All-Time NBA 12-Man Lineup Mock Draft

If you were going to build a 12-man lineup out of all the NBA players to have ever played, how would you go about doing it?

That's the question that I set out to answer along with 11 other avid NBA fans. To do so, we set up a mock draft, snake style (whoever picks last in the first round, picks first in the second round). 

The purpose was to build that 12-man lineup, considering things like skill, size, how the playing styles of your team members fit together and even how athleticism would translate between eras. We also assumed that our teams would be playing under modern rules, meaning there's a three-point line and a strict ban on hand checks among other things. 

There were no strict guidelines for the time period that these guys would play for either. That was kind of left up for interpretation because it was impossible to come up with a definitive answer. Everyone assumed that these teams would be playing more than just one game, but some accounted for longevity while others did not. Really, it's up to you just how you interpret it. 

So, what, you may ask, does this slideshow contain?

First, you'll see two slides about each and every one of the teams, set up in the draft order. The first of each pair will contain the starting lineups, as well as career per-game averages for each player and the drafter's description of the players. The second will be a slide dedicated to how the team will play, written of course by the owner of that specific team. 

After that, all 12 of us chose a best and worst pick of the draft (who couldn't be from our own team). Finally, we had to determine a winner. 

Since we obviously can't put all the players in a time machine and have them play each other, we had to settle for rankings to determine a winner. All 12 of us ranked the teams and ballots were sent out to all Bleacher Report NBA Featured Columnists as well. 

Lastly, there's a slide dedicated entirely to showing you exactly how the draft itself unfolded. 

This was an epic project for the 12 of us, one that took about three weeks to complete from start to finish. It's up to you how much detail you care to look at. It would be easy to scan through the teams in two or three minutes, giving each one just a cursory glance. 

But there is enough information presented here that you could take two hours or so to carefully analyze each team and decide for yourself which ones are best and worst. 

Regardless of what you do, read on and enjoy!

Shashank Bharadwaj's Team

Starters: John Stockton, Michael Jordan, Paul Pierce, Willis Reed, Bill Walton

Bench: Mark Price, Sidney Moncrief, Michael Redd, Bobby Jones, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, Artis Gilmore

Starting Point Guard: John Stockton (No. 24 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 13.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 10.5 assists

With my back-to-back picks I wanted a point guard and a center. John Stockton seemed like a good fit as the NBA record-holder in assists and steals (No. 2 of all time in steals is my first-round pick). He was also an efficient shooter, which is a skill I focused on.  

Plus I dig the short shorts.

Starting Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan (No. 1 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists

This was the only no-doubter of my draft given that I felt almost obliged to pick Michael Jordan. In my opinion, he’s the best player in history. I’ll take 30 points per game with a side of amazing defense, please. Mmm, tasty!

Starting Small Forward: Paul Pierce (No. 49 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 22.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists

Needing a small forward, I took my first current player in Paul Pierce, a guy I personally dislike but I think is actually underrated. He shouldered the load on some supremely crappy Boson Celtics teams, so I’m confident he can take on the primary scorer role on Michael Jordan off-nights.

He’s also developed into a great three-point shooter (which will help spread the floor) and a good defender. Showing that he is a jack of all trades, Pierce will also serve as my player rep to the gang alliance.

Starting Power Forward: Willis Reed (No. 48 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists

With my next two picks, I needed to fill out my starting lineup. I wanted a strong scoring threat at power forward, so Willis Reed was the best fit. He was an efficient scorer (there’s that word efficient again, get used to it), a great rebounder and a solid defender. In addition, he has been known to play through torn thigh muscles, which is an element I felt my team had been missing. 

Starting Center: Bill Walton (No. 25 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 13.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists

For my second white dude in two picks, I went with Bill Walton as my starting center. Given assurances that I could assume he would be healthy for the purposes of this exercise, Walton was another great fit. I felt that his versatility (great passer and defender, soft touch around the hoop) would be an asset. And if he does get hurt, I can always sub him in at commentator.

Bench Guard: Mark Price (No. 96 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 15.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists

Continuing to fill out my bench, I went with Mark Price as my backup point guard. As one of the best shooters to ever play (one of five members of the 50-40-90 club), he fills a need as another three-point threat, but more importantly, he gives me a chance to represent my school: Georgia Tech.

Bench Guard: Sidney Moncrief (No. 72 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 15.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists

What better way to start building a bench than with one of the best defenders ever? You know what, let me just let my boy Michael Jordan tell you about Sidney Moncrief:  "When you play against Moncrief, you're in for a night of all-around basketball. He'll hound you everywhere you go, both ends of the court. You just expect it." I’ll take Jordan’s word for it.

Also, he averaged close to 16 points per game for his career and scored those points…you guessed it…efficiently. Anyone know a good synonym for efficient?

Bench Guard: Michael Redd (No. 121 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists

In this spot I wanted a guard who could score in bunches, the type of player I could give a couple of shots to a game as a heat check and continue to play if they were feeling it. Thus I went with Michael Redd. He holds the record for the most three-pointers in a quarter (eight), so there’s that. 

Bench Forward: Bobby Jones (No. 120 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists

I picked another efficient scorer and great defender in small forward Bobby Jones. An eight time All-Defensive First Teamer, Jones made his name on that end but also chipped in 11.5 PPG for his NBA career at a 55 percent clip (higher if you include ABA).

Furthermore, Jones’s personality makes him a perfect glue guy. As Julius Erving puts it in Michael Louthian's classic 30 Christian Impact Athletes, “He’s a player who’s totally selfless, who runs like a deer, jumps like a gazelle, plays with his head and heart each night, and then walks away from the court as if nothing happened.”

Bench Forward: Chris Bosh (No. 144 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists

With the last pick in the draft, I chose as Mr. Irrelevant someone who has recently become accustomed to irrelevancy in Chris Bosh. He also went to Georgia Tech, so now one-sixth of my roster is GT affiliated.

Oh, and I think I failed to mention that he can actually play a little, so if worst comes to worst I won’t have a 13-year-old coming off the bench like another team in this draft.  

Bench Forward: Amar'e Stoudemire (No. 73 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 21.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists

Now in possession of a lock-down defender off the bench, I decided to go to the other extreme and get a superb big man scorer in Amar’e Stoudemire. Sure his defense is criticized, but based on his role on this team, I don’t really care. Plus, he hasn’t played on teams that emphasize defense.

A potential John Stockton-Stoudemire pick-and-roll excites me, pairing the short shorts with the goggles.

Bench Center: Artis Gilmore (No. 97 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists

I ended my search for a backup center with Artis Gilmore. He fit my desire for an all-around player in that he could score, rebound and defend (five NBA All-Defensive Teams). But what really drew him to my attention is that he’s the NBA all-time leader in field-goal percentage, which I think is pretty cool (and efficient!).

He also filled a need in that my team did not have any Artis’s prior to this pick. 

How Will Shashank's Team Play?

My approach to this draft was two-fold. I wanted a team that would both score efficiently and play great defense. So you can imagine my excitement when the first pick fell into my lap and I was able to pick Michael Jordan.

I surrounded MJ with talent I felt could complement him while still playing solid defense. In John Stockton and Bill Walton I have two great passers and a built-in fast break (gotta love those outlet passes). In Willis Reed I have a post scoring threat and in Paul Pierce I have someone who can spread the floor as a three-point shooter and take over the bulk of the scoring load if necessary.

Everybody except for Pierce has made an All-Defensive team and Pierce is no slouch on that end himself. As Sports Illustrated NBA columnist Zach Lowe puts it, “Pierce has turned into such a good defender that he would not look totally out of place on the All-Defensive team.” 

In addition, all save for Stockton have NBA championships so they all know how to win, which I feel is worth something.

And as I repeatedly mentioned in my player descriptions, nobody shoots the ball inefficiently. My core belief in building this team is that a high field goal percentage and strong defense is the way to victory.

I built my bench using the same approach. In Sidney Moncrief and Bobby Jones I have a couple of the best defenders in NBA history, both of whom shoot the ball well too. On that note, I drafted Artis Gilmore, a nearly 60 percent career shooter from the field, and Mark Price, a remarkable shooter and capable passer. I also have a couple quality bulk scorers in Amar’e Stoudemire and Michael Redd.

In summation, I believe that my bench is balanced enough to handle any need that may arise in-game. Whether I’m struggling to score, rebound or defend, options exist off this bench to handle the specific scenario.

In terms of playing style, I think my team is quite flexible.

I think we can win grind-it-out half-court matchups with high-percentage shots and gritty defense. If the situation calls for us to run, I think we’re built for that as well with Walton’s outlet passing, Stockton’s creativity and vision and Jordan’s finishing, not to mention Pierce and Reed. With Stockton and Pierce I have two excellent three-point shooters to spread the floor for Jordan in crunch time of close games.

Basically, I think this team has all its bases covered and is prepared to hit a grand slam.

Not to beat a dead horse but to conclude: Efficient Scoring + Great Defense = Best Team. 

Michael Tumey's Team

Starters: Magic Johnson, Reggie Miller, Julius Erving, Shawn Kemp, David Robinson

Bench: Allen Iverson, John Wall, Gilbert Arenas, Drazen Petrovic, Adrian Dantley, Lamar Odom, Al Horford

Starting Point Guard: Magic Johnson (No. 2 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 11.2 assists

I considered only Bill Russell and Magic Johnson here, but went with the survivor. Widely accepted as the best point guard of all time, he's one of the all-time leaders in assists, and the Lebron-like player with freakish skill (minus the scoring prowess) of his time. A great leader, Magic was charismatic and a born winner. 

Starting Shooting Guard: Reggie Miller (No. 50 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists

Arguably the best shooter of all time, Reggie Miller was overshadowed by Michael Jordan in the 90s, but was the key cog of very successful Indiana Pacers teams. He was also fantastic from the line and one of the most clutch shooters ever.

Starting Small Forward: Julius Erving (No. 26 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 24.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists

I was hoping for Bill Walton here, but Shashank took him a pick before so I settled for Julius Erving, the owner of three rings, four MVPs and the fifth most points in pro basketball history. A freak athlete, Dr. J was one of the best dunkers ever and innovated pro basketball into what we know it as today.

Starting Power Forward: Shawn Kemp (No. 71 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 14.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists

During his best seasons he averaged about 19 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, but Shawn Kemp was also a disgusting athlete who helped out defensively with over one block and steal per game. He brings high energy and would be our version of Tony Allen for the Boston Celtics/Memphis Grizzlies, but much, much more effective.

Starting Center: David Robinson (No. 23 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 21.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists

I was hoping for LeBron James here, but that was wishful thinking. David Robinson was a dominant center who won championships and accumulated great stats. He was a great leader (Navy) and tough (Navy). The most recent player to get a quadruple double in a game, Robinson was the only player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots and win awards for Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player during his career.

Bench Guard: Allen Iverson (No. 47 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 26.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists

In his prime, Allen Iverson was a beast and nearly unstoppable with the rock.

Bench Guard: John Wall (No. 98 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 8.3 assists

During John Wall's first NBA season he averaged 16 points and eight assists per game with the Washington Wizards whose next best player is only known for dunking three basketballs. Seriously, how did he get over eight assists on that team? His hunger to win is incredible and he would do anything to help the team. 

Bench Guard: Gilbert Arenas (No. 143 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 21.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists

With nicknames like Agent Zero and Hibachi, what more can I say? Gilbert Arenas is a prolific scorer and top-10 NBA player for a few seasons. If Allen Iverson gets hurt, Arenas moves into his sixth man role and we don’t miss a beat.

