Constructing My All-Time NBA Line Up - My Article

[CodeBreaker]

I just want to share this article I made for a few days.

I want to read comments and feedbacks about my work from users here since most of the guys here actually provides sensible comments about the NBA.

Either you comment on the page itself, or reply on this thread. I would appreciate any objective criticism.

It's my first article on that blog. Here it is:
Constructing My All-Time NBA Line Up

 

[HurricaneDij39]

Nice work...Just be thankful you didn't use your actual name in your blog.

Now let's have some fun in our fantasy league.

 

[tlance]

This was well done!

I like that you considered fit and didn't simply list off the 5 greatest players ever. That requires considerably more analytical skill. While I don't agree with all of your picks (who will?) I certainly respect the process you went through.

Now, for your actual picks, I think offensive fit would be amazing, but there is a very glaring, exploitable weakness on the defensive end that other all time great teams would exploit. The Curry Shaq combo could be ruthlessly exposed in pick and roll. Also, who would Curry guard if the other team had Magic at point?

All these teams are fantastic offensively, that is why I would want ultimate defensive versatility with mine.

I am taking:

Magic
Jordan
LeBron
KD
David Robinson

Great offense, versatile defenders who can all guard 3 or more positions, and I take the admiral because aside from being one of the most mobile 7 footers of all time, he is also a man of extremely high character and would embrace taking a back seat offensively.

 

[CodeBreaker]

This was well done!

I like that you considered fit and didn't simply list off the 5 greatest players ever. That requires considerably more analytical skill. While I don't agree with all of your picks (who will?) I certainly respect the process you went through.

Now, for your actual picks, I think offensive fit would be amazing, but there is a very glaring, exploitable weakness on the defensive end that other all time great teams would exploit. The Curry Shaq combo could be ruthlessly exposed in pick and roll. Also, who would Curry guard if the other team had Magic at point?

All these teams are fantastic offensively, that is why I would want ultimate defensive versatility with mine.

I am taking:

Magic
Jordan
LeBron
KD
David Robinson

Great offense, versatile defenders who can all guard 3 or more positions, and I take the admiral because aside from being one of the most mobile 7 footers of all time, he is also a man of extremely high character and would embrace taking a back seat offensively.

Thanks man, appreciate it!

I forgot to mention that I picked players to play their natural position. I think it would have been easier for me to pick guys like Durant for PF, LeBron for PG, etc. so I stuck with the standard rules of making line ups to make more analysis

 

[trojanfan12]

Well written article. I agree with @tlance as far as my all time lineup, although I would have Kareem at center over Robinson (but you really can't go wrong with either, imo).

 

[tducey]

Awesome, many thanks for sharing this. Good explanations as well.

 

[tlance]

Thanks man, appreciate it!

I forgot to mention that I picked players to play their natural position. I think it would have been easier for me to pick guys like Durant for PF, LeBron for PG, etc. so I stuck with the standard rules of making line ups to make more analysis

I get what you did.

These all time conversations are going to be real interesting in 20 years. I think the game will continue to move toward positionless basketball. As that happens, the forward positions are going to be more or less meaningless. You will have perimeter players and bigs.

20 years ago, the most valuable assets were dominant big men. Moving forward, it is and will be big perimeter players (like Magic, LeBron, KD, Giannis, etc).

KD obviously isn't a PF but the PF position is almost irrelevant now and will only be more so in the future.

 

[CodeBreaker]

I appreciate your feedbacks guys!
I will continue to make articles during my free time.

 

[trojanfan12]

I get what you did.

These all time conversations are going to be real interesting in 20 years. I think the game will continue to move toward positionless basketball. As that happens, the forward positions are going to be more or less meaningless. You will have perimeter players and bigs.

20 years ago, the most valuable assets were dominant big men. Moving forward, it is and will be big perimeter players (like Magic, LeBron, KD, Giannis, etc).

KD obviously isn't a PF but the PF position is almost irrelevant now and will only be more so in the future.

Yeah, it's going to be interesting. Amazing how the 3 point shot has changed the game. Prior to that, PF's were basically centers who only grew to 6'8" instead of 7 feet. Then along came the 3 point line and, after a few years, we started seeing "stretch 4's."

It'll be interesting to see how far "positionless basketball" goes. I think it will eventually reach the point where it will eventually start swinging back, but I don't think we'll ever see the league return all the way back to the clearly defined positions we used to have.

