Creating the Perfect NBA Player

Nobody is perfect. There never has been, and there never will be anyone that even comes close to perfect. Even in the NBA where some of the greatest athletes in the world come from all parts to exhibit their personal display of greatness, they are no close to perfection than you or me.

But we can create perfect, and this piece is going to demonstrate how we can create that perfect NBA player by infusing specific elements of the game and instilling them into one single player that will devastate the NBA for eternity or until a lockout tells him he can't.

By bringing about significant elements of the game such as being able to score prolifically or being able to pass without turning the ball over too much like the NBA's legends infused with the speed and athleticism of some of today's fine athletes, the perfect NBA player has been created, and he carries some of the most important elements you can possess when playing the game of basketball.

Whenever the next NBA draft happens, we're hoping that the Charlotte Bobcats take this player at the height of perfection with the first pick.

Scoring: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Tough to go against someone that scored 50 points per game, as well as 100 in one night, but it's even tougher to go against the leading scorer in NBA history with over 38,000 points in a career that started in 1969 with the Milwaukee Bucks and ended in 1989 with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had one of the NBA's longest careers spanning nearly two decades, with an NBA-record six MVPs, an NBA-record 19 All-Star teams, six championships and two Finals MVPs to show for it. Abdul-Jabbar was an absolute force in the NBA from his rookie year in Milwaukee averaging 28 points and 15 rebounds per to his final year in L.A. where he averaged 10 points and five boards at 41 years old.

Abdul-Jabbar never averaged less than 10 points per game, averaged at least 20 points in a season for the first 17 years of his career, won the scoring title twice and averaged as much as 35 points per game in only his third year. Prior to Kevin Durant winning the scoring title two years ago, Abdul-Jabbar was previously the youngest player to win the crown at 23 years old.

Kareem was able to score so proficiently because of a sky hook that could never be denied thanks to his 7'2" frame. With arms that could scrape the ceiling attached to an already lengthy frame, stopping Abdul-Jabbar was nearly impossible especially when he had range on it that extended as far out as 15 feet.

He wasn't much of a jump shooter, but Abdul-Jabbar knew how to score and knew how to do it well.

Runners up: Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan

Defensive Rebounding: Dennis Rodman

At 6'7", Dennis Rodman had no place attempting to rebound amongst the other power forwards and centers that sometimes outweighed him by nearly 100 pounds and also possessed another four inches on him. However, Rodman had tremendous timing and awareness of how the ball bounces and had a terrific vertical leap to out jump the trees that shadowed over the paint.

The true answer to Rodman being the most dominant defensive rebounder in NBA history? He was as fearless and as aggressive as any player you'll ever see. Rodman was the size of your typical small forward, he's shorter than LeBron James to put it into perspective, but played like a center and he made sure that every carom was going to find its way into his hands.

For a seven-year period, Rodman established his dominance on the boards by leading the league in rebounding each year with a career high in 1992 when he nearly averaged an absurd 19 points per game with the Detroit Pistons. Rodman was already 30 years old when he accomplished this feat and he would go on to lead the league in rebounds until the age of 36 where he would still corral 15 boards per.

Pound-for-pound, Rodman was one of the greatest athletes to ever play, and he was also one of its hardest workers as it translated to "The Worm," winning two Defensive Player of the Year awards and five championships with the Pistons and Chicago Bulls.

Offensive Rebounding: Moses Malone

It's not always just being a force on the defensive glass though, being able to time your jump- and-grab caroms on the offensive glass is just as if not more important. It gives your team another chance to convert the shot, makes the opponent work and waste more energy playing defense and gives your offense a chance to regain its energy when setting up a new play.

No player in NBA history was better at this than three-time MVP and NBA champion Moses Malone who dominated the boards throughout the late-1970s and early-1980s. Malone would lead the league in rebounding six times with a career high of nearly 18 rebounds per coming in only his second full season after coming from the ABA.

Malone was certainly a force at just about every aspect of the game, but getting his team second chances was by far his greatest attribute. He averaged over seven offensive caroms per in 1979 and 1980 and went on to average better than five offensive rebounds per over the next four seasons while winning the rebounding crown each year.

Moses only weighed in at 215 despite being 6'10", but with great timing and great awareness of where the basketball will carom depending on where it's shot, he was able to become the NBA's greatest offensive rebounder.