Bench Guard: Drazen Petrovic (No. 74 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 15.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists

Before his untimely death, Drazen Petrovic had just has his best NBA season and established himself as a force in the league. He averaged 45 percent on three-pointers and had an overall field goal percentage of 52 percent. Before that he was largely accepted as the greatest European player and has been decorated with almost every major European basketball award. His future was bright and he is an incredibly good asset coming off the bench. 

Bench Forward: Adrian Dantley (No. 95 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists

Adrian Dantley had a few seasons where he averaged over 30 points per game. He won Rookie of the Year and was on six All-Star teams. Also, he coached a bit recently to fill in for a sick George Karl so his leadership and coaching experience would be helpful. 

Bench Forward: Lamar Odom (No. 122 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 14.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists

Lamar Odom is a size mismatch for almost everyone. He can shoot, dribble, post up, rebound and he gets blocks and steals. Odom is the true definition of a role player for this team. 

Bench Forward: Al Horford (No. 119 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 12.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists

A great outside shooter, Al Horford can defend almost anyone and rebounds above average. He's a solid role player for this fantasy league.  

How Will Michael's Team Play?

My team on paper looks a little odd.

It's filled with high volume and/or high percentage shooters who need to take shots to be effective. Well we here at the Tumey Terminators (patent pending) employ the Mike D'antoni-invented "Seven seconds or less" offense. We would be running constantly and always pushing the ball.

If Reggie Miller or Julius Erving get tired, Allen Iverson, Drazen Petrovic, Gilbet Areans or Adrian Dantley would sub in. All would be effective and get plenty of shots in good places with Magic Johnson and John Wall distributing beautifully.

Iverson would play the sixth man role while getting starter minutes. He will shoot as often as he is open when he is in. We could go small too with Lamar Odom and Al Horford laying the power forward and center positions, respectively.

Magic would be our do-it-all superstar. His shooting wasn't the most refined so he has no issue with just racking up the assists like he did his whole career. He could play any position depending where we need him.

David Robinson and Shawn Kemp would hold down the paint and keep the defense steady.

Overall I think this team would run the "Seven Seconds or Less" so well it would make D'antoni blush. Also, the majority of the team is freakishly athletic and would be dunking on everyone in sight.

Fear the Tumey Terminators. You've been warned. 

Marvin Barge's Team

Starters: Bob Cousy, George Gervin, Scottie Pippen, Dirk Nowitzki, Wilt Chamberlain

Bench: Joe Dumars, Hal Greer, Paul Arizin, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol, Connie Hawkins, Horace Grant

Starting Point Guard: Bob Cousy (No. 46 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 7.5 assists

The first great point guard, Bob Cousy, or "The Houdini of the Hardwood,” was magical with a basketball. If Bill Russell was the engine of the Boston Celtics' sports car, then Cooz was the driver pushing the team to top performances in the playoffs en route to six championships in seven years before he retired.

Starting Shooting Guard: George Gervin (No. 51 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 25.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists

The Iceman is one of the greatest offensive talents we have ever seen. A shooter and a slasher, George Gervin can score from any spot on the floor whenever needed. He's the perfect third option to Wilt Chamberlain and Dirk Nowitzki.

Starting Small Forward: Scottie Pippen (No. 27 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists

Scottie Pippen was the best perimeter defender ever seen in the NBA. A force that disrupted offenses at mind's whim, Scottie is also quite proficient on the offensive side of the ball with dribbling, passing and finishing skills that are among the best at the forward position.

Starting Power Forward: Dirk Nowitzki (No. 22 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 23.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists

The most unique power forward of all time, Dirk Nowitzki can spread the floor with range past the three-point line. "The Flamingo” is downright unstoppable and he is simply clutch when it comes to scoring when it matters most.

Starting Center: Wilt Chamberlain (No. 3 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists

Arguably the most dominant player in NBA history, Wilt Chamberlain is the cornerstone of my team, destroying teams in the post with his unique blend of immense power, crazy athleticism and severely underrated ball skills. He is tied with Michael Jordan for the highest career points per game and is the all-time top rebounder.

Bench Guard: Joe Dumars (No. 94 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 16.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists

Forever underrated, Joe Dumars is perfect for the backup guard position with the ability to play both positions while bringing strong defense and great shooting off the bench. Plus he was always a professional and a winner (both as a player and an executive).

Bench Guard: Hal Greer (No. 118 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 19.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists

Hal Greer helped integrate sports in West Virginia and eventually became the second-greatest basketball player from his state (Jerry West is also from West Virgnia). A scorer, defender and willing passer, Greer is one of my favorite picks on this team.

Bench Guard: Paul Arizin (No. 142 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 22.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists

 “Pitchin Paul” is one of the innovators of the jumpshot. A three-time All-NBA First Team selection, Paul Arizin was one of the early stars that paved the way for the success of the NBA in the 60s to grow into national consciousness.

Bench Forward: Metta World Peace (No. 75 overall) 

Career Per-Game Stats: 14.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists

The player formerly known as Ron Artest, Metta World Peace is a Defensive Player of the Year and the greatest perimeter defender of the current generation. His tenacity, toughness and never lose attitude are what make him valuable to this team.

Bench Forward: Pau Gasol (No. 70 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists

One of the most skilled big men the league has ever seen, Pau Gasol even has moves with moves and when he has the ball, his team is very likely to score with his prowess at finishing and passing with ease. If Wilt Chamberlain gets into foul trouble we replace him with his antithesis to really confound the opponent.

Bench Forward: Connie Hawkins (No. 99 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists

Owner of the biggest hands ever seen on a human being, the “Hawk” is a chronically forgotten great from the 70's. Notedly the second greatest ABA star behind Julius Erving, Connie Hawkins was known for his unstoppable scoring ability, rebounding and game-changing plays that would awe the crowd.

Bench Center: Horace Grant (No. 123 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists

A four-time NBA Champion and four-time All-Defensive Second Teamer (behind Dennis Rodman all those years), Horace Grant was a pitbull in the paint, known for fighting for boards and attacking the basket with a blue-collar intensity that would make any working class American proud.

How Will Marvin's Team Play?

Team Trump Card is full of players that have abilities and skills that were downright unstoppable.

Dirk Nowitzki's flamingo fade, George Gervin (The Iceman) and his finger roll, Bob Cousy's pure passing ability, Scottie Pippen's ability to finish on anyone during a fast break and Wilt Chamberlain's game in general were as unstoppable as any in NBA history.

Hell, I'm selling this team to Donald Trump just so this name works.

All kidding aside, this team is the most offensively talented team in this league. It will space the floor with shooting from Gervin and Nowitzki scoring on the outside, Cousy and Pippen will be cutting to the hoop and Wilt will be the focal point causing absolute havoc inside. An uptempo style would be perfect for this team with the shooting and finishing ability of the wings and the fact that scoring can and will come from every position.

The defense will be based more on help and rotation to cover for the inefficiencies of Dirk, Gervin and Cousy, who can play the passing lanes well, but were rather “turible” at one-on-one defense. The Bench, however, was developed with defense in mind.

Joe Dumars, Metta World Peace, Horace Grant and Hal Greer are known for being either good or great defenders. The bench also has scoring and floor spacing in mind as they all have offensive scoring ability (specifically shooting). Dumars is going to be an excellent sixth man coming in for either guard alongside Greer, who will be coming in as an energy player.

Connie Hawkins and Peace will be the first forwards off the bench providing stocks (blocks and steals) in abundance. In the off chance that Wilt gets into foul trouble, Gasol can fill in nicely as a change of pace center: spreading the floor, providing passing from the post and throwing in a few pretty post moves in between.

Finally, when the game gets to be garbage time, who better to keep the fans in the seats than the amazing Paul Arizin who can score from anywhere on the court and was known for making acrobatic shots? Garbage time is now officially “pitchin” time.

David Fromal's Team

Starters: Steve Nash, Walt Frazier, Blake Griffin, Bill Russell, Dikembe Mutombo

Bench: Maurice Cheeks, Jimmer Fredette, Steve Kerr, Michael Finley, Glenn Robinson, Carlos Boozer, Mark Eaton

Starting Point Guard: Steve Nash (No. 21 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 14.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists

Despite his limitations on the defensive end of the court, Steve Nash is as talented as they come with regards to running an NBA offense. Nash possesses some of the greatest court vision that we've seen since the very beginning of professional basketball. I couldn't think of a better player to spread the court with three-point shooting and dish out dimes to the big men surrounding him than the current point guard for the Phoenix Suns. 

Starting Shooting Guard: Walt Frazier (No. 28 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists

Walt Frazier brings style to my team both on and off the court. Endearingly known as Clyde, Frazier is one of the greatest defensive guards ever and will easily make up for Nash' lack of ability on that side of the ball. His flair will make my team have the most entertaining backcourt and he'll put up a good number of points from the two spot to boot. 

Starting Small Forward: Blake Griffin (No. 52 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists

Was pick No. 52 too early for Blake Griffin? Maybe, maybe not. 

But I knew that if I wanted to get this incredible offensive talent on my team, I needed to pounce sooner rather than later. Griffin is capable of throwing down dunks over anyone, regardless of whether they're current players or all-time greats like we have in this league. If only Timofey Mozgov had been drafted...

Starting Power Forward: Bill Russell (No. 4 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists

There wasn't even a doubt in my mind when my first-round pick came up and Bill Russell was still available. 

The longtime Boston Celtic is the greatest champion in the history of the sport, as well as its all-time greatest defensive player. Even though he played early in the history of the NBA, I have no doubt that Russell's premier blocking abilities will translate to this league. 

Starting Center: Dikembe Mutombo (No. 45 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists

By now you can tell that my strategy with the starters was to adopt an unconventional look in which all of my players in the frontcourt were monstrously big, with Blake Griffin shifted down to small forward and Bill Russell to power forward. 

Lining up at center is one more defensive stopper, this time one that won four Defensive Player of the Year awards. But the biggest thing that Dikembe Mutombo brings to my team is the finger wag. Expect it a lot. 

Bench Guard: Maurice Cheeks (No. 69 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 11.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists

Maurice Cheeks has now definitely proven that he has a good bit of basketball intelligence, seeing how he's spent the last decade actually coaching teams in the NBA. 

But back in his playing days, Cheeks was one of the best defensive guards in the game. Not only did Cheeks make four All-Star teams in his career, but he also made four-straight All-Defensive First Teams. 

Bench Guard: Jimmer Fredette (No. 141 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 0.0 points, 0.0 rebounds, 0.0 assists

With my last-round pick, I wanted to draft somebody who would entertain my fans in garbage time. Who better to do that than cult hero Jimmer Fredette?

Jimmer has one of the greatest long-range shots in NBA history and he hasn't even attempted a three-pointer at the professional level yet. It's too soon to tell whether he'll be successful in the pros (I think he will), but there's no doubt that he'll be able to hit open shots from downtown. 

Bench Guard: Steve Kerr (No. 76 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 6.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists

With all the bigs on my team, I wanted multiple three-point shooters to be able to spread the court as much as possible and open up the paint for Blake Griffin, Bill Russell and Dikembe Mutombo. 

Steve Kerr isn't exactly an all-time great, but in this role, he's perfect. Kerr is a lifetime 45.4 percent shooter from downtown and led the league twice in that category. 

