Pick one of Bird or Duncan to add to this team

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

You have peak Shaq, peak Robinson peak Pippen peak Jordan and peak Curry and 5 average g-leaguers one at each position.

Yo get to choose one of peak Bird or peak Duncan to complete the team; do you choose Bird or Duncan. The players will all leave in free agency at the end of the year. We are looking for dominance and a chmpionship for one year not longevity. We want the team to win 75 + games but the team will be broken up at the end of the year; so longevity does not matter.

You are all set at center and do not need Duncan to play center. It is Bird or Duncan as the power forward. Bird was a power forward. McHale had to guard small forwards in the Celtics 2 power forward lineups with Parish at center.

Who do you take for the last roster spot; Burd or Duncan?

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

Pippen can play point forward allowing Curry and Jordan to play off the ball.

[One_and_Done]

Duncan because this team needs nothing, and might as well take the better player.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

Duncan because this team needs nothing, and might as well take the better player.

My own opinion is that Bird is better than Duncan if you don’t need Duncan to be a rim protecting center. Blocks from the power forward position do help but are not as important when you have a rim protecting center.

Peak Robinson who existed before his big injury and before Duncan was drafted was a top quality rim protector. Peak shaq was a very good rim protector but not at the level of peak Robinson.

Pippen was pretty good as a point toward but he was no Magic Johnson. Bird’s passing might help. Jordan was a good point guard the half season he played point guard.

I think Steph Curry led the league in assists under coach Mark Jackson who gave Curry multiple picks to enable Steph to be a ball dominant point guard despite Steph not being quick enough to blow past point guards even though Steph has a increadinle handle and ball fakes. Mark Jackson had Steph playing like Pacers Mark Jackson. Kerr took Curry off the ball and had Playing like a super version of Steve Kerr. Kerr was one of the greatest 3 point shooters but Kerr could not make defenders lean the wrong way to get shooting space like Curry does.

On offense Bird would clearly be more usefull tha Duncan but this team does not really need more offense. Duncan’s defense is useful but Bird was a good man to man defender of power forwards and a great team defender a almost as good of a rebounder as Duncan.

Bird failed at man to man defense on good small forwards but Bird defending small forwards was Bird playing out of position.

I think Duncan was a center more than he was a power forward. If I call Duncan a center then Bird is the best power forward.

If I call Duncan a power forward then I think it is debatable whether Bird or Duncan was the best power forward.

Consensus opinion thinks Bird was a small forward but consensus opinion is wrong.

[AEnigma]

Bird, solely because you have designed this roster to be able to make much better use of Bird through rotations alone: you can play Bird with any combination, but you cannot reasonably play Duncan with Robinson and Shaq. However, I want to be clear that I think Steph/Jordan plus a centre/big rotation of Shaq/Robinson is pretty set on offence and is going to hitting major diminishing returns with Bird.

To your actual point here: Duncan is better than Bird, so the position is irrelevant, and if you insist Bird is a power forward while Duncan must be a centre, then I can just as easily say Lebron is a power forward so Bird is not the best anyway. More accurately, Bird is a forward and Duncan is a big, where Duncan can be discussed as the best big in a way Bird cannot reasonably be discussed as the best forward (although Duncan can also be discussed outside the top five for bigs in a way Bird cannot be for forwards, so it cuts both ways there).

[MyUniBroDavis]

You have peak Shaq, peak Robinson peak Pippen peak Jordan and peak Curry and 5 average g-leaguers one at each position.

Yo get to choose one of peak Bird or peak Duncan to complete the team; do you choose Bird or Duncan. The players will all leave in free agency at the end of the year. We are looking for dominance and a chmpionship for one year not longevity. We want the team to win 75 + games but the team will be broken up at the end of the year; so longevity does not matter.

You are all set at center and do not need Duncan to play center. It is Bird or Duncan as the power forward. Bird was a power forward. McHale had to guard small forwards in the Celtics 2 power forward lineups with Parish at center.

Who do you take for the last roster spot; Burd or Duncan?

Duncan cuz he doesn’t suck

[Colbinii]

Bird, more American!

[rk2023]

Bird, more American!

Larry Bird is Smooth Whiskey, whereas Tim Duncan is Ginger Ale

[Ol Roy]

I've never been a big fan of Shaq/Duncan pairings for the optimal super team. Robinson is the best shooter and most mobile of the three, so realistically he might become the small forward in that frontcourt. I am a fan of upsizing all-time lineups, but I don't think this is the right personnel for it.