Leading an Offense: Magic Johnson

No one in NBA history could run an offense quite like Magic Johnson. Bob Cousy knew how to win games through his leadership, John Stockton knew how to time his passes perfectly, Steve Nash knew how to fool his opponents in order to create better shot opportunities for his teammates, Isiah Thomas knew how to facilitate an offense by scoring and Jason Kidd knew how to get the most out of his teammates.

Johnson could do all of that in a 6'9" frame. In a career that spanned 13 seasons, Johnson would win five championships, all with the Los Angeles Lakers, three Finals MVP awards and three NBA MVP's as well. Given a stellar lineup that included the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy, Johnson was able to pick and choose his targets at will when he was leading his offense.

What separates Johnson from every other point guard in NBA history was his ability to see plays before they started and to see the court better than anyone else thanks in part to his height. With the ability to see over his opponent, and just about every other player, Johnson was able to utilize his height and quick thinking to his advantage by throwing in passes that no opponent would ever see coming.

Once the ball was given to Johnson, he already had a play in his head as he scoped down court to see which of his teammates would score and the easiest way possible for the ball to go through the basket without having to do it himself.

Passing: John Stockton

The NBA's all-time leader in passes with over 15,000, second place has 11,578, John Stockton was able to bring the Utah Jazz franchise some of their greatest years over nearly two decades as he and Karl Malone would combine to form possibly the NBA's greatest inside-outside duo.

It seems that Stockton never gets the credit that he ultimately deserved. He never finished higher than seventh in MVP voting and was always overshadowed by the exploits of Malone who would take home two MVPs and would garner the majority of the media's attention. The problem with Stockton not getting enough attention was that he was a huge reason behind the Jazz's success throughout the 1990s.

Name a quality offensive threat on the Jazz not named Karl Malone. Jeff Hornacek doesn't count. Stockton was able to lead the league in assists per for nine consecutive seasons between 1988 and 1996 with his career high coming in 1990 when he dished out nearly 15 dimes per.

Stockton was never the craftiest passer, but he certainly was the most effective. He was able to average nearly 11 assists for his career because of how fundamental and precise he was when it came to passing. His assist to turnover ratio was nearly 4:1 for his career, and it's a true testament of how committed Stockton was to his craft of dishing out dimes while making as little mistakes as possible.

Leadership: Michael Jordan

Leadership is the most important aspect of any sporting event. It's what separates the great players from the good and what defines a legacy. There have been thousands of good players to walk onto the hardwood, but only so few capable leaders. What makes a leader is his overall ability to persevere in the most dire of situations, he's the player that will take over when he recognizes that his team needs him, and carries the same ambition and determination from the start of the game until the final buzzer sounds.

Michael Jordan is the definition of a true leader. He brought six titles to the Chicago Bulls franchise over an eight year period and did it without a true point guard or center for half of them. Jordan was the Bulls and the NBA, and he not only made the sport into what it's today, but has created this global identity of what characteristics a leader must possess in order to be defined as one.

Nothing ever phased Jordan. The Detroit Pistons in the 1980s would punish him every time he entered the lane, and that wouldn't affect him. He had a stomach virus so bad that he couldn't get out of his bed in the morning only to go out and score 38 points in 44 minutes in a Game 5 NBA Finals win over the Utah Jazz that would give the Bulls a 3-2 lead in the series. Even after a short retirement for baseball, Jordan's first full season would result in an NBA record 72 wins and an NBA championship.

Jordan is compared to any elite star today because he's what every player strives to be. He could score and make highlight plays, but what sets Jordan apart from anyone else was his overall ability to lead his team under any circumstances and in any situation. No matter who was by his side, he was going to do his best to ensure that his team was going to come out with a victory no matter how it happened.

Speed: John Wall

It is a big strange seeing a rookie like John Wall amongst these greats, but there isn't much of a competition for the 21-year-old when it comes to a foot race.

Players like Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose could pose a challenge, but the speedy 6'4", 195-pound point guard has already become one of the NBA's most difficult defensive assignments because of just how fast he is when running in the open court. He'll leave just about any opposing point guard in the dust and only the most athletic players in the NBA would be able to keep pace with him.