Bench Forward: Michael Finley (No. 100 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 15.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists

Michael Finley's career numbers are a bit depressed because of the time he spent with the San Antonio Spurs as a role player at the end of his career, but don't forget just how good he was during his prime with the Dallas Mavericks. 

Finley can provide a great scoring punch off my bench, seeing as he scored 20 or more points per game for five straight seasons. 

Bench Forward: Glenn Robinson (No. 93 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists

I was amazed that a player as well rounded as Glenn Robinson fell all the way to No. 93. When that happened, I couldn't help but snatch him up. 

Robinson was a tremendous scorer, averaging over 20 points per game for his career, and was more than just competent when it came to crashing the boards and dealing the ball to his other teammates. I can't wait to let the Big Dog do his stuff off the bench. 

Bench Forward: Carlos Boozer (No. 117 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 17.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists

There aren't many better double-double threats playing in the NBA right now than Carlos Boozer. Boozer is a great offensive player and he's one of the better rebounders at his position in the league. 

Booz may not have the greatest reputation in the league right now thanks to his last season with the Chicago Bulls, but he's been a great player for the last decade. 

Bench Center: Mark Eaton (No. 124 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 6.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists

Mark Eaton has to be one of the biggest steals of the draft, pun intended. The 7'4" giant is on my team for one reason, and one reason alone: to come off the bench and blocking shots. 

Eaton not only has the highest single season blocks per game record of all time (5.6), but he also has the highest career average (3.5). 

How Will David's Team Play?

I can't imagine players scoring on my starting five. The defense and size are just utterly ridiculous. Other than Steve Nash and Blake Griffin, every single player that will step on the court first is a defensive first. Nash's slack will be picked up with ease and Griffin will make due with his size, thanks to the fact that he's lining up at the small forward position. 

My favorite thing abut the starting lineup has to be the size. Griffin, Bill Russell and Dikembe Mutombo are all big men, but those are the three that will compose my frontcourt. Good luck scoring on Mt. Mutombo and Russell. You'll need it. 

Off the bench, I have replacement stud defenders in the form of Maurice Cheeks and Mark Eaton. But the true purpose of my bench is to both spread the floor when they're on the court and give the team a scoring punch.

That scoring punch will come in the form of Glenn Robinson and Michael Finley, two tremendously underrated scorers, while the spreading will be done by the three-balls of Jimmer Fredette and Steve Kerr.

More than anything else though, the unconventionality of this team will make them fun to watch. And isn't that what you're really looking for in a team like this anyway?

The team is good enough to compete at a high level, but it has the added bonus of nonconformity working in its favor. 

From the dunking flair of Griffin to the stylish play and actions of Clyde, you'll want to watch them. 

Conor Naughton's Team

Starters: Jason Kidd, Ray Allen, James Worthy, Charles Barkley, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Bench: Russell Westbrook, Vince Carter, Larry Johnson, Bernard King, Robert Horry, Zach Randolph, Arvydas Sabonis

Starting Point Guard: Jason Kidd (No. 29 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 13.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 9.1 assists 

This might seem a little high for Jason Kidd, but having a great point guard is crucial and considering that Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton and Steve Nash had already been taken, this one came down to Kidd or Gary Payton. Payton was a better scorer and defender, but Kidd was a triple-double machine who runs a team better than anyone in the history of the league not named Magic.

Starting Shooting Guard: Ray Allen (No. 44 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists

Again, this pick may seem a little high, but I was considering the overall make-up of my team, not simply picking whoever I thought was best. A strong defender and always in excellent shape, Ray Allen is the best three-point shooter in NBA history and when it’s all said and done he’ll have a pretty good case as the best pure shooter too.

Starting Small Forward: James Worthy (No. 53 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists

This one was easy; I needed a small forward like James Worthy who would be a great glue guy, wouldn’t care about stats and could fill any gaps I still had. Big Game James is one of the most clutch players in NBA history, was a great defender, great passer and gives me great athleticism, something I was looking for with this pick.

Starting Power Forward: Charles Barkley (No. 20 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists

I thought he was the best available player left at this point in the draft and power forwards seem pretty hard to come by, so I decided to stack my frontcourt. He’ll be the perfect complement to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, adding an element of toughness that Kareem lacks.

Starting Center: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (No. 5 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists

I couldn’t believe that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still available at No. 5. After briefly considering Larry Bird, I decided that picking the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, a six-time MVP and owner of the most unstoppable shot in NBA history was a no-brainer. 

Bench Guard: Russell Westbrook (No. 101 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists 

I needed a backup point guard, and even though he might not have reached his full potential yet, Russell Westbrook was too tough ignore as he can provide a huge spark off the bench backing up Jason Kidd. I’m not a huge fan of his offensive tendencies at the moment (I’d like to see him evolve into more of a true point guard), but he has all the room for improvement and can really inject some much-needed speed and athleticism into my squad.

Bench Guard: Vince Carter (No. 92 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 22.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists

At this point in the draft I didn’t have anyone left that I loved and felt that they absolutely HAD to be picked, and I thought Vinsanity had fallen far enough. Despite Vince Carter's legacy as a sulk who is arguably the biggest waste of talent in league history, he still put up some utterly ridiculous numbers during his prime to go along with his legendary dunks.

Bench Forward: Larry Johnson (No. 140 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 16.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists

I always liked Larry Johnson growing up due to his awesome grill, his bruising, physical style of play, his nickname (“Grandmama", due to his role in the best basketball shoe commercial not starring MJ or Spike Lee) and his participation in the timeless classic, “Space Jam.” Despite being a little undersized, he was a solid 20-10 guy when healthy and I always felt that he was a bit overlooked—love this pick as my last.

Bench Forward: Bernard King (No. 68 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 22.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists

While initially really bummed that Dennis Rodman had been taken, I was dumbfounded that Bernard King had fallen this far, especially when I realized that this pick needed to be a sixth man who could come in, carry my second unit, and take over with his scoring abilities. King is one of the best pure scorers of all time and he fits this role perfectly.

Bench Forward: Robert Horry (No. 125 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 7.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists

At this point I was looking to fill out my team with role players—and I dare you to find a more effective role player in recent memory than Big Shot Rob. While never a star, Robert Horry was an indispensable piece of the two most dominant teams of the past decade and had a penchant for hitting clutch shots when called upon.

Bench Forward: Zach Randolph (No. 116 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 17.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists

With this pick I was looking for another power forward to help out Charles Barkley. There were some older players available, but I have to admit that I have a bias towards the more recent generation of players, who I feel would dominate—and is there a power forward in the league right now with a better combination of power and skill?

Bench Center: Arvydas Sabonis (No. 77 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 12.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists

I needed a backup center, preferably one with a slightly different skill set than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to give me a change of pace. The Arvydas Sabonis I picked is the Lithuanian league one—according to Bill Walton, “a player the NBA would’ve had to change the rules for”—who literally did everything one can possibly do on a basketball court.

How Will Conor's Team Play?

My team will be looking to play a pretty balanced game.

With our frontcourt consisting of the best two scorers in our starting lineup, those will be our two main options and having deadly three-point shooters like Jason Kidd and Ray Allen will keep defenses from double-teaming the big men too much.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Charles Barkley will grab every rebound in site, not to mention Jason Kidd is a threat for a triple-double every night.

We can bring in tons of scoring and energy off the bench with Russell Westbrook, Bernard King and Vince Carter, along with a continued low-post presence in Larry Johnson, Zach Randolph and Arvydas Sabonis. No player would be relied on too heavily, as there is plenty of cover at every position.

If we need to take over in a close game, we have several viable options: Kareem’s sky hook is the surest two points in the history of the NBA; they didn’t give James Worthy the nickname “Big Game James” for nothing; J-Kidd has evolved into a great clutch player; Ray Allen has hit too many game-icing shots and free throws to even begin to count; and no shot is too big for Robert Horry.

I think this team will probably be the most composed and well-balanced, having essentially every type of player a team could ask for.

Bretton McIlrath's Team

Starters: Deron Williams, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Kevin McHale, Spencer Haywood

Bench: Manu Ginobili, Earl Monroe, Dave Bing, Tom Chambers, Dave DeBusschere, Robert Parish, Andrew Bogut

Starting Point Guard: Deron Williams (No. 54 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 17.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 9.2 assists

I finished out my starters with another beast of a guard. My backcourt is listed at a collective 429 pounds, which is impressive considering one of these guys is from the 60's. Deron Williams is one of the most skilled point guards in the game today (or ever). He runs the pick-and-roll as well as anyone and he has excellent range.

Starting Shooting Guard: Oscar Robertson (No. 6 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 25.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists

A nine-time All-NBA First Teamer, Oscar Robertson won a title and made 12 All-Star teams in a row (and this is at a time when little kids in China weren't voting Yao Ming in during seasons in which he didn't even play). Also, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell all called him the greatest ever. He was the only guard ever to average 10 boards a game (three times), had 77 games where he scored 40 or more points, and oh yeah, averaged a triple-double one season.

Starting Small Forward: Elgin Baylor (No. 19 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 27.4 points, 13.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists

Adam stole Moses Malone, so I had to take one of the best scoring forwards ever. A 10-time All-NBA First Teamer, Elgin Baylor averaged 38.4 points per game one season and had a 71-point, 25-rebound game. He had a filthy running bank shot that helped him score over taller players.

Starting Power Forward: Kevin McHale (No. 30 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists

I took Kevin McHale because of his size and filthy moves. He could score in the post and was both a banger and an excellent defender, something my team needed. I took him over Patrick Ewing because of his unique style of play; his moves would confuse modern players and he's a slightly better defender.

Starting Center: Spencer Haywood (No. 102 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists

Spencer Haywood was a two-time NBA First Teamer, an NBA Champion, an ABA MVP and a career 20-10 guy. It's always good to have one guy who is a little crazy on your team. Haywood once hired a mobster to kill the coach who suspended him during the Finals. He did not go through with it, but I love the passion. Do you really want to be in the paint with Dave DeBusschere and Haywood? (Note: I'm only starting him so he doesn't kill my hypothetical coach). 

Bench Guard: Manu Ginobili (No. 78 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 15.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists

A three-time champion and explosive scorer, Manu Ginobili almost always elevates his game in big moments. He will help my team get out and run against bigger/slower opponents. Also, the euro step will confuse all the old-timey players and they will complain about it being a travel. We are going by "modern rules," so you can "travel" like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Manu all the time.

Bench Guard: Earl Monroe (No. 91 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists

I'm pairing Earl Monroe with Manu Ginobili to get out and run with my second unit. An NBA Champion and master of the spin move, he was a prolific scorer who helped transform guard play in the NBA to its modern form. He also had arguably the best nicknames in the NBA: "Earl the Pearl," "Black Magic," "Black Jesus" and his high school teammates called him "Thomas Edison" because of all the moves he invented.

Bench Guard: Dave Bing (No. 115 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists

A top-50 all-time player, Dave Bing was a two-time All-NBA First Team and a career 20-and-6 point guard. As a great shooter and distributor, he adds to my insanely good group of guards. Fear them!

Bench Forward: Dave DeBusschere (No. 67 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 16.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists

A great defender (six-time All-Defensive First Team), Dave DeBusschere was a two-time NBA Champion and he averaged a career double-double. He was incredibly physical and relentless on defense as well as a beloved teammate. Again, chemistry is an underrated factor in a hypothetical league like this.