For this team, I think I'll take Bird and utilize his all-time shooting and passing to open up the floor. Shaq and Robinson provide more than sufficient paint protection, and I think Jordan and Pippen can help cover for any deficiency on that end from Bird and Curry.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

2017 Warriors led the league in shot blocking. Their staring center Zaza could not block shots.

Old David West suddenly became a shot blocker. JaVale was blocking shots. Draymond and Durant were blocking shots.

Duncan’s rim protection as a power forwards would help despite Robinson and Shaq supplying sufficient rim protection.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

Bird, solely because you have designed this roster to be able to make much better use of Bird through rotations alone: you can play Bird with any combination, but you cannot reasonably play Duncan with Robinson and Shaq. However, I want to be clear that I think Steph/Jordan plus a centre/big rotation of Shaq/Robinson is pretty set on offence and is going to hitting major diminishing returns with Bird.

To your actual point here: Duncan is better than Bird, so the position is irrelevant, and if you insist Bird is a power forward while Duncan must be a centre, then I can just as easily say Lebron is a power forward so Bird is not the best anyway. More accurately, Bird is a forward and Duncan is a big, where Duncan can be discussed as the best big in a way Bird cannot reasonably be discussed as the best forward (although Duncan can also be discussed outside the top five for bigs in a way Bird cannot be for forwards, so it cuts both ways there).

I absolutely cherry picked the team for Bird. Having 2 all star centers negates the value of Duncan as the back up center. I value rim protection and Duncan’s rim protection is what gives him an advantage over Bird but by giving the team Robinson and Shaq I reduce the value of Duncan as a rimprotecting center.

Duncan started games as a power forward but he finished games as a rim protecting center.

I did not expect Bird to become underrated.
I did not expect Duncan to become overrated. Duncan was not flashy. I don’t think fans that were not born when Bird played understand Bird.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

Curry is the best floor spacer ever but Jordan and Pippen were not all that good at floor spacing without the shortened 3. Bird helps with floor spacing.

[SNPA]

Duncan because this team needs nothing, and might as well take the better player.

My own opinion is that Bird is better than Duncan if you don’t need Duncan to be a rim protecting center. Blocks from the power forward position do help but are not as important when you have a rim protecting center.

Peak Robinson who existed before his big injury and before Duncan was drafted was a top quality rim protector. Peak shaq was a very good rim protector but not at the level of peak Robinson.

Pippen was pretty good as a point toward but he was no Magic Johnson. Bird’s passing might help. Jordan was a good point guard the half season he played point guard.

I think Steph Curry led the league in assists under coach Mark Jackson who gave Curry multiple picks to enable Steph to be a ball dominant point guard despite Steph not being quick enough to blow past point guards even though Steph has a increadinle handle and ball fakes. Mark Jackson had Steph playing like Pacers Mark Jackson. Kerr took Curry off the ball and had Playing like a super version of Steve Kerr. Kerr was one of the greatest 3 point shooters but Kerr could not make defenders lean the wrong way to get shooting space like Curry does.

On offense Bird would clearly be more usefull tha Duncan but this team does not really need more offense. Duncan’s defense is useful but Bird was a good man to man defender of power forwards and a great team defender a almost as good of a rebounder as Duncan.

Bird failed at man to man defense on good small forwards but Bird defending small forwards was Bird playing out of position.

I think Duncan was a center more than he was a power forward. If I call Duncan a center then Bird is the best power forward.

If I call Duncan a power forward then I think it is debatable whether Bird or Duncan was the best power forward.

Consensus opinion thinks Bird was a small forward but consensus opinion is wrong.

Excellent post.

Answer here is clearly Bird. The team already has two HOF centers.

[One_and_Done]

Bird, solely because you have designed this roster to be able to make much better use of Bird through rotations alone: you can play Bird with any combination, but you cannot reasonably play Duncan with Robinson and Shaq. However, I want to be clear that I think Steph/Jordan plus a centre/big rotation of Shaq/Robinson is pretty set on offence and is going to hitting major diminishing returns with Bird.

