Creating an MLB Lineup Using Current NBA Players
With the NBA lockout situation still looking grim, let's take a look at how some of the players could keep busy while still staying in the sports industry.
The MLB could use even more stars, so what if some of the elite players decided to pull a Michael Jordan and switch sports?
Well, if we decided to put together a baseball team made up entirely of NBA stars, here's what it would look like.
Catcher: Marc Gasol
1 of 8At catcher we want a big body with some offensive skills and the mental capacities to call a game well from behind the plate.
Marc Gasol is our man for the job.
Currently on the free agent market after a fabulous season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Gasol is a 7'0", 250 pound center whose body is clearly enough to block any stray pitches and the plate if necessary.
He's also one of the more cerebral players at his position and maybe even in the entire NBA.
First Base: LeBron James
2 of 8At first base I'd like to have someone with sure hands who can carry a big stick.
Who better than LeBron James? He's an absolute physical specimen so I'm sure he'd be more than capable of wielding the glove while on defense.
Besides winning championships, there isn't really anything that James hasn't been able to do in his career. I'm sure he could pick up baseball pretty quickly.
Second Base: Chris Paul
3 of 8Chris Paul is one of the most unselfish players in the NBA, preferring to dish the ball to his teammates instead of hogging it and taking shots for himself.
Maybe it's just my opinion, but I feel like the second baseman fulfills a pretty similar role on defense. He gets the glamorous opportunity to make the final throw in many double play situations, but a lot of times he doesn't get as much credit as he deserves.
Paul is a great defensive player in the NBA and may be able to steal a few base hits from the opposition.
Shortstop: Rajon Rondo
4 of 8Doesn't Rajon Rondo just seem like a natural shortstop?
He's great at passing, which leads me to believe that he'd be just fine at making the throws from in between second and third base over to LeBron James at first.
Additionally, his speed and quickness are unbelievable so he'd have tremendous defensive range and get to a lot of balls that real shortstops can't reach, except for guys like Elvis Andrus.
Third Base: Russell Westbrook
5 of 8At the hot corner you want someone with great athletic ability and tremendous reflexes. That's where the Oklahoma City Thunder's up-and-coming point guard comes in.
Russell Westbrook is one of the most athletic players in the NBA and reacts to situations on the court in extremely short time periods. A baseball flying straight at him after the crack of the bat wouldn't faze him all that much.
His aggressiveness and desire to do everything by himself could also help Westbrook become a dangerous hitter.
Outfield: Monta Ellis (Left Field), John Wall (Center Field), Derrick Rose (Rig
6 of 8The reason I grouped these three positions together is quite simple: they could all be switched around interchangeably and it would be just fine.
Unlike the previous players mentioned, Derrick Rose, John Wall and Monta Ellis are all here for the same reason. They're the fastest players in the NBA who haven't been assigned positions already.
Can you imagine how many fly balls would be tracked down by this trio?
Pitcher: Dwyane Wade
7 of 8When I was trying to decide who to place as our team's ace (and only pitcher), I couldn't help but think of one play over and over.
Remember when Dwyane Wade threw a 92-foot baseball pass to LeBron James and it dropped in the perfect spot for the recipient to complete the alley-oop? There aren't many people in the world who could have successfully made that pass.
If Wade can do that with a basketball, just imagine how precise and powerful he could be with a baseball.
Batting Order
8 of 81. John Wall (Fastest man in the league could get on base to lead off games)
2. Derrick Rose
3. Chris Paul
4. LeBron James (Who else is going to bat cleanup?)
5. Monta Ellis
6. Russell Westbrook
7. Dwyane Wade
8. Marc Gasol
9. Rajon Rondo (We all know that doing things for himself on offense isn't his forte)
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Adam Fromal is a syndicated writer and Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
