This is kind of tough, because I think a lot of the old players would have more trouble holding up in today's hyper-competitive NBA... I think that based on what we can know though, this is who I'd take (I'm taking three players per position, for a total of 13 active, and 2 inactive players. By NBA Rules, each team is allowed to have 15 players under contract, though only 13 can suit up on any given night.)
PG - John Stockton/Magic Johnson/Chris Paul
SG - Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant/Stephen Curry (I know he's more of a PG, but I think he makes sense as a SG)
SF - LeBron James/Kevin Durant/Larry Bird
PF - Charles Barkley/Hakeem Olajuwon/Bob Pettit
C - Shaquille O'Neal/Wilt Chamberlain/David Robinson
By far, the hardest position for me to fill out was PF/C. There were about 10 centers I considered, but had trouble trying to fit even one at PF. Olajuwon was a strict center, but I figured I'd rather carry him than say Tim Duncan/Dirk Nowitzki, who was probably my fourth PF.
Guys who missed the cut on each position.
PG - Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Russell Westbrook
SG - Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson, Clyde Drexler
SF - Julius Erving, Paul Pierce, Elgin Baylor, Dominique Wilkins
PF - Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett
C - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Yao Ming, Moses Malone, Patrick Ewing
Now, I know I probably have to answer for why I leave the all time leader in points off, but include Shaq, Wilt, and Robinson. My only defense for that, is I had the four on a spread sheet, and I compared numbers. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't overlook PER. Robinson, Shaq, and Wilt are all TOP 5 PLAYERS in NBA HISTORY for PER (career). That made the decision extremely easy.
As for why I put Durant on there, despite his present injury... I don't hold this injury plagued year against him. He's been one of the most efficient players in the NBA, not just now, but in the past few decades. I think people overlook just how special a player he really is.
I ended up going with Curry as my third SG, as opposed to putting say Allen Iverson in his spot, simply because I like what Curry brings to the table. He's an absolute sharp shooter, an otherwordly dagger in a landscape where the league is full of giants.
And as for Pettit over Dirk/Duncan/Malone/etc... I don't think people appreciate just how good Pettit was in his career. He was a true all star in the early days of the NBA, even winning the NBA's first ever MVP award.
In the end, it's all subjective. This is kind of tough, because I think a lot of the old players would have more trouble holding up in today's hyper-competitive NBA... I think that based on what we can know though, this is who I'd take (I'm taking three players per position, for a total of 13 active, and 2 inactive players. By NBA Rules, each team is allowed to have 15 players under contract, though only 13 can suit up on any given night.)
PG - John Stockton/Magic Johnson/Chris Paul
SG - Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant/Stephen Curry (I know he's more of a PG, but I think he makes sense as a SG)
SF - LeBron James/Kevin Durant/Larry Bird
PF - Charles Barkley/Hakeem Olajuwon/Bob Pettit
C - Shaquille O'Neal/Wilt Chamberlain/David Robinson
By far, the hardest position for me to fill out was PF/C. There were about 10 centers I considered, but had trouble trying to fit even one at PF. Olajuwon was a strict center, but I figured I'd rather carry him than say Tim Duncan/Dirk Nowitzki, who was probably my fourth PF.
Guys who missed the cut on each position.
PG - Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Russell Westbrook
SG - Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson, Clyde Drexler
SF - Julius Erving, Paul Pierce, Elgin Baylor, Dominique Wilkins
PF - Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett
C - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Yao Ming, Moses Malone, Patrick Ewing
Now, I know I probably have to answer for why I leave the all time leader in points off, but include Shaq, Wilt, and Robinson. My only defense for that, is I had the four on a spread sheet, and I compared numbers. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't overlook PER. Robinson, Shaq, and Wilt are all TOP 5 PLAYERS in NBA HISTORY for PER (career). That made the decision extremely easy.
As for why I put Durant on there, despite his present injury... I don't hold this injury plagued year against him. He's been one of the most efficient players in the NBA, not just now, but in the past few decades. I think people overlook just how special a player he really is.
I ended up going with Curry as my third SG, as opposed to putting say Allen Iverson in his spot, simply because I like what Curry brings to the table. He's an absolute sharp shooter, an otherwordly dagger in a landscape where the league is full of giants.
And as for Pettit over Dirk/Duncan/Malone/etc... I don't think people appreciate just how good Pettit was in his career. He was a true all star in the early days of the NBA, even winning the NBA's first ever MVP award.
In the end, it's all subjective. |