Bench Forward: Tom Chambers (No. 126 overall)

Career Per-Game Stat: 18.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists 

A great free throw shooter to come off the bench late in games, Tom Chambers was a very solid defender and averaged over 20 and seven in his prime. He's yet another big banger for my team and someone who hardly ever missed games.

Bench Center: Robert Parish (No. 43 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 14.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists

The Chief! I had to have a center and Robert Parish is a nine-time All-Star and four-time champion. Plus, he barely turns the ball over for a big. He's another banger to go with Kevin McHale and this tandem already won three titles together. In a fantasy league like this, a frontcourt with proven chemistry together is invaluable.

Bench Center: Andrew Bogut (No. 139 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 12.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists

Andrew Bogut is a great 12th man considering his passing ability for his size. He is also a terrific shot-blocker (over 100 per season). Truthfully he will not see the floor much but he is a serviceable backup at center if there is an injury.

How Will Bretton's Team Play?

When approaching the task of building an all-time basketball team, I think it was important to understand that while the league is hypothetical, we would need players that would work well together. I wanted to have a team that could play a slow, grinding style or be able to get out and run away from some of the slower teams. 

Some doubt the relevance of Oscar Robertson nearly averaging a triple-double for his career and actually accomplishing it in one season. Those who saw him play, including other NBA greats, contend he is one of, if not the greatest player to date. I drafted him in the first round because of his versatility (his ability to play the point guard through small forward positions), his leadership (he co-captained the U.S. National Team during the '60 Olympics before he was even a professional) and the way he simply filled up the stat-sheet. He was also statistically the best rebounding guard of all time.

My next three picks were about taking proven winners who could play defense. However, that does not mean these players lack scoring ability. Elgin Baylor and Kevin McHale are two of the most creative and prolific scorers of their respective times.

Elgin was a ground-breaking player who dazzled fans and other players with his acrobatic style of play. He is slightly undersized in comparison to modern players; however, he proved he was able to score over larger players with his creative shots. He also holds the record for points in an NBA Finals game, affirming his ability to come through when his team needs him most.

My fourth-round choice was Robert Parish. He won three titles with McHale and this gives me the only frontcourt tandem that actually played together. The two certainly complement each other as McHale was the more offensive player and Parish cleaned up the boards. As I stated in my justification for my picks, having a frontcourt that actually played together in a hypothetical league such as this is invaluable.

Even though I have Oscar, I felt like my last starter needed to be a true point guard, and one of the elite modern players to give my team some more of that style. I also think my team needed some tattoos as I arguably took the "oldest" players in the first four rounds. Deron Williams is a top-five player at his position today, when there are many elite point guards in the NBA. This is also a time where the talent pool for basketball has never been greater. D-Will has intimidating size and strength for a point guard and cannot be pushed around by anyone at his position. He is an excellent shooter who also runs the pick-and-roll as well as anyone. With he and Oscar handling the ball for the majority of the game, my team is in good hands.

For my bench players (one of whom actually is a starter upon further evaluation) I wanted two main characteristics: excellent defense and hustle.

My sixth man, Dave DeBusschere, embodies both of these things. He was renowned for being tenacious on both ends of the floor. Next, I took Manu Ginóbili, an extremely creative player who is also very efficient. A proven winner, he has shown that he plays his best during the playoffs.

Earl "The Pearl" Monroe was next off the board for me. This was a no-brainer. He is arguably the most creative and dazzling guard of all time. He brought moves to the NBA no one had seen before. "Black Jesus" is the perfect change of pace and style from D-Will. He helps me fill my lineup with players who can play two very distinct styles: Grinding, slow, calculated offense and a run-and-gun style that slower teams would not be able to keep up with. 

In the 10th round I was able to get Spencer Haywood, a career double-double player. After further evaluating my roster, I felt that Haywood should actually start over Robert Parish. They will essentially split minutes, but I did not want to anger hypothetical Mr. Haywood to the point that he would threaten homicide on my mystery coach. Haywood was also a very efficient scorer who could run the floor while starting or coming off the bench with my second unit.

The last three picks are players who will not likely get a lot of minutes on this team, but they needed to be able to fit the roles and style of play I already established. I took Dave Bing, Tom Chambers and Andrew Bogut.

For Bing, I know he was a revolutionary player, much like The Pearl. He is a two-time All-NBA First Teamer who was named to the 50th NBA Anniversary Team. If D-Will, The Pearl or Oscar go down with injury, I would not worry about my team missing a beat with a legend like Bing filling in.

Chambers and Bogut beefed up my front line for the long playoff run my team will surely have. They are both good defenders (Bogut the better of the two; he is especially adept at shot-blocking). Again, these guys will not play a lot of minutes with almost all frontcourt minutes going to McHale, Parish and Haywood. 

Overall, I think my team (while more old-fashioned than most others) is very versatile and well-rounded. I have plenty of scoring options and an excellent defensive team in total. D-Will, The Pearl, Oscar, Manu, Elgin, McHale, DeBusschere and the combination of Haywood and Parish will get nearly all of my minutes. It seems fairly standard to play eight players for the vast majority of the game. Monroe, Manu and DeBusschere bring an energy that is not likely to be matched by another set of bench players (save for Run-TMC).

Altogether, this team scores efficiently, distributes the ball, rebounds well and defends tenaciously. While they may seem undersized, all of these players proved themselves against bigger competition during their careers. Given the spot in the draft that I picked, I doubt I would have done much different with these choices.

This team is likely to get rated lower than I feel it deserves. There are a couple of main reasons for this. For one, as I stated before, it is an old-fashioned type of team. Secondly, my marquee player is from the early 60s (and not named "Wilt" or "Russell"). I enjoy the underdog role, so this team sneaking up on others is perfectly fine with me.

Come get some.

Adam Fromal's Team

Starters: Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade, Larry Bird, Moses Malone, Patrick Ewing

Bench: Tiny Archibald, World B. Free, Eric Gordon, Alex English, Billy Cunningham, Ben Wallace, Nate Thurmond

Starting Point Guard: Rajon Rondo (No. 55 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 10.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.6 assists

Just to clear things up, I don't actually think that Rajon Rondo is historically great enough to be ranked ahead of some of the point guards that were drafted as back-ups in this league, but he is good enough to justify a spot in my starting lineup. I have enough offense coming from the other four spots on the floor, so I wanted a defensively-oriented guard with the ability to spread the ball around the court with the best of them. Rondo has freakish court vision and is the best defensive point guard in the NBA right now, making him a perfect fit for my team.  

Starting Shooting Guard: Dwyane Wade (No. 31 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 25.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists

I loved that Dwyane Wade fell to me in the third round. It's hard to find a more athletic shooting guard in the NBA today (or historically for that matter), and Flash's slashing ability is virtually unmatched in the annals of The Association's history. An underrated defender (three-time All-Defensive Second Team) and perfectly-rated scorer, Wade is one of the few players that can legitimately boast that they've single-handedly led their team through the playoffs to a title, as he did in 2006. 

Starting Small Forward: Larry Bird (No. 7 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists

This was the single hardest pick of the draft for me as I debated endlessly in my head between Larry Bird and Hakeem Olajuwon. But in the end, Larry Legend's clutch shooting abilities won out over Hakeem's Dream Shake. You'd be hard pressed to find a more versatile player (just look at the stats!) or a bigger winner who was willing to hustle until every last drop of energy was drained from his body. Plus, I'm going to win the trash-talking category with Bird on my squad.  

Starting Power Forward: Moses Malone (No. 18 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists

Before this draft started, I was completely and utterly convinced that Moses Malone was going to be drafted in the first round. I was almost too stunned to pick him when he fell to me at No. 18. The greatest offensive rebounder in NBA history, Moses will be able to clean up the boards whenever my team puts up a rare brick. A 13-time All-Star, three-time MVP, eight-time All-NBA member and two-time All-Defensive selection in the second round? Yes please. 

Starting Center: Patrick Ewing (No. 42 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists

Rounding out my starting lineup is one of the most talented centers to ever lace up their shoes and step foot on a basketball court. An incredibly well-rounded player, Patrick Ewing brings a great amount of offensive and defensive talent to my team. Although he's very deserving of his induction into the Hall of Fame thanks to his on-court prowess, Ewing was admittedly never good enough to win a title without help. Help isn't exactly something he's lacking here. Plus, if my team somehow struggles, I can trade Ewing away and let The Ewing Theory take over. 

Bench Guard: Tiny Archibald (No. 79 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 7.4 assists

Despite standing just 6'1", Tiny Archibald became a legendary basketball player thanks to his blazing speed and incredible talent. He once averaged 34.0 points and 11.4 assists per game over the course of an entire season. 

Bench Guard: World B. Free (No. 126 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists

How can you not want a guy named World B. Free on your team, especially when he's nicknamed "The Prince of Midair" thanks to his penchant for acrobatic moves in the air? It doesn't hurt that he was a good defender who averaged over 20 points per game for nine straight seasons and topped out at 30.2 in the 1979-1980 campaign. 

Bench Guard: Eric Gordon (No. 138 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists

With my last pick in the draft, I wanted to grab a player whom I currently enjoy watching since he'll only be coming in once the game is over. It was between Kemba Walker and Eric Gordon here, but I had to go with the up-and-coming guard for the Los Angeles Clippers who is already playing alongside Blake Griffin at an All-Star level. 

Bench Forward: Alex English (No. 66 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists

Is there a better sixth man in this league than Alex English? English was the leading scorer of the 1980s (which is commonly considered the golden age of guard play in NBA history and an era filled with superstars) and he actually made the incredibly ugly Denver Nuggets jersey a best-seller. 

Bench Forward: Billy Cunningham (No. 103 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 21.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists

Nicknamed "The Kangaroo Kid" thanks to his unbelievable jumping ability, Billy Cunningham is another guy that I snatched up after he fell way to far down during the draft. A great player in both the ABA (a one-time MVP and member of the All-Time Team) and the NBA (one-time champion, five-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA), Cunningham and his hops will be quite valuable off my bench.  

Bench Forward: Ben Wallace (No. 114 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 6.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists

There is a strict ban placed upon Ben Wallace by my team: he's not allowed to shoot the ball. Ever. Fortunately, no other team will want to shoot the ball in the paint as long as this four-time Defensive Player of the Year is in the game. 

Bench Center: Nate Thurmond (No. 90 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 15.0 points, 15.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists

First of all, it's pretty cool that Nate Thurmond managed to average exactly 15 points and 15 rebounds per game during his lengthy career. Nate the Great is a true triple-threat at the center position with his ability to score, defend and grab boards at prolific rates. I am completely comfortable inserting him into the game to spell Ewing. 

How Will Adam's Team Play?

When I was building my team, the first thing I had to think about was versatility. With the ability to choose players from every era of NBA history, I knew that I could find role players later on, so I wanted my team to start out as well-rounded as humanly possible. 

That was the predominant reason why I went with Larry Bird over Hakeem Olajuwon in the first round. As much as I love Hakeem's dual-threat nature and the glory that is The Dream Shake, he can't touch Larry Legend's clutch abilities and ridiculous desire to win. He may not have been the most physically gifted player in the world, but he truly had the heart of a champion. 

Drafting Bird allowed me to take (in my opinion) the biggest steal of the draft in the second round: Moses Malone. Malone is not only the greatest offensive rebounder of all time, but he's also a great player on both sides of the ball. Shifting him over to the power forward position allowed me to build an even bigger, more versatile lineup. 

