often ask people this question andI find it quite interesting. If you could take one player, andbuild a team around him, who would it be? Most people answer Chris Paul, Lebron James or Kobe Bryant. All are very good answers. Let's see who would be the best choice.
The most reoccurring answer is Lebron James. As we all know, LBJ is a young superstar who is the face of the NBA. This past season has arguably been Lebron's best of his career. He averaged career highs in assists (7.2), rebounds (7.9) and blocks with 1.1. His best year for points was two years ago when he averaged 31.4. This season he averaged 30. Lebron is a five year pro and is only 23 He would be a fantastic pick and is the most talented player since Michael Jordan. But if I had the first pick, I would not choose Lebron James.
The second most common answer was Chris Paul. He is a fantastic emerging point guard who some say will rival Stockton and Magic to be the best point guard ever once his career is finished. The 23 year old point guard is in his third year in the league and with the Hornets and has a bright future. He had his best year in the league this year as he lead the league in assists with 11.6 and steals with 2.7. He also threw in 21.1 points a game for good measure while finishing 2nd in MVP voting. Chris Paul would clearly be a good choice for a player to build your team around. However I wouldn't pick him either.
The third player who's name I commonly hear is none other then the MVP Kobe Bryant. Kobe has had the best career out of all of these players. He is one of the best ever and isn't even thirty! Kobe averages 25 points for his career and has had 3 seasons averaging over thirty. He has a whole crap load of championships under his belt and is year in and year out one of the best defenders and overall players in the league. Despite all this, I wouldn't choose him either.
Now your probably thinking, well who on earth could it be? Or, why do I care and am still reading this? Well, I would choose all-star center Dwight Howard. D12 has averaged a double double in all of the first 4 years of his career andkeeps on improving. Every year he improves around 2.5 points a game and 2 rebounds a game while this year peaking at 20.7 points and 14.2 rebounds a game. He was also a fantastic defender while contributing 2.2 blocks and 0.9 steals a game for the Magic last season. (Career highs in both) If I needed a player for one season I would probably pick Kobe, but since I would be trying to create a dynasty, I would wan't a younger player. (Howard only 23) I would also choose a big man because let's face it, all good dynasties had good big men. The Spurs had Duncan and Robinson, the Lakers had Shaq, Chamberlin and Abdul-Jabar, the Celtics had McHale and Parrish. You get my point?
So despite what other people say, I would choose Dwight Howard if I could pick any one player to build a team around. Good thinking Orlando.
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2 months ago
Wow. I don't know whether to laugh at you or feel sorry for you. Did Jordan's Dynasty need a big man? Your dynasty assumption is a tad bit flawed too. Duncan had Parker. Kareem had Magic. The Celtics had Bird. Chamberlain had Jerry West. Shaq had Kobe. Not saying the big man isn't deserving of some of the credit, but he can't control a game the same way a guard can. He needs to be fed the ball to be effective. Why do you think Malone is widely regarded the best PF of all time? Because Stockton made his career.
Paul is absolutely the pick. The PG is by far the most important position on the court and that would explain why Chicago chose Rose over Beasely......
from 2 months ago
I don't think Malone was the best power forward ever, Stockton definitely made him. But Howard is going to become just as powerful as shaq without the excess weight and he has a better shooting touch, and well shaq was the most dominant player ever.
from 2 months ago
Matt, you shouldn't have been so harsh. Duncan won a championship without Parker (1999). Jabbar won without Magic (1971). Shaq won without Kobe (2006). Was Bird a guard? Bill Russell won an awful lot of championships, too, and he wasn't a guard. Regardless, those players were all transcendent talents first, guards second.
Howard is very young, which is great. He's got legitimate NBA center size with the athleticism and skill to play the four. Elton Brand got a ton of money for being a 20/10 guy, even though he's getting old and was hurt last year. Howard is getting close to 20/15, which is ridiculous. He needs someone to keep a fire lit under him and he's a beast. Get him the ball and watch out.
That said, Chris Paul is a great choice as well. He took over a game against the Rockets unlike anyone else I saw this season. 20/10 points and assists is amazing. The alley-oop thing that him and Chandler run is the slickest thing the NBA has seen in awhile.
LeBron isn't bad either.
It's a coin flip. All three are really good, and you could build great teams around all of them. It's only a matter of time before Cleveland (4 seed this year), Orlando (3 seed) and NO (2 seed!) are meeting in the finals and competing for championships.
