Ranking LeBron James and the Best Players to Start an NBA Franchise With

There's always that fun debate on which player you would take to start your franchise with.

Well that's what I'm going to answer today.

There are conditions though.

We are in this to win, so we want a player that's in it for the long haul. That means no players over the age of 30. Unfortunately for the scorching hot Kobe Bryant, he's not even being considered. You can't start a franchise with a 33-year-old with 16 years of wear and tear on his body.

We also can't have our franchise guy sitting in street clothes, so Dwyane Wade and other injury prone stars also can't be considered.

You can't go wrong with any of these guys, but let's see who ranks where.

10. Kevin Love

Many people question Love's game, and I have some concerns about him being able to create his own shot as well.

But he showed his commitment to the game this year when he came to camp in great shape, and I will take a consistent 20 points and 15 boards a night and build my team from the inside out.

9. Kyrie Irving

If you're trying to build your team young and have them around for their whole careers, you can't go wrong with drafting a rookie point guard.

Here you may have to choose between Irving and Ricky Rubio, but the 19-year-old Irving is looking like a potential franchise type of guard.

I give him the edge here because of the fact that he can keep a defense honest with the range on his jumper.

He also has great court vision and can run an offense very well.

Keep in mind he only played 11 games at Duke and has played only 13 in the NBA.

Irving has a lot of miles left on those legs.

8. Andrew Bynum

If you're looking for a big guy coming into his own and ready to be a force for years, then Bynum is the guy.

As long as he continues to mature, he can dominate the paint for your franchise for years to come.

7. Chris Paul

Good teams need great guard play, and starting your franchise with Paul solves that problem for years to come.

He's a great facilitator who not only can quarterback your offense, but can get things done at the defensive end of the floor as well.

6. Carmelo Anthony

If scoring is your thing, you can't go wrong with Anthony.

He could be the best pure scorer in the game today and for what his game may lack in other areas, Anthony isn't afraid of taking any big shot.

5. Dwight Howard

If you believe that defense wins championships, then maybe it's wise to start your franchise with the game's premier defender.

Howard's the best big guy in the game today, and you couldn't go wrong making him your selection.

4. Blake Griffin

Since we are a new franchise, we need to generate excitement and making Griffin our guy practically guarantees that.

He was the only player in the NBA a season ago to average over 22 points, 12 rebounds and three assists per game, and he did it as a rookie.

The scary part though is that Griffin is only going to continue to get better.

3. Derrick Rose

Did I mention that we are going to need great guard play?

How can we go wrong with the youngest NBA MVP ever?

There's too much upside involved with Rose for us not to think about starting out with him.

2. Kevin Durant

Durant is 23 years old and has a pair of scoring titles to his name already.

His game is so smooth, and he can beat you in many different ways. He's got a long career of success in front of him.

It's very difficult not to have him our No. 1 choice.

1. LeBron James

Say what you want about the recent fourth quarter struggles, but he's just so good that we can't afford not to have him as our No. 1 guy.

It's not just the 27-plus points per game that he has averaged throughout his career, but he pulls down seven rebounds and dishes out seven assists per night as well.

He's the most complete player in the NBA and LeBron is our choice to start our franchise with.