Post by Brad Kane on May 21, 2011 15:07:14 GMT -6
I did this in Feb but whatever.
I've been thinking about this for a month or two and I finally feel confident enough to write it up. Most of you won't care but a couple here or there will. Not it's nothing about play fighting, instead, it's about who my Ultimate NBA Team would be. Now it all won't be superstars. I mean the starting line up will have a couple but it won't be all current players either. I'm mixing up current and past players to make my ultimate team. Feel free to discuss if you care enough. On with the list. Maybe I'll say why I choose the players I did. Here we go.
The Starting Five:
PG - Rajon Rondo
SG - Michael Jordan
SF - Larry Bird
PF - Tim Duncan
C - Bill Russell
The Bench:
6th Man - Magic Johnson
Karl Malone
Shaquille O'Neal
Scottie Pippen
Joe Dumars
Robert Horry
Bill Walton
Reserve:
Dwight Howard
John Wall
Kevin Durant
Now that the team has been created, let's discuss this a little bit. With that starting five how can anyone possibly shut it down on offense or defense? With Russell and Duncan down on the low block that takes care of all the rebounding, shot blocking and what have you. If a fast break starts, one of the two can kick it out to Jordan or Rondo who then do with the ball what they need to. In a half court game, they can all function with great passing working for the best shot possible. Can't double team Jordan or Bird. You do and you'll be up a creek. If the D went zone on them, Bird can nail the three good enough to make them pay.
Now with the bench, you got Johnson coming off first because of his ability to play so many positions his defense not withstanding. He can pass it and can drive and kick. Why Karl Malone? The pick and roll with Johnson or Rondo would be deadly. Shaq doesn't really need too much of an explanation. I thought about going with Wilt but he would balk at coming off of the bench. Well, Shaq would too but just think about it. Wilt loved the ball too much to defer to anyone else. Shaq can co-exist with other great players if they ain't a total pain the ass (Lookin' at you Kobe.) With Jordan, Pippen had to be there. Might be one of the greatest duos of the past twenty five years. Pippen can score and defend with the best of them. Joe Dumars was a good team player and I don't think he would kill any chemistry that they would have.
I bet you're wondering why I put Robert Horry on this club with so many other clutch players. With all the attention they marquee players are getting in the clutch, Horry can just slip out and nail the big shots like we were so used to see him doing throughout his career. Bill Walton is the 12th man. Just seemed like a good fit with how bad his feet got.
The purpose of the three reserve players is to learn from the 12 players that'll be seeing all the action. Imagine Bill Russell taking Dwight under his wing and showing him how to be the best player he can possibly be. Bill Simmons really said it great that Dwight Howard could be an alpha dog in the same old of Russell but just doesn't have that mindset that Russell did. So perhaps with him teaching Howard how to be that guy, watch out. John Wall would learn under Magic more then Rondo since, you know, Rondo isn't that much older then Wall. I just feel like Wall doesn't really have a ceiling on how great he could become. As far as Durant goes, have Pippen teach him how to play defense while Bird and Jordan can show him how to torture defenses.
So that's my ultimate NBA team. Would they work out in real life? All signs point to no. The egos would clash at some point. I mean all the men are pretty damn good teammates but still, only one ball to go around. I'd just love to watch this team play together.
I've been thinking about this for a month or two and I finally feel confident enough to write it up. Most of you won't care but a couple here or there will. Not it's nothing about play fighting, instead, it's about who my Ultimate NBA Team would be. Now it all won't be superstars. I mean the starting line up will have a couple but it won't be all current players either. I'm mixing up current and past players to make my ultimate team. Feel free to discuss if you care enough. On with the list. Maybe I'll say why I choose the players I did. Here we go.
The Starting Five:
PG - Rajon Rondo
SG - Michael Jordan
SF - Larry Bird
PF - Tim Duncan
C - Bill Russell
The Bench:
6th Man - Magic Johnson
Karl Malone
Shaquille O'Neal
Scottie Pippen
Joe Dumars
Robert Horry
Bill Walton
Reserve:
Dwight Howard
John Wall
Kevin Durant
Now that the team has been created, let's discuss this a little bit. With that starting five how can anyone possibly shut it down on offense or defense? With Russell and Duncan down on the low block that takes care of all the rebounding, shot blocking and what have you. If a fast break starts, one of the two can kick it out to Jordan or Rondo who then do with the ball what they need to. In a half court game, they can all function with great passing working for the best shot possible. Can't double team Jordan or Bird. You do and you'll be up a creek. If the D went zone on them, Bird can nail the three good enough to make them pay.
Now with the bench, you got Johnson coming off first because of his ability to play so many positions his defense not withstanding. He can pass it and can drive and kick. Why Karl Malone? The pick and roll with Johnson or Rondo would be deadly. Shaq doesn't really need too much of an explanation. I thought about going with Wilt but he would balk at coming off of the bench. Well, Shaq would too but just think about it. Wilt loved the ball too much to defer to anyone else. Shaq can co-exist with other great players if they ain't a total pain the ass (Lookin' at you Kobe.) With Jordan, Pippen had to be there. Might be one of the greatest duos of the past twenty five years. Pippen can score and defend with the best of them. Joe Dumars was a good team player and I don't think he would kill any chemistry that they would have.
I bet you're wondering why I put Robert Horry on this club with so many other clutch players. With all the attention they marquee players are getting in the clutch, Horry can just slip out and nail the big shots like we were so used to see him doing throughout his career. Bill Walton is the 12th man. Just seemed like a good fit with how bad his feet got.
The purpose of the three reserve players is to learn from the 12 players that'll be seeing all the action. Imagine Bill Russell taking Dwight under his wing and showing him how to be the best player he can possibly be. Bill Simmons really said it great that Dwight Howard could be an alpha dog in the same old of Russell but just doesn't have that mindset that Russell did. So perhaps with him teaching Howard how to be that guy, watch out. John Wall would learn under Magic more then Rondo since, you know, Rondo isn't that much older then Wall. I just feel like Wall doesn't really have a ceiling on how great he could become. As far as Durant goes, have Pippen teach him how to play defense while Bird and Jordan can show him how to torture defenses.
So that's my ultimate NBA team. Would they work out in real life? All signs point to no. The egos would clash at some point. I mean all the men are pretty damn good teammates but still, only one ball to go around. I'd just love to watch this team play together.