Dwyane Wade and Patrick Ewing were my next two picks and with them I added more skills on both sides of the ball. After those two, I had to attempt to put aside my biases and successfully did so, drafting Rajon Rondo as my starting point guard. I'm fully aware of the limitations that Rondo brings to the table, but his combination of defensive abilities and court vision was unmatched at that point in the draft. 

With my bench, I simply went for the players whom I felt were the best available. As a result, I felt like I drafted steal after steal after steal. Alex English is possibly the best sixth man in this league (remember, he was the leading scorer of the storied 1980s). Tiny Archibald and Nate Thurmond both could've justifiably been starters in this league as well, but they're going to have to be content to sit on my bench at the start of every game.

World B. Free is a showman and will keep the fans in the seats at the end of games, as will Eric Gordon in true garbage time. Then there's Ben Wallace. Anytime you can draft a four-time Defensive Player of the Year at pick No. 114, it's probably a good idea to do so. 

So, how will my team play?

To be perfectly honest, there isn't one definitive way that my team will have to play. They can dominate the opposition in so many different ways. 

On the defensive end, you won't find a single player in the starting lineup who hasn't made an All-Defensive team. Rondo has only been in the league since 2006, but he's made three All-Defensive squads and established himself as the premier defensive guard in the current NBA. Wade has made three teams, Bird three as well, Malone two and Ewing three. 

As for offense, I tried to draft players who didn't need to dominate the ball in order to dominate the opposition. 

Rondo is by no means a scorer, so he'll be content to simply rack up the assists. In fact, I may tell my hypothetical coach to bench Rondo if he ever shoots from outside the paint or if he shoots from inside the paint and it isn't in the form of an easy layup. 

With Wade's slashing abilities, Bird's offensive versatility and the post-play of Malone and Ewing, my offense is simply well-rounded. I may not have a big man who can shoot from the outside and spread the floor, but the rest of my team can spread it well enough. 

Off the bench, I can put in even more defense with Big Ben and Thurmond whenever my starting bigs need a rest. If we're lacking scoring, in goes English, Billy Cunningham and Free. Then there's Tiny, a change of pace guard who can run the fast break as well as anyone.

In an all-time league like this, your team can't succeed if they can only ball in one style. You have to be able to rebound with the big boys, stop the offensively talented teams from lighting up the scoreboard and put up points on the hard-nosed defensive teams.

My squad may not have the top offense or defense in the league, but I challenge you to find a more balanced and talented team.

Don't accept that challenge because you won't be able to.  

Alex Hoffman's Team

Starters: Pete Maravich, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, Bob Pettit

Bench: Stephen Curry, Michael Cooper, Jashaun Agosto, Grant Hill, Shawn Marion, Bob Lanier, Alonzo Mourning

Starting Point Guard: Pete Maravich (No. 32 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 24.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists

I would have loved to have taken one of my all time favorites, Patrick Ewing, here, but I felt that Pistol Pete Maravich and Bob Pettit were being greatly overlooked because of when they played. Who better to get the ball to Kobe than the most creative ball handler of all time? And what people forget is that he also was shooting from Jimmer range before the three-point era and he still managed to average over 30 points per game one year. The only knock against him is that he was injury and early death prone, but I'm drafting by talent and Michael Jordan didn't get discounted for being sport switching prone.

Starting Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant (No. 7 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 25.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists

In a close call between Kobe Bryant and Hakeem Olajuwon, my vote went to the five-time champion who has shown that he can win, both with and without star talent around him (Shaquille O'Neal). He has also shown the ability to take over games with his explosive scoring prowess (81 in a game) and has more value at his position in a league that has a history of dominant centers.

Starting Small Forward: Tracy McGrady (No. 56 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists

When looking at the small forwards left, T-Mac didn’t have the best reputation. However, Tracy McGrady is by far the most skilled, and you could even go on to say that he had better skills than Scottie Pippen, Dominique Wilkins and a few other guys that had already been taken. The big knock on T-Mac is that he could never get his team out of the first round of the playoffs and really take control of the game when his team needed it. Well, when you’re on a team with some of the all-time greats you don't need your fifth pick to be the guy. He can do a little bit of everything, and if you don't focus on stopping him he can light it up.

Starting Power Forward: Kevin Garnett (No. 17 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 19.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists

A prolific power forward and MVP, Kevin Garnett was able to take the bottom of the barrel Minnesota Timberwolves and turn them into a annual playoff team. Also, he showed his ability to win and share the spotlight while playing for the Boston Celtics. What really pushes KG over other potential candidates like Dirk Nowitzki and Karl Malone is the fact that he put in work on both sides of the floor, having averaged a block-and-a-half and a steal per game over his career.

Starting Center: Bob Pettit (No. 41 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 26.4 points, 16.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists

I didn’t think that he would still be around at this point. Picking a consensus top-20 all-time player in the 40s doesn't need justification.

Bench Guard: Stephen Curry (No. 104 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists

Because…I was drunk when I made this pick. But Stephen Curry is a blossoming point guard. He does a little bit of everything and plays solid defense. Hell be a solid backup point guard and most importantly I didn’t want Adam Fromal to get him.

Bench Guard: Michael Cooper (No. 80 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 8.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists

Larry Bird said Michael Cooper was the best defender he ever faced. And that’s good enough for me. His job is to sub in there and lock down whomever their best backcourt player is.

Bench Guard: Jashaun Agosto (No. 137 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 0.0 points, 0.0 rebounds, 0.0 assists

I looked at my team and I really didn't have any holes to fill, seeing that for every position I have at least three guys that can play it. I thought about taking Derek Jeter for his leadership, Matt Bonner as a three-point shooting center and Spud Webb because he's short. But in the end I decided on the next Michael Jordan. Jashaun Agosto may not win me any points now, but he should if we ever come back and take a look at this down the road. 

Bench Forward: Grant Hill (No. 89 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists

Grant Hill never lived up to his hype as the next Michael Jordan, but if not for the injuries, he might have ended up in the top 30 of all time. Also, he gives me some more scoring power off the bench.

Bench Forward: Shawn Marion (No. 113 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 16.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists

Shawn Marion was a good scorer, great defender and had an ugly-ass shot.

Bench Center: Bob Lanier (No. 128 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists

Bob Lanier was a good defender, good scorer and a Hall of Famer who gives my team some size and some solid free throw shooting for the late game.

Bench Center: Alonzo Mourning (No. 65 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists

Alonzo Mourning is a good fit for a rotation with Kevin Garnett and Bob Pettit. I imagine them all playing in a rotation where they all split time about equally, giving more time to whomever fits the opponent best. Also he's not an all-time scoring leader but when he shoots shots, he makes them (see 52.7 percent shooting percentage).

How Will Alex's Team Play?

When picking my team, I tried to choose players who I thought could do some of everything. My rationale was that all of the teams in this league would be made up of superstars, so I should have the most versatile players and the most adaptable team.

If you look at my starting lineup's career numbers, I have four guys who averaged at least four assists per game, five guys who averaged at least five rebounds per game, and everyone averaged over 19 points per game. And most importantly all of them can play defense. (I can’t say that for sure about Bob Pettit, since they didn’t keep defensive stats at the time, but he was a hard worker so I assume that he did).

I'm going to have to go ahead and say that I feel defense should be a big (if not the biggest) focus of every team in this draft, because you're going to need to be able to stop the best players ever. That’s why my first two players off the board, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett, were the two players tied for the lead with most All-Defensive First Team selections.

It also affected my bench picks. While Michael Cooper and Alonzo Mourning could both put up some offensive numbers, they were picked because of their ability to shut people down. Both of them were Defensive Players of the Year and when they’re in the game with Kobe and Garnett my team becomes what I believe is the best defensive team that this draft has to offer.

On top of that I picked up Shawn Marion, a great defensive player in his own right.

Bart Rich's Team

Starters: Gary Payton, Clyde Drexler, LeBron James, Dave Cowens, Hakeem Olajuwon

Bench: Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, Chris Mullin, Josh Smith, Bob McAdoo, Serge Ibaka, Tyson Chandler

Starting Point Guard: Gary Payton (No. 33 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists

For this pick, I’m really happy that The Glove fell to me at No. 33. Gary Payton is one of the best defensive players ever, the only point guard to win a Defensive Player of the Year award and a competitor of epic proportions. He gave Michael Jordan plenty of trouble in the 1996 NBA Finals, and his reputation as a trash-talker also ranks among the best. He played with physicality and toughness, and I couldn’t think of a more complete point guard to run my offense.

Starting Shooting Guard: Clyde Drexler (No. 40 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists

This pick drastically increases my team chemistry by reuniting Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon, the founders of the dunking fraternity Phi Slama Jama at the University of Houston and teammates on the 1995 champion Houston Rockets. The Glide was super athletic and versatile; plus, he was a fantastic finisher at the rim. I needed a big two-guard who can score at will, and Clyde fills that role perfectly.

Starting Small Forward: LeBron James (No. 16 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 27.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 7.0 assists

LeBron James is the best player in the NBA in the middle of his prime. He’ll run my offense, lock down on defense and basically just do LeBron things all day long. And that’s before he graduates from Hakeem’s School of Low-Post Ingenuity. We still have no idea where his career is going to end up, and the potential for what could happen is off the charts. Also, I'm a gigantic homer.

Starting Power Forward: Dave Cowens (No. 57 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 17.6 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists

This man defined the heart of a champion. My exact thoughts when I drafted Dave Cowens were that he’s a banger. He’ll dive for loose balls, snatch every rebound he can and bring the intangibles that cement this team together. He loved playing basketball and played as hard as he could every single time he stepped on the floor. In 1978, he led the Celtics in every major statistical category…for the season. Also, the 17.6 points and 13.6 boards per game don’t hurt either.

Starting Center: Hakeem Olajuwon (No. 9 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists

Hakeem Olajuwon has got probably the prettiest and most devastating post move in NBA history (the Dream Shake). Hakeem played against the likes of Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson and a slew of other great centers, and he dominated them all. Most importantly, in following the cardinal rule of basketball, never ever go against this man if you can help it: "If I had to pick a center for an all-time best team, I would take Olajuwon. He is so versatile because of what he can give you from that position." -Michael Jordan.

Need I say more?

Bench Guard: Tim Hardaway (No. 64 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 17.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.2 assists

Tim Hardaway will help spread the floor for my team as another quick, strong point guard backing up Gary Payton. He’ll be able to slash and kick it out by virtue of that unstoppable crossover. Also, he can dominate the fast break with the rest of Run TMC.

Bench Guard: Mitch Richmond (No. 105 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 21.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists

Mitch Richmond is a second tall, physical shooting guard that will spread things out, shoot some threes and cut to the basket and finish at the rim. He had the right combination of finishing ability and shooting touch to play the two perfectly. He too will be a force to be reckoned with in conjunction with the rest of Run TMC.

Bench Forward: Chris Mullin (No. 88 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists

Completing the Run TMC trio of Golden State Warriors lore, Chris Mullin was a phenomenal three-point shooter. He’ll be a solid winger off my bench and he could shoot and score naturally with either hand. With the rest of Run TMC, he averaged at least 25 points per game for five straight seasons. 

Bench Forward: Josh Smith (No. 112 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 14.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists

A modern player with all kinds of versatility, Josh Smith is a super athletic swingman for my bench. Smoove will mean instant defense off the bench because of his ability to accumulate stocks (steals + blocks, as described by Bill Simmons), and also brings a ton of College Park swagger to my team.

