Create the ideal LeBron team with current players

[WarriorGM]

LeBron is thought of by many as the GOAT or the best player in the world, however, his record in the finals is a bit underwhelming given that status and he always seems to be entering it as the underdog. To explain this people say his team could be better. So let's create an ideal team for LeBron.

With the limitation of only being allowed one other superstar (Curry, KD, Kawhi, Harden, and Westbrook) and two other all-stars from the past three years (2016 to 2018), using current players create the perfect LeBron team that maximizes his and the team's potential and that would clearly be the favorite over the Warriors or any other team.

While Curry and KD are possible teammates for this exercise, one may wish to avoid using them if one wants to have a more realistic model of a team that would beat the Warriors.

[Volcano]

Rockets + LBJ + Millsap + Raptors bench

Capela / Poeltl
Millsap / Siakam / Ryan Anderson
Lebron / Ariza
Harden / Eric Gordon / Tucker
CP3 / FVV / Delon Wright

Millsap over Love for defensive purposes (Love won't serve much purpose as a 4th option). Raps have the best bench in the league.

[wassuphomeboy]

If you're trying to say KD and Curry or anybody on the Warriors can sniff LeBron as an individual player, the fact they need to all team up to make it a "fair" comparison says it all

[KidPistol]

Kyrie Irving
James Harden
LeBron
Saric
Capela

Bench
6th Eric Gordon
TJ McConnell
Dwight Howard
Ryan Anderson
Robert Covington
Marco Bellineli
Tyler Johnson
Trey Lyles

[WarriorGM]

If you're trying to say KD and Curry or anybody on the Warriors can sniff LeBron as an individual player, the fact they need to all team up to make it a "fair" comparison says it all

We're not talking one-on-one. With the addition of KD I think the feeling the Warriors stacked the deck against LeBron has some merit that's why this topic was also created to make it "fair" for LeBron. That said I would argue LeBron was playing with a clear advantage against the Warriors pre-KD: Kyrie and Kevin were/are more proven than Klay and Draymond not to mention his road to the finals was easier.

Given the idea of LeBron ball is out there I also wanted to see if people would try suggesting lineups that might revolve around the idea of a better fit or system and what that might look like. Currently it seems the idea of a LeBron and Rockets hybrid is favored but that seems to me more a team based on what the Rockets have built and presuming adding LeBron will make it better rather than a conceptual framework with LeBron's abilities at its core.

[Dupp]

I mean by your guidelines you could go

Curry
Klay
Lebron
Green
2016 TT


But yeah more realistic 2016 cavs is pretty good and ideal cast for him just a better bench.

Most ideal player is klay I’d say. This team would be great.


Hill ( last season)
Klay
Lebron
Love
Capela (current season/contract)

Bench

Korver
Nance? ( remove if too unrealistic)
2016 RJ
Frye
Beverly

This team has great offense and defense. Still allows love to be a second option, where he excels while klay offers goat level spacing without needing to hold the ball at all really.

Lebrons strengths are as the main playmaker and ball handler. He’s also a lot better next to a lot of shooters. Spo nearly cost the heat a title in 2013 when he kept playing wade. As soon as he was out and bron had shooters they killed it.

That’s more ideal and realistic than being next to another super star. Obviously a guy like curry is an exception.

[ardee]

So with LeBron, you want 3 types of guys. You want another ball-handler, a super Kyrie basically, you want a roll man, and you want 1, preferably 2, 3&D guys. Maximizing those guys under the constraints provided, you'd go:

Harden (handler)
Middleton (3&D)
George (3&D)
LeBron
Gobert (roll man)

That is not a realistic team though. Chances of getting four All-NBA players on the same team is insanely small. Let's look at similar roles but with lesser talent, and no other superstar going by OP definition, plus only one other All-Star.

CP3 (handler)
Middleton (3&D)
Covington (3&D)
LeBron
Nance (roll man)

Middleton is just perfect on a team like this, him and Nance were born to play with LeBron. Tbh I think that team could give GSW a run for it's money if LeBron is playing the way he is right now.

He would also absolutely murder it on the Jazz.

Rubio
Mitchell
Ingles
LeBron
Gobert

That's a 60+ win team easy.

[Amare_1_Knicks]

Damian Lillard
Paul George
Lebron James
Kristaps Porzingis
Rudy Gobert

We’ll call Lillard the other superstar, and then KP and PG the two other all stars. The defense 2-5 is elite — there’s elite perimeter, rim protection and help defense; not to mention tremendous floor spacing.

[LA Bird]

None of the above teams are maximizing their talent under OP's rules. You can build an absolute juggernaut lineup of

C: Embiid
PF: LeBron
SF: Covington
SG: Butler
PG: Curry

which alone would carry the team to something like 12+ SRS. Plenty of defense, 3pt shooting and a nice fit with Embiid/Covington based on what we've seen from Simmons instead of LeBron in the point forward role.

[MisterHibachi]

Davis
LeBron
Covington
Paul George
George Hill

Big three of Davis/LeBron/George, with an above average wing in Covington and an average point guard in Hill. This lineup is realistic and would be disgusting on both sides of the ball. Switch basically 2-5, and even 1-5 at times, Hill has some Slenderman type arms. All of them have good to great gravity everywhere on the floor. I think this could be a 11-12 SRS team given a bench that doesn't bleed points.