In college, he was only taking three dribbles from free-throw line to free-throw line and has even transitioned it to the NBA as he nearly breaks the sound barrier on his one-man fast breaks. Wall recognizes that opponents are usually regaining their energy when trudging their way back on defense, and he takes advantage it by speeding up the court at a high rate of speed so that the defense doesn't have enough time to react.

As long as Wall remains light in the weight department and on his feet, he's only going to get faster.

Athleticism: LeBron James

There aren't many sights more scarier in an NBA game than to have LeBron James barreling down on you with full speed and with his eyes on the rim.

Don't think it's that bad? Just ask Kyle Korver how he feels. Given that it's Kyle Korver that's defending him on a fast break, but James just made Korver feel a whole lot smaller and weaker than he probably ever had in his life prior to that moment.

At 6'8" and reportedly 275 pounds of muscle, James is one of the greatest athletes in the history of the game and in sports overall. He's become nearly impossible to guard over the years because of just how greatly his athleticism has improved as he has become too strong for most small forwards to defend and too fast for most guards to keep up with. James utilizes his athleticism so well that he can guard the one through four spots at an efficient rate.

Many players have a great deal of athleticism, Andre Iguodala and Josh Smith, but neither player knows how to utilize it at a more effective rate than James. When being defended, you can't guard him too close or else he'll use his quick first step to beat you off the dribble and drive to the rim or he'll be able to shoot over you if you give him too much room.

Guarding James has become quite the quandary, and not many players have been able to complete the task consistently.

Footwork: Hakeem Olajuwon

Don't you miss the days when centers could actually produce on the offensive end? Sure we have Dwight Howard today, but compared to the offensive capabilities of Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, David Robinson, and Patrick Ewing, they sort of make Howard look more like Luc Longley than the greatest offensive center in the NBA today after averaging 22 points per.

Howard has greatly improved his offensive touch, and he can thank the center with the greatest footwork in NBA history in Hakeem Olajuwon for giving him tips. Olajuwon played in the NBA from 1984 to 2002 and put on some of the greatest offensive displays that you'll ever see from a player that stands at 7' and weighs in at 255 pounds. He averaged as much as 28 points per game and he can give thanks to his quick and agile feet.

You usually won't find centers nimble and agile enough to consistently score in post, but Olajuwon was the grandest exception. Equipped with "The Dream Shake" among other moves, Olajuwon was able to constantly get his defenders off the ground in hope of blocking his shot only to see the Nigerian spin away and take the easy shot that the defender left unguarded.

Because Olajuwon was so talented and crafty with his moves, defenders were always bewildered as to what move he could possibly complete next. Not only did defenders have to just worry about his wide array of post moves, but they also had to worry about the sweet 15 foot jumper that he would consistently hit as well.

Michael Jordan thought he could average 50 points per game in the NBA today? Maybe he was talking about Hakeem?

Perimeter Defense: Scottie Pippen

It's the first line of defense and the most important. Without at least one perimeter defender manning the top, opponents could drive into the lane and take shots in the high-percentage areas while also drawing fouls on the taller defenders inside. The shorter player will always get the foul, and it's up to the defense up top to make sure that they don't make it to that point.

Longtime Chicago Bulls small forward Scottie Pippen made perfectly sure that no opposing shooting guard or small forward was going to be blowing by him at a consistent rate. Pippen was too fast, too strong and too athletic for most opponents to handle, and it usually resulted in the Bulls' paint being left vacant from the slashers that they faced.

Being a solid perimeter defender is one of the most difficult aspects of the game as it means you have to go against the most dangerous players on the court. Perimeter defenders must have the versatility to keep up with the guards that utilize their speed while also being able to possess the muscle and strength to make sure that the larger guards and small forwards can't push you around and into the paint for a post up.

Lateral quickness is extremely important as well since you always need to keep your opponent in front of you at all times while being ready for the change of dribble or a crossover.

Pippen possessed all of these attributes and it resulted in the Bulls being recognized as one of the NBA's stingiest defenses throughout the 1990's.

Post Defense: Bill Russell

Setting the standard for post defense, rebounding and shot-blocking today, Bill Russell was the NBA's first great defender, and it came as a result of his overall dominance on the defensive end of the floor in the post.

Most notably for his defense on Wilt Chamberlain who was never able to average his usual absurd amount of points when attempting to score on Russell.