Bench Forward: Bob McAdoo (No. 81 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 22.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists

I was surprised Bob McAdoo fell all the way to No. 81 in this draft. He was a super talented scorer, and he was the predecessor to big guys like Chris Webber who played more of a finesse outside game. Also, he's an assistant coach for the Miami Heat, which means extra points for his bronoodling with LeBron on the bench. Again, I am a homer.

Bench Center: Serge Ibaka (No. 129 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 8.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 0.2 assists

Blocks on blocks on blocks. So many blocks. Serge Ibaka will bring some youthful exuberance to this team from the bench, and he can team with Tyson Chandler to bang with the big men and grab some boards while Hakeem Olajuwon is resting. Besides, Ibaka is going to be so thrilled to be there that he won’t even know what to do with himself. 

Bench Center: Tyson Chandler (No. 136 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 8.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists

I needed a pure center behind Hakeem Olajuwon, and here’s to hoping he joins the Miami Heat in free agency and fills the hole in our lineup he burst wide open back in May. Actually, now I’m in a bad mood. Screw the Dallas Mavericks.

How Will Bart's Team Play?

Personally, I’d be really excited to see this team play together.

More than anything, I think that there would be a lot of good chemistry between all of these guys. There’s a great combination of freewheeling, super talented athletes like LeBron James and Clyde Drexler that will be complemented well by the gutsy competitors who will push them to win above all else (Gary Payton and Dave Cowens).

Plus, I drafted Hakeem Olajuwon to be my building block. In a league where centers have historically been dominant, Hakeem would absolutely hold his own against anyone from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Wilt Chamberlain to Shaquille O'Neal. Hakeem is the type of player that I want to go to war with in the playoffs, and pairing him with LeBron would be a fascinating scenario.

Besides, this team has all kinds of chemistry built in already. Clyde and Hakeem were lifelong friends who will reestablish the dominance of Phi Slama Jama, dunking on everything in their path. Not to mention that I have all of Run TMC coming off the bench to up the pace, open the court up and run the finely-tuned fast break they perfected in Golden State.

And like I said before, both Serge Ibaka and Tyson Chandler will just be so delighted to be a part of this team at all that their only response will be grinning incredulously and playing their hearts out.

As far as positions go, LeBron will be the engine that drives this entire offense, manning the hybrid point-forward position that he plays now. He will share the ballhandling duties with The Glove, giving him the freedom to distribute or create offense on his own.

Drexler can score off the ball, Hakeem can Dream Shake all night long in the post and Cowens will clean up all the residual mess.

Off the bench, Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond will spread things out with their outside shooting, draining threes as LeBron/Payton/Tim Hardaway penetrate to collapse the defense.

Most importantly, the rest of the bench is full of athletic, malleable players who can play multiple positions and fill many roles. Bob McAdoo can score from the outside, and the combination of Josh Smith, Ibaka and Chandler means that blocked shots will be flying everywhere.

This team would be fun to watch.

Joseph Fafinski's Team

Starters: Dennis Johnson, Jerry West, Rick Barry, Karl Malone, Elvin Hayes

Bench: Sam Jones, Kevin Johnson, Fat Lever, Penny Hardaway, Tommy Heinsohn, George Mikan, Wes Unseld

Starting Point Guard: Dennis Johnson (No. 58 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists

Dennis Johnson may not be a point guard 100 percent of the time, but it’s hard for me to overlook DJ’s talents at this point in the fifth round. He was phenomenal defensively and an unselfish distributor and scorer on the other side. Heck, Larry Bird said he was the best player he’d ever played with. That’s all I need to hear.

Starting Shooting Guard: Jerry West (No. 10 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 27.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists

Here’s a guy who really would’ve taken the NBA by storm had he played 20 years later. Jerry West, a dangerous and notorious long-range specialist, would have no doubt benefitted from the use of the trey during his career. Still, this guy has everything you want on an all-time resume, and it’s hard to fault me for picking him over Tim Duncan.

Starting Small Forward: Rick Barry (No. 34 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 24.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists

I was praying with all my might that the versatile Scottie Pippen would slip to me in the third round. It didn’t happen. What did I get instead? How about one of the best shooters and worst personalities in basketball history?

Starting Power Forward: Karl Malone (No. 15 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 25.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists

He’s the best power forward to never win a title (sorry, Chuck), and yet, you would never want Karl Malone on your team in the last two minutes of the game. He won MVP twice and revolutionized the pick-and-roll throughout his illustrious career. He has the makings of a phenomenal big, and I have no problem taking his talents to my team.

Starting Center: Elvin Hayes (No. 39 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 21.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists

It was either Elvin Hayes or the legendary Willis Reed for the fourth round selection for me. Why did I go Hayes? Two reasons: First, he’s one of the all-time greats at his position; and two, I wanted to keep up the “jerk”-esque theme I’d started a pick ago with Rick Barry. Oh, whoops. Maybe there’s only one reason.

Bench Guard: Sam Jones (No. 82 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists

I’m a fan of rings. Sam Jones has 10 to show me over the course of a 12-year career. He’s one of the most clutch players in NBA history and regularly followed through during crunch time. In unrelated news, he also has one of the most plain names ever.

Bench Guard: Kevin Johnson (No. 87 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 9.1 assists

Kevin Johnson is, without a doubt, one of the more underappreciated players who will be picked. People don’t understand that the gap between him and Nash isn’t that big in actuality. Averaging 18 points, nine assists and 1.5 steals over a dozen-year NBA tenure isn’t anything to pass up in the eighth round.

Bench Guard: Fat Lever (No. 135 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 13.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists

I’ve talked about Fat Lever and how underrated he was in great length, so I’ll summarize it by saying, how many players who are basically a poor man’s Jason Kidd are still available? OK, I’m sold. You can’t go against a guy who regularly averaged 18 points, seven assists and nine rebounds throughout the ‘80s.

Bench Guard: Penny Hardaway (No. 106 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists

I wanted Adrian Dantley; I got Penny Hardaway. Although Hardaway technically had a long NBA career, he is one of the textbook “what would have happened?” scenarios. Had his knees not taken a beaten, then he would have already been picked by the time the ninth round rolled around.

Bench Forward: Tommy Heinsohn (No. 111 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists

A self-proclaimed Boston Celtics hater now has taken three C’s, as the 6’8" Heinsohn joins Sam Jones and Dennis Johnson on the roster. As an eight-time NBA champ, a six-time All-Staro and a Hall of Famer, Tommy was just a no-brainer at this point.

Bench Center: George Mikan (No. 130 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 23.1 points, 13.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists

Alright everyone, enough messing around. Someone needs to pick the league’s first superstar someday, so I might as well do it myself.

Bench Center: Wes Unseld (No. 63 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 10.8 points, 14.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists

Here’s a guy whose name appears on a multitude of all-time lists, like all-time outlet passers, all-time bigs of the ‘70s and of course, all-time afros. I could use an intimidating force in the paint, and I like a hard worker when I can get a hold of one.

How Will Joseph's Team Play?

After taking an extensive look at my team, I’ve come to three realizations: one, my roster is very deep; secondly, I hate taking active players; and third, I have a knack for picking foul personalities.

As small as the names on my team might be in terms of basketball recognition, they more than make up for it as a whole. I love the fact that I will most likely always have both a shooting and defensive specialist on the court at all times.

I may not have flashy names, but they are effective and most proved to be clutch, with the exception of the Mailman, who rarely delivered post-April. It’s hard to argue against a roster that garnered nearly three dozen championships.

In terms of who would play the most, undoubtedly, it’d have to be Rick Barry. Penny Hardaway, a guard/forward combo in most people’s books, would need to take a lot of his minutes to the three spot in order to avoid an absolute breakdown in the spot’s depth.

Jacob Newcomer's Team

Starters: Chris Paul, John Havlicek, Dominique Wilkins, Chris Webber, Shaquille O'Neal

Bench: Derrick Rose, Tony Parker, Peja Stojakovic, Shane Battier, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love, Yao Ming

Starting Point Guard: Chris Paul (No. 38 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 9.9 assists

Chris Paul is a point guard who gets in the lane at will, dishes out 10 assists on a bad night, chips in with several steals and shoots the three with the best of them. Just imagine him throwing alley-oops to Shaquille O'Neal and Dominique Wilkins. 

Starting Shooting Guard: John Havlicek (No. 14 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists

Not only is John Havlicek the all-time highest scoring white player, but he's also an amazing defensive player. Hondo averaged over 20 pouts per game throughout his career and won eight titles; plus, Bill Russell said he would pick him first for his team in a pick-up game involving all players up to that point.

Starting Small Forward: Dominique Wilkins (No. 35 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 24.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists

With loads of athleticism and scoring ability, Dominique Wilkins is the quintessential high-flying forward who will be worth even more when the post-lockout NBA decides that ridiculous dunks are worth three points.

Starting Power Forward: Chris Webber (No. 59 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists

A solid power forward who contributes points and rebounds, Chris Webber is comfortable in more areas than just the post. And don't worry, he won't be allowed to call timeouts. That responsibility will be left to the rest of the team. 

Starting Center: Shaquille O'Neal (No. 11 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists

Shaq is perhaps the most physically dominant center of all time. He's a proven winner and feared by backboards across America. 

Bench Guard: Derrick Rose (No. 83 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists

Derrick Rose is an explosive floor general who can carry a team when he's hot. Rose will change the tempo of my team by finishing at the rim once he gets in the paint. 

Bench Guard: Tony Parker (No. 110 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 16.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists

I drafted Tony Parker because you can never have enough point guards, especially ones who have won three championships…and had a piece of Eva Longoria. Quietly, but effectively, Tony Parker played Robin to Tim Duncan's Batman. 

Bench Guard: Peja Stojakovic (No. 131 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 17.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists

The fourth all-time leading three-point shooter, Peja Stojakovic can definitely stretch the defense. At 6'10", there aren't many big men comfortable sticking with him on the perimeter. 

Bench Forward: Shane Battier (No. 134 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists

The ultimate glue guy who contributes in a variety of categories, Shane Battier provides that Mike Krzyzewski ethic to the team. Battier can defend three positions very well and will torment the other team's best perimeter player.

Bench Forward: Carmelo Anthony (No. 62 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists

Carmelo Anthony is a great scorer, above average rebounder and a sixth man who other teams would dream about. My offense might actually be better when he comes in. 

Bench Forward: Kevin Love (No. 107 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 15.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists

Kevin Love is an extraordinary rebounder who works hard in the paint. Plus, he can shoot three-pointers at 6'10".

Bench Center: Yao Ming (No. 86 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists

Yao Ming can shoot and rebound over everyone when healthy. He's a mismatch against any other player in the league. 

How Will Jacob's Team Play?

My team will play mostly in the half court set.  Chris Paul will run the show, and the focus will be on getting Shaquille O'Neal the ball down low, where he can either go to work or dish to another player on the perimeter for an open jumper. 

Dominique Wilkins will provide the slash to the basket dynamic, while Chris Webber and John Havlicek will display the hustle and play within themselves to contribute to the team. Not every player can dominate the ball if we want to win. 

Explosive athletes like Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony off the bench can change the style to a run-and-gun offense depending on the matchups that are available.

With solid role players filling out my roster, there is enough shooting, defending, rebounding and finishing to take on anyone.

