Your all-time starting five in basketball (2 Viewers)

[Twenty]

You're absolutely wrong on several fronts...

Malone could not defend guards or some centers, and Barkley couldn't defend any guards or centers. Rodman absolutely could; he had the length and quickness to keep up with guards and deny entry passes, and enough strength to matter (see his work against Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing, etc)

Malone was also impossibly un-clutch. He was not a guy you gave the ball to at the end of the game. Neither was Rodman, but fortunately you knew that about him for the whole 48 minutes, and thus didn't run plays for him. And Duncan is a better PF no matter how much they try to list him as a center now.

One final note: Julius Erving was not a 2-guard


FOCUS:

PG - Payton (sets the table well enough; best defensive PG between he, Magic, and Zeke; enough size and quickness to defend any PG; post-up game was strong; can run or play half-court)
SG - Jordan (obvious, but I'll list reasons anyway: impossibly competitive, go-to guy at the end of games; defense, strength, toughness, quickness all mostly overlooked in favor of his offensive prowess)
SF - Bird (deadly from three; pesky defender; proven winner; clutch free throw shooter; outstanding passer from the wing or high post)
PF - Duncan (can work high or low post, though he'd probably play low on this team; wonderful help defender; can guard almost every big man 1-on-1; fundamentally sound; not easily rattled; makes funny faces)
C - Russell (team has enough scorers, which is why I passed on Wilt and Kareem; only cares about winning; rebounding/defense/fast-break starter; wouldn't mind being a fifth option; ball screens/offensive rebounds)



I see three people in this thread with whom I'd probably never discuss basketball

So you're telling me that Dennis Rodman was a better Power Forward than Karl Malone and Charles Barkley?

The only reason Duncan was EVER a power forward was because of David Robinson. They were both too good not to be both on the floor at the same time. Duncan is a center, through and through. He was just a tad more versatile than Robinson.

My apologies, Dr. J was a 3.

All time international team:

Dražen Petrović (too bad he died)

This.

Dude would have been great.

 

[ROBOT DEATH SQUAD]

PG: Magic
SG: Jordan
SF: Bird
PF: Duncan
C: Chamberlain
(as much as I want to put The Big Galactus, Wilt was a much better defenseman)

 

[cmseruntine@cox.n]

magic johnson michael jordan larry bird tim duncan shaq

 

[Crzycjunx76]

1) Magic
2) MJ
3) Lebron
4) Barkley
5) Olajuwon

I still like my list but exchanging LeBron for Bird and Barkley for Garnett is not bad either.

 

[Summed7]

Some real head scratchers being posted. Olajuwon is not a 4.

I'm from Houston. Twin towers, sampson and olajuwon. Olajuwon played the 4 when both were on the floor. He's the same size as Garnett. He was a goalie in Nigeria b4 he picked up basketball and had some of the quickest feet I've ever seen on a big guy. Just because they said he was 7' and he was able to guard centers doesn't mean I can't put him @ the 4 and expect him to dominate.

Oh yeah, as far as people putting Rodman in at the four because of his defensive dominance. I would much rather go with that guy who is #1 all time in blocks, #11 all time in rebounds, and heck we can just go ahead and throw in #8 all time in STEALS (or Russell for that matter). And for my money, when you take how at his peek, he completely dominated every elite center in the game when there were a lot of great centers (ewing, robinson, o'neal)...

...I absolutely think that Olajuwon trumps every Center and Forward ever. yes ever. You can say Russell and Wilt all you want. KG and Duncan can bang on the door all they want. The Dream stands alone.
/homerism off

So to review with reasons:
i think

Pg: Magic
I go with this bc on Inside the NBA they were talking about best PG of all time and some1 said Stockton (#1 steals and assist all-time) and before he could finish saying John, Barkley interrupted him and said Magic and it's not even close. I could concede Stockton, CP3 (his PER pre-injury bears this out). Oscar, Isiah, Payton, I don't agree but I can see your point of view. If Nash and J-Kidd could play together on defense and rotate out on offense they both would be really high.

Sg: MJ
Shut it otherwise.

Sf: Lebron
I would have Bird right behind and he would help the team just as much. Maybe more. Havlicek, Dr. J next.

Pf: Olajuwon
Garnett, Duncan I can get behind. Probably Barkley too. Malone, McHale eh ok. Rodman is way in the distance. Like hanging out with Dirk...bleh.

C: O'Neal
This is the one I disliked the most. I could put Olajuwon, Moses, Wilt, or Russell here. Abdul Jabar should probably be higher on my list, and I can't give a valid reason why he shouldn't be #1. But I don't care and it's my list.

 

[mister pc]

I'm from Houston. Twin towers, sampson and olajuwon. Olajuwon played the 4 when both were on the floor. He's the same size as Garnett. He was a goalie in Nigeria b4 he picked up basketball and had some of the quickest feet I've ever seen on a big guy. Just because they said he was 7' and he was able to guard centers doesn't mean I can't put him @ the 4 and expect him to dominate.

Hakeem was the quickest, most fluid big man to play in the NBA. He was unstoppable on O and D, and he probably could dominate at the 4, but he is a natural center for sure. Sampson was used as the PF during the twin towers era. I have to agree its kinda cheating to cast Olajuwon as a PF.

 

[Summed7]

...I have to agree...

but seriously i think that it was cheating that they allowed Olajuwon to play at all.

 

[Crzycjunx76]

Hakeem was the quickest, most fluid big man to play in the NBA. He was unstoppable on O and D, and he probably could dominate at the 4, but he is a natural center for sure. Sampson was used as the PF during the twin towers era. I have to agree its kinda cheating to cast Olajuwon as a PF.

In his prime I have no doubt Hakeem was the greatest big man of all time, unfortunately his prime was relatively short... I often wondered how much he could have extended his career simply by eating properly during the season instead of fasting for long periods of time. His game and his moves have not been duplicated by a big since mainly because there are not many bigs with the agility, coordination, and quickness of a SF/SG in the league and that was what his moves were designed for. Of course he was also a defensive monster and holds the all time blocks mark despite playing in an ERA where his height was nothing special.

 

[AsaPW]

I don't even like basketball and I'm enjoying reading this thread. Pretty cool topic.

 

[St. Anger]

Marques Haynes
George "Meadowlark" Lemon
Jerome James
Hubert "Geese" Ausbie
Fred "Curly" Neal

 

[john markins]

Magic, Jordan, Bird, Duncan, Shaq

 

[kcirdor]

wow only one mention of Pistol Pete... turrible.(excuse me two)

Coach: Phil Jackson

PG Pistol Pete
SG Jordan
SF Bird
PF Rodman
C Shaq

Bench
Magic
Kobe
Lebron
Duncan
Chamberlain
Hakeem
Reggie Miller

Honorable Mention......Robert Horry cause he wins championships... but really he can be the towel guy

 

[kcirdor]

All time international team:

Steve Nash (slight edge over Tony Parker - but arguable)
Dražen Petrović (too bad he died)
Detlef Schrepmf
Dirk Nowitzki
Hakeem Olajuwon


Second team:
Tony Parker
Ben Gordon
Manu Ginobli
Pao Gasol
Patrick Ewing

where is Mutombo?

 

[Summed7]

1 last thing...
Durant might, just might, end up on this list one day.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Larry Bird - F
Bob Pettit - F
John Stockton - G
Jerry West - G
Bill Walton - C

jonesy, your list....um....PALES in comparison to the rest