 

[CitySushi]

Very nice post @CodeBreaker . Also agree with others that I love that you included fit into your lineup. That's a key nuance that's missed by the casual fan. Here would be my 5 man lineup:

Lebron
Jordan
Durant
Garnett
Olajuwon

I really wanted to include Magic, but I feel like with Lebron and Jordan dominating the ball so much on the perimeter he wouldn't be really needed as much. Both of those guys could shoulder the load ball handling and even letting KD do it once in a while too. I wanted another perimeter scorer and there haven't been many better in NBA history than Durant.

I opted for Garnett because he was a high post monster and a great defender too. He could defend on the perimeter in space or down low on the block. He could also step away and hit the long mid-range jumpers which would do enough to bring the defenses out and prevent them from fully collapsing.

I opted for Olajuwon too because of his defensive abilities. He was agile, could defend in space, and was a monster shot blocker and post defender. Olajuwon could also step out to the high post and long mid-range. You could run a really dynamic double high set with those guys, while also clearing up space for both Jordan or Lebron to head to the post.

 

[Mecca]

Wow...that was pretty awesome, especially if it's your first article.

I love it when people go outside of the box and include guys like Wallace that aren't all time greats.

But, that fit the needs of a particular roster.

Well done.

I kept going back and forth with Lebron and Magic because having both is redundant.

I have the same struggle with deciding between KAJ and Duncan.

LeBron is a physical Freak of nature. So, he was the right choice for your roster.

My lineup would be ..

Dream, Jordan, Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimy, Durant, Magic.....

Where y'all want it?

Needle in your eye from the peremiter?

Spin move in the paint?

Mid range off glass?

Nuts on your throat when you get dunked on in transition?

Pick your poison.

 

[Mecca]

This was well done!

I like that you considered fit and didn't simply list off the 5 greatest players ever. That requires considerably more analytical skill. While I don't agree with all of your picks (who will?) I certainly respect the process you went through.

Now, for your actual picks, I think offensive fit would be amazing, but there is a very glaring, exploitable weakness on the defensive end that other all time great teams would exploit. The Curry Shaq combo could be ruthlessly exposed in pick and roll. Also, who would Curry guard if the other team had Magic at point?

All these teams are fantastic offensively, that is why I would want ultimate defensive versatility with mine.

I am taking:

Magic
Jordan
LeBron
KD
David Robinson

Great offense, versatile defenders who can all guard 3 or more positions, and I take the admiral because aside from being one of the most mobile 7 footers of all time, he is also a man of extremely high character and would embrace taking a back seat offensively.

Gosh....

That's pretty filthy..lol

 

[tlance]

Yeah, it's going to be interesting. Amazing how the 3 point shot has changed the game. Prior to that, PF's were basically centers who only grew to 6'8" instead of 7 feet. Then along came the 3 point line and, after a few years, we started seeing "stretch 4's."

It'll be interesting to see how far "positionless basketball" goes. I think it will eventually reach the point where it will eventually start swinging back, but I don't think we'll ever see the league return all the way back to the clearly defined positions we used to have.

I really don't think it will.

Look at the way kids are developed today. Big men are either taught guard skills or they are taught how to play in pick and roll, or both. Nobody posts anymore and analytics are the main reason why.

I am not saying there will never again be a dominant post center. Of course there will be. But, traditional post players will be extremely rare in the future. If you can't either face up and shoot or play pick and roll as a big, you will he hard to integrate into modern offenses.

I think we are going to see more lineups with 5 perimeter players where your KDs and Giannis type players are the "bigs" than we will teams with traditional post up guys.

 

[CodeBreaker]

Very nice post @CodeBreaker . Also agree with others that I love that you included fit into your lineup. That's a key nuance that's missed by the casual fan. Here would be my 5 man lineup:

Lebron
Jordan
Durant
Garnett
Olajuwon

I really wanted to include Magic, but I feel like with Lebron and Jordan dominating the ball so much on the perimeter he wouldn't be really needed as much. Both of those guys could shoulder the load ball handling and even letting KD do it once in a while too. I wanted another perimeter scorer and there haven't been many better in NBA history than Durant.

I opted for Garnett because he was a high post monster and a great defender too. He could defend on the perimeter in space or down low on the block. He could also step away and hit the long mid-range jumpers which would do enough to bring the defenses out and prevent them from fully collapsing.

I opted for Olajuwon too because of his defensive abilities. He was agile, could defend in space, and was a monster shot blocker and post defender. Olajuwon could also step out to the high post and long mid-range. You could run a really dynamic double high set with those guys, while also clearing up space for both Jordan or Lebron to head to the post.