To your actual point here: Duncan is better than Bird, so the position is irrelevant, and if you insist Bird is a power forward while Duncan must be a centre, then I can just as easily say Lebron is a power forward so Bird is not the best anyway. More accurately, Bird is a forward and Duncan is a big, where Duncan can be discussed as the best big in a way Bird cannot reasonably be discussed as the best forward (although Duncan can also be discussed outside the top five for bigs in a way Bird cannot be for forwards, so it cuts both ways there).

I absolutely cherry picked the team for Bird. Having 2 all star centers negates the value of Duncan as the back up center. I value rim protection and Duncan’s rim protection is what gives him an advantage over Bird but by giving the team Robinson and Shaq I reduce the value of Duncan as a rimprotecting center.

Duncan started games as a power forward but he finished games as a rim protecting center.

I did not expect Bird to become underrated.
I did not expect Duncan to become overrated. Duncan was not flashy. I don’t think fans that were not born when Bird played understand Bird.

We understand the league got stronger after the 80s.

[AEnigma]

I did not expect Bird to become underrated.
I did not expect Duncan to become overrated. Duncan was not flashy. I don’t think fans that were not born when Bird played understand Bird.

Without living through a cultural phenomenon and actively engaging with it, no, there will be no complete understanding. However, that is not unique to Bird, nor is it a statement on how good a player Bird is when transferred through time.

Duncan did not dominate his era to the extent Bird dominated his. Eight conference finals in nine prime years, top four in MVP voting all nine of those years (winning thrice and finishing as a runner-up four more times). The year before all that, bringing a no-name college to the NCAA championship game. Duncan cannot compare even before getting into their respective auras.

Here is the key question though: what do accolades and auras and cultural effect tell us about a player’s absolute quality of play through time? Could we not just as easily refer to Wilt or Shaq and how the statsheets merely gesture at their sheer in-person physical dominance? Could we not look to Kobe and his 18 all-star appearances (virtually all as a starter), whose last game on an irrelevant mess of a lottery team took priority over a team pursuing a new wins record?

These are all often incorporated into “greatness”, but personally I make a point to file them away whenever I am asked to assess “goodness”.

[HeartBreakKid]

I did not expect Bird to become underrated.
I did not expect Duncan to become overrated. Duncan was not flashy. I don’t think fans that were not born when Bird played understand Bird.

If anything that would make you more bias.

Also, are you saying you understood the same amount about basketball 40 years ago as you do today?

[Doctor MJ]

Always nice to add someone who is a better passer than any one on your team and also an elite shooter.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WintaSoldier1]

You have peak Shaq, peak Robinson peak Pippen peak Jordan and peak Curry and 5 average g-leaguers one at each position.

Yo get to choose one of peak Bird or peak Duncan to complete the team; do you choose Bird or Duncan. The players will all leave in free agency at the end of the year. We are looking for dominance and a chmpionship for one year not longevity. We want the team to win 75 + games but the team will be broken up at the end of the year; so longevity does not matter.

You are all set at center and do not need Duncan to play center. It is Bird or Duncan as the power forward. Bird was a power forward. McHale had to guard small forwards in the Celtics 2 power forward lineups with Parish at center.

Who do you take for the last roster spot; Burd or Duncan?

The safe choice is Bird, I chose duncan before I even looked at the prompt between the two.

If we're referring to today's league I'll just take Duncan; You can't guard anyone in the post in today's league who has average+ court awareness(especially in reference to sending the double), The team will always have an all-time big(s) on the floor and I expect for it to really mess with the ways you can defend the team. I really think the idea of spacing and modernization of the game are overrated and are used for efficiency(as in the easiest path to success) but lack in effectiveness(as in the best way possible).

Using Denver's/LA's run last year you can see how their size really bothered smaller teams that were about attacking open space on the floor offensively, because they gave up pure size and strength defensively[ Referencing: GSW, PHX, MIA]

Hopefully the G-Leaguers we can get can just be overall specialists to makeup for the lack of "NBA Talent"

[nate33]

The answer to this question is easily Bird because of the way the roster is constructed. Not only are they set at center, but they have fairly weak outside shooting and passing for a team of HOFers. Pippen is really the only player on the roster who would be focused more on setting up others than himself, but Pippen was only a good passer, not a great one. Bird gives them exactly what they need most - perimeter spacing and elite passing/playmaking to help leverage Curry's off-ball game and make sure everyone else gets enough touches.

[parsnips33]

Bird just seems like a better connective piece on a team already so loaded