Silas DeLuca's Team

Starters: Isiah Thomas, Kevin Durant, Dennis Rodman, Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard

Bench: Chauncey Billups, David Thompson, Jason Terry, Andre Iguodala, Rasheed Wallace, Darryl Dawkins, Marcus Camby

Starting Point Guard: Isiah Thomas (No. 13 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 19.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 9.3 assists

The superstar out of the 1980’s with the least talent around him, Isiah Thomas still won two rings in basketball's most talented era. With Tim Duncan, Isiah creates the perfect pick-and-roll duo, as well as a defensive tandem that can grind out hard-nosed games.

Starting Shooting Guard: Kevin Durant (No. 60 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 25.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists

My starting five needed somebody who is willing to not control the ball and can create his own points. In steps Kevin Durant. I even get to keep my team’s freakish size.

Starting Small Forward: Dennis Rodman (No. 36 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 7.3 points, 13.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists 

I drafted Dennis Rodman so high because there is no other Rodman. People always say there will never be another Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, etc… but there will. We've already had Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Even Tracy McGrady does the same things Jordan did, just not as well. Rodman is the only player who can be a defensive stopper at the two-spot and grab 18 boards per game.

Starting Power Forward: Tim Duncan (No. 12 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 20.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists

There is just not a lot that's needed to be said here. Tim Duncan was great fundamentally, played great defense and had the greatest ever off-the-glass shot. He may be the most boring player ever, but he is also the best power forward ever.

Starting Center: Dwight Howard (No. 37 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 18.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists

By this time, I had already started building a defensive-minded team, so Dwight Howard was the perfect fit. He's a freak athlete who controls the middle, grabs 10 to 15 boards per game and still puts up 15 to 20 points per night.

Bench Guard: Chauncey Billups (No. 109 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 15.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists

Chauncey Billups is the perfect player for my team. Not flashy, he just plays hard on both sides of the ball and puts his team in a position to win.

Bench Guard: David Thompson (No. 84 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 22.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists

I don’t know how David Thompson fell to the end of the seventh round. Freakishly athletic, he has the third-highest scoring game ever with 73 points. Talk about instant offense off the bench. Skywalker was supposed to be Michael Jordan before Jordan ever came about, but he fell off early, a decline many attribute to substance abuse and injury.

Bench Guard: Jason Terry (No. 133 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 16.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists

I love that Jason Terry not only guaranteed a championship when no one else gave the Dallas Mavericks a shot, but he also he went ahead and tattooed the trophy on his arm. I can play him with Chauncey Billups in a small lineup. His main role on my team will be trash-talking, dominating LeBron and sharing his endless supply of irrational confidence with the rest of the team.

Bench Forward: Andre Iguodala (No. 132 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 15.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists

Andre Iguodala is a phenomenal athlete, great perimeter defender, a capable scorer and most importantly, a guy who can accept a team role.

Bench Forward: Rasheed Wallace (No. 61 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 14.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists

Rasheed Wallace is the perfect multidimensional player to bring off the bench. Sheed can guard the center and space the floor at the five; he is one of the better power forwards to play the game, and he can even play the three on a big line up. Sheed was the only one who really challenged Shaquille O'Neal in his prime, first with the Portland Trailblazers and then with the Detroit Pistons. People also tend to remember the old Sheed playing the five and shooting spot up three-pointers. They forget about the young Sheed, who was Kevin Durant with a serious attitude problem.

Bench Center: Darryl Dawkins (No. 85 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 12.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists

Darryl Dawkins was a big strong center and he ripped down rims. Enough said.

Bench Center: Marcus Camby (No. 108 overall)

Career Per-Game Stats: 10.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists

Marcus Camby has quietly been one of the best defensive forces of his generation. For his career, he has averaged 10 rebounds and 10 points per game (deflated in the past few years), as well as 2.5 blocks per game. People forget how athletic young Camby was. 

How Will Silas' Team Play?

As the team title "The All-Time Bad Boys" suggests, I have constructed the ultimate grind-it-out, hardnosed defensive team of evil players.

I had the 12th and 13th pick of the draft, so I couldn’t build my team around who I wanted; I had to build it around the best players available: Tim Duncan and Isiah Thomas. Once I had selected these two players I realized what type of team I needed to build. As a prototype I used The Bad Boys, The Bad Boys 2 and Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs. As you may have noticed, I have some of the best players from each team.

With these prototypes in mind, I used my next pick on Dennis Rodman. Rodman was a must for this team: selfless, the most versatile defensive player ever and one of the best rebounders ever regardless of size. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone on your team can be a flashy scorer and every great team has a player that rebounds, plays defense and does all of the dirty work. In those respects Rodman is the greatest ever.

Dwight Howard was a no brainer with my next pick. Every defensive team needs a freak athlete at center, and Patrick Ewing and Howard were the only ones left. Ewing is more polished and a better scorer than Howard, but I had to go with Howard’s raw physical domination of the paint.

With my next, I selected Kevin Durant. I needed scoring, and Durant gave me that without demanding the ball while also giving my team tremendous size.

This starting lineup will thrive off of the incredibly boring Duncan and Isiah's pick-and-roll (sometimes using Howard as a double pick-and-roll). When the pick-and-roll fails, I will give it to Durant and let him create while Rodman tirelessly crashes the boards.

First off the bench will be Rasheed Wallace and David Thompson. Sheed will be able to fill whatever need I have in the frontcourt, and Skywalker will either come in for Rodman to create a scoring lineup or just take over Durant’s role. Next, I will bring in Darryl Dawkins, Marcus Camby and Andre Iguadala for the frontcourt lineup. And in the backcourt, I will bring in Chauncey Billups and Jason Terry to attack the other team's backcourt. 

Best Picks of the Draft

Shashank Bharadwaj: Yao Ming at No. 86 (Jacob Newcomer)

Since I picked Bill Walton based on assurances that he would be healthy, I should’ve thought about Yao Ming earlier. Dominant when healthy, Yao definitely deserves to have gone higher than the eighth round. 

Michael Tumey: Chris Paul at No. 38 (Jacob Newcomer)

One of the most skilled point guards of all time, Chris Paul still hasn’t played with another great. The single-season leader in steals has a silky-smooth step-back jumper.

He's a great pick for fourth round.

Marvin Barge: Rajon Rondo at No. 55 (Adam Fromal)

Rajon Rondo was the perfect pick for his team, as he needed an unselfish player with great defensive ability who could run the fast break with Dwyane Wade and Larry Bird. To be able to get such a great talent at a key position in the last round of picking starters was skillful.

David Fromal: Yao Ming at No. 86 (Jacob Newcomer)

Yao Ming has to be the pick here. Because of all the injuries he's sustained in the last few years, it's easy to forget just how good he was during his prime in the middle of this past decade. 

This 7'6" behemoth could have been a starter in our all-time league. A constant double-double threat who added about two blocks to the cause on a nightly basis, Yao also brings a much bigger fanbase to Jacob's team. 

Conor Naughton: Moses Malone at No. 18 (Adam Fromal)

My best pick of the draft came down to either Adam stealing Moses Malone with the 18th pick or Jacob getting Yao Ming 86th overall.

Moses is too good to be picked that late. Size has been proven to win championships, so I just don’t understand how he wasn’t taken in the first round. On the other hand, Yao was on par with Dwight Howard when he was healthy, and I think he would be a great player to bring off the bench.

I’ll go with Moses just because he’s such a great fit to go with Adam’s first pick, Larry Legend.

Bretton McIlrath: Nate Thurmond at No. 90 (Adam Fromal)

This selection needs to be a bench player, but someone who probably starts on most other teams.

I don't think I need to go into a ton of detail here. Nate Thurmond is the biggest steal of the draft to me. He is kind of a forgotten player who had very elite skills. There were other great candidates here, like Bernard King, Shawn Kemp and Artis Gilmore. Ultimately, Thurmond is the most impressive/forgotten/steal of a player in this draft.

Adam Fromal: Shaquille O'Neal at No. 11 (Jacob Newcomer)

At the time, I didn't really think there was anything special about this pick. OK, cool; Jacob got a really good, physical center at the end of the first round. 

But after looking back and re-evaluating, I think Shaquille O'Neal was incredibly undervalued in this draft. Center is really the position you should build around int his draft, and I could easily be convinced that Shaq was the No. 1 center on the board. Period. Including Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Hakeem Olajuwon. 

As physically dominant as The Big Aristotle was in his heyday during the early 2000s, I don't think there's a single player in this draft who could've stopped him. 

Alex Hoffman: Dennis Johnson at No. 58 (Joseph Fafinski)

Personally, I would love to say my Bob Pettit at No. 41 pick was the best one, but we're not allowed to name our own picks, so I'm going to go with Dennis Johnson at No. 58. Anyone who was good enough to have his number retired by the Boston Celtics is obviously a decent player, and I feel like he could have gone in the fourth round instead of late fifth.

Usually I would want a typical point guard who is a little more passing focused. However, the fact that he’s such a good defender and he’s paired with deft passer Jerry West is what makes this an ingenious pick and produces a frontcourt that can do anything you need it to.

Bart Rich: Blake Griffin at No. 52 (David Fromal)

I’m not sure if this is exactly the best, but it’s definitely my favorite: Blake Griffin at No. 52. It was probably the most exciting pick of the draft, especially because it came almost out of nowhere.

This pick is a huge gamble because Blake has only been in the league for one year, and I’m not a huge fan of seeing Griffin play SF on David’s team. But grabbing Griffin before anyone else really considered it was my favorite pick of the draft.

Also, special shoutout to Team Fafinski for getting Sam Jones and his 10 rings all the way down at No. 82.

Joseph Fafinski: Hal Greer at No. 118 (Marvin Barge)

I’m going to have to say Marvin Barge’s pick in the 10th round, Hal Greer, was the steal of the draft. Where else would a consensus top-50 player fall to the 118th spot?

Jacob Newcomer: Michael Jordan at No. 1 (Shashank Bharadwaj)

This may be viewed as a cop out, but it shouldn’t.  Michael Jordan is just that good. 

The honorable mention goes to George Mikan in the second-to-last round because I don’t think a player should be punished this much for the era he plays in. I certainly wouldn’t play harder if I didn’t have to.

Silas DeLuca: Bob Cousy at No. 46 (Marvin Barge)

Any time you can get a great like Bob Cousy as your last pick in the starting lineup, it’s an accomplishment. Plus, I would love to see Cousy with these lax dribbling and traveling rules. For the record, my favorite pick was Blake Griffin at No. 52.   

Worst Picks of the Draft

Shashank Bharadwaj: Blake Griffin at No. 51 (David Fromal)

While Blake Griffin has extraordinary talent, his lack of experience makes his fifth round selection a definite reach. The unclear nature of his future leads me to believe that he would’ve fit better as a late round pick.  

Michael Tumey: Kobe Bryant at No. 8 (Alex Hoffman)

While Kobe Bryant is one the best ever, I don’t know how you can bypass Shaquille O'Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon for him. Shaq was the anchor of the three rings he won on the 2000-2003 Lake Show team. Big men are the cornerstones of teams, and Kobe has always needed a great one alongside him to even compete. 

Marvin Barge: Steve Nash at No. 21 (David Fromal)

Steve Nash was just the wrong pick to go with Bill Russell.

I would have liked to have seen a player that can actually play defense selected here. Nash is offensively as good as any, but his weakness in defense is so glaringly obvious that he shouldn't have been the second player drafted on an all-time team.

David Fromal: Stephen Curry at No. 104 (Alex Hoffman)

Even though this pick was made primarily to annoy Adam (which it did terrifically), it was still way too soon. Stephen Curry, as great as he is at free throw shooting, shouldn't have even been taken in this draft. 