Thank you!

I also considered Olajuwon for my center. But, Shaq was just too much of a force for me to not include him on my team. And there's a little bit bias with it lol

 

[CodeBreaker]

Wow...that was pretty awesome, especially if it's your first article.

I love it when people go outside of the box and include guys like Wallace that aren't all time greats.

But, that fit the needs of a particular roster.

Well done.

I kept going back and forth with Lebron and Magic because having both is redundant.

I have the same struggle with deciding between KAJ and Duncan.

LeBron is a physical Freak of nature. So, he was the right choice for your roster.

My lineup would be ..

Dream, Jordan, Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimy, Durant, Magic.....

Where y'all want it?

Needle in your eye from the peremiter?

Spin move in the paint?

Mid range off glass?

Nuts on your throat when you get dunked on in transition?

Pick your poison.

Thanks mate!
A few who read my article ridiculed my Wallace pick, and said Duncan is way better and all that stuff lol
And some also loved it with how I explained his fit for my team, and that includes you

 

[tlance]

Wow...that was pretty awesome, especially if it's your first article.

I love it when people go outside of the box and include guys like Wallace that aren't all time greats.

But, that fit the needs of a particular roster.

Well done.

I kept going back and forth with Lebron and Magic because having both is redundant.

I have the same struggle with deciding between KAJ and Duncan.

LeBron is a physical Freak of nature. So, he was the right choice for your roster.

My lineup would be ..

Dream, Jordan, Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimy, Durant, Magic.....

Where y'all want it?

Needle in your eye from the peremiter?

Spin move in the paint?

Mid range off glass?

Nuts on your throat when you get dunked on in transition?

Pick your poison.

Intersting take wth the Magic/LeBron skill sets being redundant. I was thinking the same thing, but I also believe that their particular skill set is one that you want to have two of. While they both need the ball, they are both ball movers so I think it would work great. You wouldn't want both Jordan an and Kobe, but I think Magic and LeBron would have complimented each other beautifully and played like dual point guards offensively.

 

[CodeBreaker]

Intersting take wth the Magic/LeBron skill sets being redundant. I was thinking the same thing, but I also believe that their particular skill set is one that you want to have two of. While they both need the ball, they are both ball movers so I think it would work great. You wouldn't want both Jordan an and Kobe, but I think Magic and LeBron would have complimented each other beautifully and played like dual point guards offensively.

I think I would only choose Magic-LeBron to run my offense when I don't have MJ. But the fact that I can never NOT pick Jordan, means it's either between LeBron or Magic

 

[tlance]

I think I would only choose Magic-LeBron to run my offense when I don't have MJ. But the fact that I can never NOT pick Jordan, means it's either between LeBron or Magic

But that is why I love having both. Neither player had a score first mentality.

 

[trojanfan12]

I really don't think it will.

Look at the way kids are developed today. Big men are either taught guard skills or they are taught how to play in pick and roll, or both. Nobody posts anymore and analytics are the main reason why.

I am not saying there will never again be a dominant post center. Of course there will be. But, traditional post players will be extremely rare in the future. If you can't either face up and shoot or play pick and roll as a big, you will he hard to integrate into modern offenses.

I think we are going to see more lineups with 5 perimeter players where your KDs and Giannis type players are the "bigs" than we will teams with traditional post up guys.

In sports, the pendulum always swings back, but never all the way back. That's why I think that we will eventually see this in the NBA. At some point we'll see a "Shaq size" center who can hit a mid-range jumper (a 7 foot Karl Malone lol) and teams will look for that. So we'd see the pendulum start swinging back.

Obviously "a 7 foot Karl Malone" is a bit of an exaggeration, but you understand the point.

 

[trojanfan12]

Intersting take wth the Magic/LeBron skill sets being redundant. I was thinking the same thing, but I also believe that their particular skill set is one that you want to have two of. While they both need the ball, they are both ball movers so I think it would work great. You wouldn't want both Jordan an and Kobe, but I think Magic and LeBron would have complimented each other beautifully and played like dual point guards offensively.

Agree. Needing the ball and being ball dominant are not necessarily the same thing. Magic and Lebron need the ball, but they are not ball dominant. Neither feels like he has to have the assist when he passes the ball, they are both perfectly happy to make the pass that leads to the assist.

Plus, at the end of the day, both are more concerned with wins than stats and smart enough to know that moving the ball would get them the most wins.