[Ainosterhaspie]

Gobert/Olynyk
Davis/Nance
James/Otto Porter/Korver
Danny Green/Smart
Teague/Hill/Rubio


James won with Tristan Thompson who is very limited. It won't take much to upgrade that position. I'm picking Gobert. A huge problem for James teams beginning with the 2014 finals (before then really, but Heat compensated with energy) is inadequate defense, lack of rim protection and interior size. Gobert is a massive upgrade over what James has had at the five since joining the Heat. Olynyk is more of an outside threat and gives me an extra large frame.

The superstar I'm picking for him to play with is Davis. It won't be the greatest fit offensively, but between he and Gobert the defense is getting nasty and the team will have size that will give many other teams fits. Davis can play the five as well with LeBron at the four at times.

For a wing player Klay Thompson seems ideal, but lets build a team that doesn't weaken the Warriors. Danny Green is a suitable alternative 3 and D guy. I'll add Marcus Smart for additional defense. A lineup like Smart/Green/James/Davis/Gobert should be stifling defensively and able to grind out points with James/Davis pick and rolls.

My PGs may not be scorers but they can run an offense and hit some threes. They should be able to get James and Davis some good looks and hit open threes James gives them. The front line should provide enough interior pressure to make life easy on these guys from the perimeter.

James plus shooters small lineups are available like James/Korver/Porter/Green/Hill, or swap Davis and Hill for a bit more size and defense while keeping plenty of available shooting.

[kabstah]

1. Take 2016 GSW.
2. Swap Harrison Barnes for LeBron. LeBron becomes rich man's Draymond Green, and Draymond Green becomes rich man's Harrison Barnes.
3. Run wild on the NBA like Hulkamania.

[homecourtloss]

None of the above teams are maximizing their talent under OP's rules. You can build an absolute juggernaut lineup of

C: Embiid
PF: LeBron
SF: Covington
SG: Butler
PG: Curry

which alone would carry the team to something like 12+ SRS. Plenty of defense, 3pt shooting and a nice fit with Embiid/Covington based on what we've seen from Simmons instead of LeBron in the point forward role.

Curry + LeBron alone would be an 8+ SRS team of healthy no matter whom you put around them.

Embiid + Curry + LeBron isn’t fair. Butler and RoCo as well? Stops all game long, LeBron run outs all game long, stretches of 2-3 minutes in which thst team goes on 12-0 runs to end games.

[WarriorGM]

Going by conventional wisdom LeBron needs a secondary playmaker and scorer - Harden.
Also needs a good defensive guy - Embiid.
The last all-star I'm undecided about, probably determines the complexion of the team. For a versatile all-star - Paul George.
A 3 and D guy is missing - Otto Porter.

That uses a kind of standard thought process though. I wonder what a pass-happy team with LeBron would be like. So the ideas including Rubio are interesting. The names suggested so far include a couple that are already his teammates (Hill and Nance) and aside from the Rockets the team that has players being mentioned as a good fit for James are the 76ers (Embiid, Covington, Saric). Seems like people believe they are the best off-the-shelf fit. I wonder what more imaginative lineups people can come up with to take advantage of LeBron's abilities.

[WarriorGM]

Okay so let's revisit this. LeBron and the Cavaliers at the moment aren't doing so well against the Pacers and people are again trashing LeBron's teammates. What teammates would have avoided this mess?

For fun let's consider this lineup of players from former Yugoslav republics: Jokic, Mirotic, Saric, and Dragic.

[clyde21]

Anyone that doesn't pick Curry+LeBron needs to chill. Might be the most perfect duo of all time.

[ronnymac2]

2018 Anthony Davis
2018 Trevor Ariza
2018 LeBron James
2017 CJ McCollum
2018 Damian Lillard

2018 Korver
2018 George Hill
2018 Nance Jr.
2018 Ryan Anderson
2018 Bogdanovic
2016 RJ
2016 Frye

[Franco]

Anyone that doesn't pick Curry+LeBron needs to chill. Might be the most perfect duo of all time.

One of the greatest passers of all time, who breaks defenses from the inside like Shaq, combined with possibly the GOAT off-ball superstar, who happens to be the GOAT shooter?

I can't even begin to imagine how in the world you defend Curry 30 feet away from the basket while LeBron is obliterating whatever is in his way to the paint

[villematic32]

Just to have a little fun I won’t even add another all star to the list and I think a team like this could get Lebron to another finals....
1. Jrue Holiday (yes, I’m on the bandwagon lol)
2. CJ McCollum
3. Trevor Ariza
4. Lebron James
5. Clint Capella

Off the bench would include guys like Korver, Redick, Ryan Anderson.

Both Holiday and McCollum have shown that they can both play alongside ball dominate superstars. This lineup brings a good blend of unselfish guys who are more than capable of scoring 20 on any given night and are also used to being the second or third option. Ariza is a player who not only spaces the floor on offense but takes a ton of responsibility off of Lebron on defense. Finally, Capella is a superstar within his role. Will anchor this teams defense, execellent P&R player and doesn’t need post looks to be effective.

[Jaqua92]

Steph Curry
James Harden
Lebron James
KD
Anthony Davis

bench,
Kyrie
McCollum
Kawhi
Embiid

Eddie House
Wally Szerbiak