My team:
C: Kareem
PF: Hakeem
SF: LeBron
SG: Kobe
PG: MJ
HC: Pop.
Suffocating defenders at every single position. Kobe, a 12x all-league defender. Kareem, an 11x all-league defender. MJ and Kareem--9x all league defenders. LeBron, a 6x all league defender (so far). Great size at every position. Insane rim protection. Great, great rebounding. Hakeem athletic enough to guard any stretch-4 in the history of the game. He and Kareem strong and smart enough to guard any big man in the history of the game (watch old tape of Kareem v Wilt; Hakeem v Shaq). LeBron, Kobe and MJ all ferocious, out-worldly athletic perimeter defenders. Great athleticism, all-around.
Winners, with character, all around. MJ-6 rings. Kareem-6 rings. Kobe-5 rings. LeBron-3 rings (so far). Hakeem-2. Those obsessed with winning. It would be MJ's team (who always used his teammates as well as he needed to to win). But it would really be his wise zen partner Kareem's team too. LeBron, a pass-first player at heart, would relish the opportunity to be himself.. in a Draymond Green-dirty work like role. Kobe would embrace his role as a shut-down defender, as he has on olympic squads. And Hakeem would just play, as he always did.
Good, not great outside shooters.. LeBron a career 34% 3pt shooter, MJ and Kobe career 33% 3pt shooters. A death to small-ball team. Twin-tower offense centered on Kareem. Two moving big men who could pass and score from anywhere inside the paint. Three of the greatest attacking perimeter pieces to ever play the game.. with outside shooting enough to at least keep defenses honest, and spread. LeBron probably operating the point as much as Jordan.
No career 50% ft shooters (Shaq, Wilt, Russell). No defensive weak points (Magic, Bird, Curry, Durant, Dirk). No little guys (Zeke). No busters (Pippen). No "defense-only" threats (Rodman, Ben).