2 months ago
l would pick Kobe before Dwight Howard because Kobe has proven that he has the ability to carry his team. ln 2006 he took his team to a 7th game against the Suns who probably had one of their best chances of winning a Championship that year. ln 2007 he took a Laker team who had no buisness being in the Playoffs after their mid-season collapse and this year he took a team who no one thought would even make the Playoffs to the NBA Finals. Now l understand that the Lakers had Kobe and Pau Gasol but really they didn't have anyone any sports fan would consider legit or would want on their team. Lamar Odom is too streaky and Andrew Bynum is injured. Maybe Jordan Farmar but that is it. Only after the "Bench Mob" proved they could play did anyone want them. And Kobe did all of this while playing in the wildest Western Confrence race in recent memory AND came out as #1. Dwight has only been in the league for a couple of years (4) and he put Orlando into the second round of the Playoffs for the first time since the Shaq and Penny days but thats nothing compared to what Kobe has done with a less talented Laker team in the past. No, Dwight is a hellava player but isn't the #1 pick for my fantasy teams but is in the Top 5...
2 months ago
Jeremy,
Russell won with Cousy. Duncan in '99 won because of a 50 game season and a hall of famer next to him. Shaq won with Wade. We can around and around with this, but the big man just doesn't win championships.....plain and simple.
from 2 months ago
I still don't think you should dismiss the role of the big so easily. Most of the examples you gave showed a potent guard/big man combo. Maybe to change directions with this conversation - is Tyson Chandler enough to help CP3 get to the finals and win? And on the flip side, how much closer are they than the combo of Howard and Jameer Nelson in Orlando?
2 months ago
LOL. Seeing as no-one can agree which is more important, a PG or a C, can I just suggest that both are! And hey, don't forget there are 3 other positions on the court as well. Ultimately, you can create a championship team with all different sorts of combinations.
Now if we were talking about a "fantasy" game, whereby player stats are the only thing which matter, you'd have to choose Lebron. He fills a stat sheet like few can, and let's face it, with his team, he needs to!
But in terms of a "real" team, you'd need a franchise player. Your star player dictates the teams style and personality. I personally like a team dynamic of:
A quick PG who can shoot and facilitate others on on offense, and play solid defense.
A slashing big SG with an outside game, and a SF who can hit the open shot, both being defensive locks.
Either a PF or a C who can dominate the paint offensively and defensively, while the other guy compliments him by doing all the dirty work.
Now if Duncan were 6 years younger, he'd be my guy, hands down no other, no exceptions!
If Pierce were 3 years younger, I'd pick him and then have less of an emphasis on the need of a PF/C who can dominate the paint, or Nowitzki if I was confident I could surround him with enough defensive talent to make up for the lack of his!
But in the end, I'd probably choose between Derrick Williams, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul or Amare Stoudamire, in that order!
My all time dream scenario though would be:
C Duncan
PF Nowitzki
SF Pierce
SG Rip Hamilton
PG Williams
from 2 months ago
Oh, and just to clarify. Why not just choose Duncan, Pierce or Nowitzki now?
While a line-up of:
C Duncan
PF Nowitzki
SF Pierce
SG Rip Hamilton
PG Williams
Would/should win 4 championships in a row. That's be it. If you had a franchise, you'd probably want to secure it for 10+ years, like the others could.
Am I the only one who misses franchise players starting and ending their career with the same team?
from 2 months ago
Good point on LeBron. His total numbers are sick! He's definitely #1 in any fantasy basketball drafts. You mention a "franchise"-type player. LeBron might very well be the best choice. He's already dragged Cleveland to an NBA Finals without stellar support. New York and New Jersey/Brooklyn obviously view him as a franchise player if they're willing to quit on the next two seasons just for a chance to land him in the summer of 2010. With regards to your team, LeBron is better than Pierce and Rip at the 2/3 spots and I'd trust him only slightly less bringing the ball up the court than Deron Williams.
TJ did say he wanted someone who could compete for NBA championships for many years to come. LeBron is only 23 years old.
My new list:
1. LeBron
2. CP3
3. D.Howard
Just to throw a name out there - Durant. Should he be on this list or does his team have to win a little bit before he can join the discussion?
from 2 months ago
Personally I don't rate Durant that highly. He's very one-dimensional, and he lacks physical strength. But I could see him improving like Anthony has between his rookie season and until now!
2 months ago
You are so off in this article. Dwight Howard. Nice joke. Lebron is a mile ahead of him. Dwight is a very good big man who is a great rebounder and a good scorer. He is not close to any of the three players you mentioned besides him.
from 2 months ago
Lebron is a great player and is probably more athletic and talented than MJ, but he isn't smart enough to be the next MJ. He doesnt have a good enough basketball mind and he just won't get tehre especially with a coachh like Mike Brown who isn't tough enough. The way Lebron is right now, D12 provides more for his team.
2 months ago
I agree totally with your reasoning. Dwight Howard is a monster and is only going to keep improving. His mindset is to win a championship and he works hard to keep himself in great physical shape. The kid hasn't missed any games for the Magic in his four years in the league and that says something about him. He is ridiculous and can dunk on anybody in the game. I am so glad we picked Howard over Okafor in that draft. The Bobcats would be pretty good with Howard right now...dont you think! GO MAGIC SONNNN!
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