NBA All-Slam Dunk Team

The fact that the NBA lockout has just gone into overdrive got me down for about 20 minutes, but then I realized there was a feeling all along that something like this was going to end up happening.

So I took a trip over to YouTube and decided to watch a few basketball clips to cheer me up, and what can I say—it worked.

It got me motivated to put together a team of the best dunkers in the league and see what kind of group I came up with.

The basis for judgment on the guys getting a spot on this team is dunk frequency, style, finesse, power, uniqueness and overall ability to get the crowd into an uproar.

They say it's two points no matter how it goes in the hoop, but when these guys do it, it means just a bit more.

PG: Russell Westbrook

One of the most exciting young point guards in the league, Russell Westbrook is easily one of the two most athletic point guards in the NBA.

He is a part of the new breed of point guard that can play above the rim better than below the rim, and it gives the offense a new weapon to create a more intricate offense.

Westbrook is the best point guard in the league at controlling his body while he's in the air, and he can jump just as well as any other point guard around the country, plus he has an uncanny amount of power that he can unleash on a dunk.

SG: DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan is a throwback dunker, reminiscent of Vince Carter, Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady back in the 2000 dunk contest.

He doesn't need any props or flare to be the most impressive dunker on the floor, and he does things that very few players in the past have been able to do.

DeRozan was the best dunker in the 2010 dunk contest but lost to Nate Robinson in a popularity contest and didn't advance to the final round because he refused to use props.

SF: LeBron James

LeBron James is the obvious choice here, even though he would probably promise to join my Dunkers All-Star team and then back out a few months before I put it together.

Still, he would undeniably be the first choice as a small forward. There's nobody else in the league with the same combination of speed, power, finesse and style as LeBron James, and it's a travesty that he's never been a part of the dunk contest.

PF: Blake Griffin

I think we all saw the reason why Blake Griffin would be the obvious choice at power forward in last season's dunk contest.

Griffin is the master at whipping a crowd into a frenzy, and when it comes to dunking, that's one of the most important things.

Griffin is a creative dunker who is able to come up with interesting ways to do dunks that have been done before, adding a bit of flair to them. I can understand if people aren't a fan of his dunk over the Kia, but it did show off a certain amount of uniqueness, even if the dunk wasn't thoroughly impressive.

C: JaVale McGee

That's right—I've decided to go with JaVale McGee over Dwight Howard as my starting center here, and I think it's pretty obvious why.

Sure, Howard is the perennial leader in dunks in the league, but that's just because of his dominant stature down low. When it comes to a combination of style, skill, finesse and athleticism, McGee is the complete package.

McGee showed off some old-school form and new-school style in the dunk contest this past season, and his ability to dunk goes far beyond the showmanship and power that Howard relies on.

Sixth Man and Backup Center: Dwight Howard

Just because I don't want Dwight Howard as my starting center doesn't mean I don't want him on my dunkers team altogether.

Howard is obviously the most powerful, ferocious dunker in the league, and he has a certain amount of showmanship that goes a long way in the league today.

Backup PG: Derrick Rose

When Russell Westbrook gets tired of flying through the air with all the style and substance of one of the best dunkers in the past decade, we can throw in Derrick Rose.

Rose is the master at getting around numerous players to get to the hoop and throw down a silky-smooth dunk to electrify the crowd.

Backup SG: Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade has been hampered by injuries ever since the Heat won the championship back in 2006, dislocating a shoulder here, knocking knees with someone there, but he still has his explosiveness.

He can't jump quite as high as he used to or stay in the air quite as long as he could back in his younger days, but even now he is able to dunk better than 90 percent of the league.

Wade still has the style and finesse that makes him impressive spinning around opponents or breaking them down with a crossover before a drive to the lane and a stellar dunk.

Backup SF: Rudy Gay

Rudy Gay participated in the 2008 dunk contest, coming in dead last, but it was one of the more competitive dunk contests in the latter half of the decade.

Gay has the intense athleticism that so many players exhibit today, which he combines with his impressive style that gets him such an excited response from the fans.

Backup PF: Josh Smith

Playing as a slightly undersized power forward, Josh Smith is one of the five most powerful dunkers in the league, right up there with Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, Serge Ibaka and LeBron James.

However, he couples his ability to put the fear of god into the players he is dunking over with an amount of finesse and body control that doesn't seem like it should be able to come from a player like him. He seems like he would be an out-of-control train hurtling to the rim, but every step he takes is deliberate and seems planned beforehand.

11th Man: Andre Iguodala

Andre Iguodala lost his reputation as a great dunker after he took on the role of being the leader of the 76ers and took on a greater role on defense, but he is still a great dunker.

He doesn't look like the typical dunker anymore, as he is a more well-rounded player and seems more interested in making his team better than being a dunker (crazy, I know), but he can still throw down some athletic and thunderous dunks.

12th Man: Chris Andersen

He may not be the next-best dunker in the league, but no matter what kind of team you're making, you need a garbage-type guy who only comes in the game when there is a rout on.

Chris Andersen was a good dunker in his day, and he can still throw down nearly as well as he used to, but he's on the downslope of his career when it comes to being a dunker.

Still, he's the perfect player for a reserve role and would be entertaining to see in a suit at the end of a bench.

If you are one of those twitterers, you can follow me @JDorsey33.