Sure, picking him in the 12th round might have been justifiable, but not in the ninth. Just look at the players taken around him: Billy Cunningham right before and Mitch Richmond right after.  

Conor Naughton: Kobe Bryant at No. 8 (Alex Hoffman)

There were a few picks in the later rounds that sort of baffled me, but I think the early round are where the most important picks happen, so I’ll have to say my least favorite pick was Kobe Bryant as No. 8 overall.

This basically just comes down to philosophical differences. Yes, Kobe is a top eight player of all time, but the proven formula for winning championships in the NBA is size, and the list of truly great big men is much shorter than the list of guards, so I wouldn’t pick him over guys like Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon or Moses Malone. 

Bretton McIlrath: Pete Maravich at No. 32 (Alex Hoffman)

I think this has to be the worst starter on the board. As much as I want to say Rasheed Wallace is the worst pick in the sixth round, he is not starting.

I honestly could not decide between Pete Maravich and Ray Allen. That is not to say these guys are not great players, but in this draft, there were much better players on the board at the time, and I don't think Pistol Pete would hold up against the competition for very long. Allen is great in his own right, probably the greatest shooter we've ever seen, but to me, still very specialized.

Ultimately, I think I have to say Pistol is the worst pick. I love him as a player, but I thought about him before the picks even started and said to myself, "If he's around in the eighth round, I will consider taking him."

Adam Fromal: Bob Pettit at No. 41 (Alex Hoffman)

This pick has to be a starter who shouldn't be a starter, and that's where Bob Pettit comes in. 

For those of you who have read my previous Atlanta Hawks pieces, I'm an unabashed Pettit homer. I firmly believe that it is Pettit, and not Dominique Wilkins, who should be able to lay claim to the title of best player in the franchise's history. 

But that said, Pettit should not be starting in this league. Sure, he was the first MVP the NBA had, but his game simply wouldn't translate to the modern game. Pettit wasn't exactly the most athletic player in the world and he'd get eaten alive by any of the other 11 starting centers in this league. 

Alex Hoffman: Allen Iverson at No. 47 (Michael Tumey)

It has to be a combination of the No. 47 and No. 50 picks by Michael Tumey. First off, while Allen Iverson was a great scorer, he was also a very selfish player and never really jelled that well with other players. However I do think he makes a good sixth man, which is where Tumey has him.

Reggie Miller, while a great and tenacious player, lacked some of the all-around skills of some of the other players still available.

I could have maybe lived with either of these picks by themselves, but the fact that they were back-to-back and before he had even drafted a starting power forward makes them the worst two picks of the draft. I doesn’t help on top of that that, I think rounds 4-7 are probably the most important rounds in this type of draft (Allen Iverson at No. 47 would have been my choice for individual worst pick.).

Bart Rich: Rasheed Wallace at No. 61 (Silas DeLuca)

Even though I think most of the picks in this draft are justifiable in some way, I’d say the worst pick of the draft has to be Rasheed Wallace going at No. 61. I’ve never been a big fan of Sheed, and there were other players left in the draft that could do everything he did without being a locker room cancer and distraction on the court. I’d say there were too many downsides to Sheed (I purposely stayed away), and he went way too early, so this is probably our worst overall pick.

Joseph Fafinski: Carlos Boozer at No. 117 (David Fromal)

Are people going to take note of me taking George Mikan at all? Did I instead take a prehistoric version of Brian Scalabrine? I personally think Carlos Boozer was the worst pick. I’d pick 50-plus power forwards in NBA history over Boozer. It’s as simple as that.

Jacob Newcomer: Dirk Nowitzki at No. 21 (Marvin Barge)

I love Dirk Nowitzki as a shooter at his size, but his overall game isn’t good enough to justify going this early in the draft.  His stock is high because of his performance this past year, but I don’t think it's this high, realistically, compared to the field.

Silas DeLuca: John Wall at No. 98 (Michael Tumey)

John Wall has done nothing but put up decent numbers while being the only option on a team that can’t win games. He maybe should have been taken in the last round, but early in the ninth round between Artis Gilmore and Connie Hawkins? No way. He barely beat out Al Horford here, who also doesn’t deserve to be on the court with these players.

The Rankings

The only way to determine a "winner" in a draft like this is through rankings. So rank the teams we did. 

Each of the 12 owners sent in a ballot with the teams ranked one through 12. Additionally, the teams were sent out to all of the Bleacher Report NBA Featured Columnists, and the ones who responded with their rankings were included in the determining of a "winner."

A first-place vote was worth one point, a second-place vote was worth two, etc. The points were then totaled to determine the standings.

Below are the official rankings, though they are by no means definitive. It's really up to each individual how they view the teams in their mind. For the especially curious, a table showing a complete breakdown of the rankings is included at the bottom of the slide.

1. Adam Fromal: 75 points

2. Shashank Bharadwaj: 77 points

3. Bart Rich: 89 points

4. Silas DeLuca: 93 points

5. Conor Naughton: 113 points

6. Marvin Barge: 115 points

7. Jacob Newcomer: 128 points

8. Bretton McIlrath: 155 points

9. Joseph Fafinski: 166 points

10. Michael Tumey: 172 points

11. Alex Hoffman: 188 points

12. David Fromal: 189 points 

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total
Shashank	4	3	2	2	5	2	1		1				77
Michael			1		1	1	1	1	4	5	3	2	172
Marvin	2	4	1	3	1	2	2	1	1	2	2		115
David	1			1	1	1		1	2	3	3	6	189
Conor	3		2		2	4	5	2	1	1			113
Bretton	1		1	3		1	2	3	2	2	3	2	155
Adam	2	5	4	4	1	1	1	1	1				75
Alex			1	2			1	2	1	4	3	6	188
Joseph		1		1	2	2	1	1	5	1	4	2	166
Bart	2	5	4	2	1		3	1			1	1	89
Jacob	2		2		3	2	2	5	2	1	1		128
Silas	3	2	2	2	3	4	1	2		1			93

How the Draft Unfolded

Round 1

1. Michael Jordan (Shashank)

2. Magic Johnson (Michael)

3. Wilt Chamberlain (Marvin)

4. Bill Russell (David)

5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Conor)

6. Oscar Robertson (Bretton)

7. Larry Bird (Adam)

8. Kobe Bryant (Alex)

9. Hakeem Olajuwon (Bart)

10. Jerry West (Joseph)

11. Shaquille O'Neal (Jacob)

12. Tim Duncan (Silas)

Round 2

13. Isiah Thomas (Silas)

14. John Havlicek (Jacob)

15. Karl Malone (Joseph)

16. LeBron James (Bart)

17. Kevin Garnett (Alex)

18. Moses Malone (Adam)

19. Elgin Baylor (Bretton)

20. Charles Barkley (Conor)

21. Steve Nash (David)

22. Dirk Nowitzki (Marvin)

23. David Robinson (Michael)

24. John Stockton (Shashank)

Round 3

25. Bill Walton (Shashank)

26. Julius Erving (Michael)

27. Scottie Pippen (Marvin)

28. Walt Frazier (David)

29. Jason Kidd (Conor)

30. Kevin McHale (Bretton)

31. Dwyane Wade (Adam)

32. Pete Maravich (Alex)

33. Gary Payton (Bart)

34. Rick Barry (Joseph)

35. Dominique Wilkins (Jacob)

36. Dennis Rodman (Silas)

Round 4

37. Dwight Howard (Silas)

38. Chris Paul (Jacob)

39. Elvin Hayes (Joseph)

40. Clyde Drexler (Bart)

41. Bob Pettit (Alex)

42. Patrick Ewing (Adam)

43. Robert Parish (Bretton)

44. Ray Allen (Conor)

45. Dikembe Mutombo (David)

46. Bob Cousy (Marvin)

47. Allen Iverson (Michael)

48. Willis Reed (Shashank)

Round 5

49. Paul Pierce (Shashank)

50. Reggie Miller (Michael)

51. George Gervin (Marvin)

52. Blake Griffin (David)

53. James Worthy (Conor)

54. Deron Williams (Bretton)

55. Rajon Rondo (Adam)

56. Tracy McGrady (Alex)

57. Dave Cowens (Bart)

58. Dennis Johnson (Joseph)

59. Chris Webber (Jacob)

60. Kevin Durant (Silas)

Round 6

61. Rasheed Wallace (Silas)

62. Carmelo Anthony (Jacob)

63. Wes Unseld (Joseph)

64. Tim Hardaway (Bart)

65. Alonzo Mourning (Alex)

66. Alex English (Adam)

67. Dave DeBusschere (Bretton)

68. Bernard King (Conor)

69. Maurice Cheeks (David)

70. Pau Gasol (Marvin)

71. Shawn Kemp (Michael)

72. Sidney Moncrief (Shashank)

Round 7

73. Amar'e Stoudemire (Shashank)

74. Drazen Petrovic (Michael)

75. Metta World Peace (Marvin)

76. Steve Kerr (David)

77. Arvydas Sabonis (Conor)

78. Manu Ginobili (Bretton)

79. Tiny Archibald (Adam)

80. Michael Cooper (Alex)

81. Bob McAdoo (Bart)

82. Sam Jones (Joseph)

83. Derrick Rose (Jacob)

84. David Thompson (Silas)

Round 8

85. Darryl Dawkins (Silas)

86. Yao Ming (Jacob)

87. Kevin Johnson (Joseph)

88. Chris Mullin (Bart)

89. Grant Hill (Alex)

90. Nate Thurmond (Adam)

91. Earl Monroe (Bretton)

92. Vince Carter (Conor)

93. Glenn Robinson (David)

94. Joe Dumars (Marvin)

95. Adrian Dantley (Michael)

96. Mark Price (Shashank)

Round 9

97. Artis Gilmore (Shashank)

98. John Wall (Michael)

99. Connie Hawkins (Marvin)

100. Michael Finley (David)

101. Russell Westbrook (Conor)

102. Spencer Haywood (Bretton)

103. Billy Cunningham (Adam)

104. Stephen Curry (Alex)

105. Mitch Richmond (Bart)

106. Penny Hardaway (Joseph)

107. Kevin Love (Jacob)

108. Marcus Camby (Silas)

Round 10

109. Chauncey Billups (Silas)

110. Tony Parker (Jacob)

111. Tommy Heinsohn (Joseph)

112. Josh Smith (Bart)

113. Shawn Marion (Alex)

114. Ben Wallace (Adam)

115. Dave Bing (Bretton)

116. Zach Randolph (Conor)

117. Carlos Boozer (David)

118. Hal Greer (Marvin)

119. Al Horford (Michael)

120. Bobby Jones (Shashank)

Round 11

121. Michael Redd (Shashank)

122. Lamar Odom (Michael)

123. Horace Grant (Marvin)

124. Mark Eaton (David)

125. Robert Horry (Conor)

126. Tom Chambers (Bretton)

127. World B. Free (Adam)

128. Bob Lanier (Alex)

129. Serge Ibaka (Bart)

130. George Mikan (Joseph)

131. Peja Stojakovic (Jacob)

132. Andre Iguodala (Silas)

Round 12

133. Jason Terry (Silas)

134. Shane Battier (Jacob)

135. Fat Lever (Joseph)

136. Tyson Chandler (Bart)

137. Jayshawn Augusto (Alex)

138. Eric Gordon (Adam)

139. Andrew Bogut (Bretton)

140. Larry Johnson (Conor)

141. Jimmer Fredette (David)

142. Paul Arizin (Marvin)

143. Gilbert Arenas (Michael)

144. Chris Bosh (Shashank)