Pick your all-time starting 5 (NBA.. not just Pistons)

[blueadams]

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).

[MrBigShot]

CP3
MJ
LeBron
Dirk
Hakeem

Not necessarily the most talented 5, but I think they fit would be amazing.

[Pharaoh]

Did this last off-season with the same poster who was not willing to acknowledge any other combo as potentially "better" than his own.

And with that said I'm out

[blueadams]

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[blueadams]

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[Han Solo]

Any starting five without Oliver Miller is a travesty.

[Han Solo]

[Cowology]

PG: Curry
SG: Allen
SF: Bird
PF: Dirk
C: Shaq

Yeah, I did it lol. Might not actually win... but I don't even care. Bombs away!

[BadMofoPimp]

PG: Curry
SG: Jordan
SF: Durant
PF: LeBron
C: Shaq

Would Destroy!

[BIG BEN'S FRO]

IMO there is no way Curry should be on this list despite his absolute brilliance. Too short of a time, one championship, average D at best. Also amazing how quickly we all forget the absolute dominance by Duncan for so many years at both ends of the court. Outside of Magic, who I think could at least be formidable due to a huge height advantage, the list I picked was nails at both ends of the court. Dominance on both sides.

PG: Magic
SG: Jordan
SF: Lebron
PF: Duncan
C: Shaq

[Han Solo]

PG - Magic
SG - Jordan
SF - LeBron
PF - Dirk
C - Shaq

[mercury]

C- Wilt
PF- Garnett (he was a solid defender)
SF- Lebron
SG- MJ
PG- Magic

[In SVG We Trust]

CP3
MJ
LeBron
Dirk
Hakeem

Not necessarily the most talented 5, but I think they fit would be amazing.

CP3, Jordan and LeBron are an horrible fit, they're too ball dominant players, and no one got a reliable 3pt shot.

[MotownMadness]

Curry
MJ
LeBron
Duncan
Shaq

[joseph mamah]

Curry
Jordan
Bird
Garnett
Duncan

[roc]

Curry
Jordan
Bird
Duncan
Hakeem

Feel like that team has some nice balance on both ends and great leadership as well while working nicely with today's rules.

For something a bit more old school in terms of rules...

Payton
Jordan
Pippen
Rodman
Wallace

would be pretty fun to watch for that crazy D and domination on the glass.

[Montanabadboy]

Hmmm, I've thought about this before, and I just can't pick from guys before my time.
PG: Isaiah Thomas
SG: Durant
SF: Lebron
PF: Rasheed
C: Hakeem
All excellent passers, all capable of taking over a game offensively. That defense would be sick. Due to his strength and unreal athleticism, I considered Westbrook as my point guard, but I'm afraid he would dominate the ball too much, and you can't have that with these guys. I realize it may be a stretch putting Durant at the 2, but he's played there before, and somebody had Lebron as a PF so I'm sticking with it.

[Montanabadboy]

Curry
MJ
LeBron
Duncan
Shaq

That is a sick team. I thought of doing something similar but couldn't envision how Lebron and Jordan would fit. Maybe they would and it would be beautiful.

[Laimbeer]

Greatest ever by position or are we putting together a team?

Greatest ever
Russell
LeBron
Bird
Jordan
Magic

Team
Walton
LeBron
Bird
Jordan
Curry

[In SVG We Trust]

How LeBron is better than Duncan historically? Don't let ESPN get into your heads kids!