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Alright NBA fans, make your dream team (forget injuries or conference). What would be your starting, and your backup for each position?

Point Guard: Steve Nash, Dwayne Wayde
2nd (shoot) Guard: Chauncy Billups, Kobe Bryant
Forwards: Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett
Center: Dwight Howard (My favorite player in the NBA), not sure on a second string for this one.

Okay so I need some explaining to do... Bryant and Wade won't start because it'd be an "I'm the best" frenzy. Kobe is a complete ballhog, although he is good, and so is Wade. However, since I consider Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony better, I'd rather them be the ballhogs. Steve Nash leads the league in assists and is a great team player (works perfectly), Chauncy Billups is great for the three-pointers in a clutch situation, and Dwight Howard gets the rebounds, sets good picks, is the best defensive player in the league and shoots the threes ( for those who saw the All-Star games). So yeah, this team would be undefeated for SURE!

Heck... while we're at it, why not make an all-time list as well?

Point Guard: Michael Jordon, Jerry West (He could be point or shoot guard, doesn't matter)
2nd (shoot) Guard: Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Larry Bird (he played forward but I'd want him there)
Forwards: Julius "Dr. J" Earving and Lebron James (yeah, I think he's THAT good), Elgin Baylor and James Worthy
Center: Dwight Howard (I need a defensive side... okay seriously I just like Dwight Howard), Bill Russel

This is self-explanatory.... you wouldn't need a slam-dunk contest... cause this would be it!

Quote from: lightningninja on February 15, 2010, 01:15:21 AM

This is self-explanatory....

Yes, it explains that you are a bit too biased toward current stars

Point Guard: John Stockton, Magic Johnson
Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller
Forwards: Karl Malone, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dr. J
Center: Shaq, Wilt Chamberlain

! no Bill Russell?!

Point Guard: Michael Jordon, Jerry West (He could be point or shoot guard, doesn't matter)
2nd (shoot) Guard: Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Larry Bird (he played forward but I'd want him there)
Forwards: Julius "Dr. J" Earving and Lebron James (yeah, I think he's THAT good), Elgin Baylor and James Worthy
Center: Dwight Howard (I need a defensive side... okay seriously I just like Dwight Howard), Bill Russel

You've got you're positions all mixed up dude.

Here's Mine
Point: Magic Johnson, Steve Nash
Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant
Small Forward: Lebron James, Larry Bird
Power Forward: Tim Duncan, Karl Malone
Center: Bill Russel, Wilt Chamberlain

Point: Magic Johnson, Steve Nash

What, no John Stockton?

In fact, when I went back and looked at the stats, I even changed my mind about Magic.  When I think of a point guard, I want someone who will get a ton of assists on offense, and a ton of steals on defense.  How do these guys match up?

                            Assists       Steals
John Stockton            #1            #1
Jason Kidd                 #2            #6
Magic Johnson            #4           #15
Steve Nash                #8            **

** - not in the top 25 for career.

Stats are stats. Nothing replaces winning.

Stockton is definitely a top 5 point guard of all time but he doesn't have anywhere near the skill that Magic had and I also think Stockton greatly benefited from the system he played in under Sloan.  Magic also had a shortened carrier whereas Stockton played for 20 years.  Magic won championships, Stockton did not.  That said, I'm kinda wondering why I put Malone on my team over some others...  I should change that.

Jason Kidd is so good.  I like Nash better though because he's a better shooter.

Assists and Steals are only two stats.  Stockton was never a high scorer but Magic and Nash can put up points easily.  Besides that, the Assist/Turnover ratio is a much better indicator of how good a point guard is.  I'd guess that Stockton has the best one there but Magic and Nash aren't far behind and since they can both put up points far better than Stockton, they get played over him if I were picking.

Hm... some interesting position switches Guardian. But do you think some of those players would still be great today? Wilt Chamberlain was great in the day where there was almost NO ONE as big or strong as he was, and there was no 3 second rule for the key. He'd have trouble nowadays I think against players like Shaq (in his prime, not now), Dwight Howard, and players like that.

So then Magic Johnson shouldn't be considered good cause he had Kareme (I have no idea how to spell that)? And Kobe isn't good because he had Shaq, and vice versa? You can't say a player isn't top 3 material cause he had other good players.

In addition, he was better than the other players. Imo, he was the centerpiece of that team.

Pippen averaged 17.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.9 SPG, and 5 APG throughout his career. Rodman had 7.3 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, and .7 SPG. By contrast, Cousy averaged 17.5 PPG, 7.5 APG, 5.2 RPG. with no measurements on steals.  Havlicek had 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, and 1.2 SPG(only recorded in his final 4 season though).

I don't see how Cousy and Havlicek far surpass Pippen and Rodman like you seem to think.

Russell averaged 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, and 4.3 APG. Blocks were not even measured when he played.

How are those not great personal stats for a center?

Exactly. His stats are great. The best rebounder in the game. Although I think Dwight Howard is gonna set the record for blocks.  

EDIT: Prof, that's true he wasn't the biggest. But Shaq isn't top 1 in any stat, is he? And he wasn't known for blocking shots I don't think. He sure as heck isn't blocking Dwight Howard, who's 6'11".

Player:PPG:RPG:APG:BPG
Russell: 15.1: 22.5: 4.3: *
Wilt: 30.1: 22.9: 4.4: *
Shaq: 24.2: 11.1: 2.6: 2.3
*= Stat was not measured during his career

I am taking Russell and Wilt everytime. Factoring in the fact that they both should have high block totals (probably upwards of 4 per game), I just see no contest. If I am building a team to win, I want Wilt and Russell. Wilt has the scoring prowess and the rebounding while Russell has the rebounding and the defensive skills that I want with still solid point production. Additionally, both know how to destribute the ball better.

I'm sorry, but your controdicting yourself with your argument. Russell was 220, yes, but he played in an age where players didn't have the supplements and weight training we had today. Some didn't even train year round. This completely controdicts your thought process here:

I actually disagree with the idea that older players couldn't compete today.  The only reason why players today are faster, stronger, etc. is because they have access to better dietary and training information.  If the older players were playing today, they would be taking advantage of those same things and therefore would still be as dominant.

Not 100 pounds I agree, but the extra 25 to 50 pounds he would gain would make him competitive with all of today's centers  while still maintaining more mobility. Shaq has 0 mobility. He forces you into a half court slow it down offense. Russell had at least some mobile potential.

Russell had at least some mobile potential.

On my dream team, I have Jason Kidd and Michael Jordan running the court on the fast breaks.  I don't need my CENTER to have "mobile potential"

And why do you say that Wilt had over 2000 more blocks when they didn't record blocks back then?

Oops, I meant rebounds.  Sorry for the confusion.

Shaq can't shoot, which means Bill would beat him in the mid-range game.

What matters about shooting is scoring.  And Shaq scored almost twice as much as Russell.  I don't think Russell wins in this category.