At 6'9" and 215 pounds, Russell wasn't the tallest center, and he certainly wasn't the biggest, but he knew how to play defense and he knew how to move his feet enough to make him one of the league's most feared defenders. In a time where the game was fast-paced, Russell was one of the few to actually play defense and make it a staple of their team and is possibly the reason why he won 11 titles while with the Boston Celtics.

Russell would close down shop for slashers and drivers and would send back any shot that an opponent would attempt to throw up around him, no matter how big or small. Physically, he was athletic, but his mental part of the game was his strong suit as he used timing to send back shots and awareness to learn the tendencies of his opponents.

Shot-Blocking: Dikembe Mutombo

Life becomes a lot easier when you're 7' tall. An NBA contract is nearly guaranteed as long as you can walk, and an even larger contract is awarded to you if you can prove that you can jump high enough to put the ball in the basket and send back shots at a high enough rate. While shot-blocking may seem easy, it's actually considerably difficult when having to time the shot just right so that you can block the shot without fouling the player.

Averaging three blocks per game for his career, Dikembe Mutombo was the league's most effective shot-blocker throughout the 1990s as he shut down the paint with only those fearless enough to attempt to shoot over the lengthy arms of the product out of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mutombo had great timing on his blocks, and it resulted in him leading the league in blocks per three times with a career high of nearly five coming in 1996.

Mutombo was such an effective shot-blocker that he averaged at least three blocks per for the first seven years of his career while also averaging a block per in all, but one of the 18 years he played in the NBA. Whether it was with the Nuggets, Hawks, 76ers, Nets, Knicks or Rockets, Mutombo was feared and was blocking shots at a higher rate than most centers half his age.

Quick Hands: John Stockton

Having a player that's notorious for stealing the ball gives your team a huge advantage when playing defense. The offense will eventually have to recognize that their opponent possesses a player that has quick hands as well as a great tendency to intercept passes, and they then have to become hesitant and tentative when completing these passes. Every pass becomes careful, and it makes the offense slow down to a crashing halt.

For years, John Stockton was that player. He was already known as a pesky and frustrating defender that would make his way on to five All-Defensive second teams (he was competing with Gary Payton, so give him a break) as a result of his stellar one-on-one defense and his ability to gobble up steals at a higher rate than any other player in league history as he currently possesses nearly 1,000 more steals than the closest active player.

For someone who finished seventh in voting, Stockton holds an awful lot of significant all-time records with steals being one as he averaged over two for his career. He led the league in steals per twice with a career high coming in 1989 when he averaged over three steals per game. Stockton would go on to win the award three years later with three steals, the second and final time in his career that he'd average that many.

Equipped with quick hands and a solid mindset on how to defend at the point, Stockton made the Utah Jazz into one of the NBA's most volatile defenses.

Strength: Wilt Chamberlain

The taller you are, the more difficult it is to have muscle tone. Since your muscles are already stretched and elongated because of your height, it becomes extremely difficult for an NBA center that relatively stands at 7' to possess the muscular strength of someone that stands at 6'. Players like Dwight Howard and Patrick Ewing will come around once in awhile, but the majority of the league's centers usually don't possess strength in their muscles.

Wilt Chamberlain was also a notable exception. At 7'1" and weighing in at 275 pounds, Chamberlain was a monster amongst people as he dominated the NBA with his exceptional strength. With so few defenders in the league capable of defending the size and strength of Chamberlain, he was able to get to the rim and take the highest-percentage shots on just about every occasion that his team was in possession.

It might explain why Chamberlain was able to average 50 points per game in 1962 and over 30 per seven times in his career.

While many will claim that Chamberlain was only to score at such a high rate because of the low level of competition, take into consideration that there were plenty of other athletes in the league at the time not even coming close to what he was averaging. Arguably the best athlete in the league at the time in Elgin Baylor was topping off at 38 points per which pales in comparison to Chamberlain who averaged beyond that three times.

Coming Up in the Clutch: Michael Jordan

Now becoming one of the most overused words in the NBA as of late, being clutch and showing up in late game situations has suddenly become the talk of the NBA world. Being able to thrive in these pressure situations shouldn't always define a great player because if it were true then Robert Horry should be recognized as a better player than LeBron James. It's not something that can be taught, being clutch is an internal struggle in your psyche that you have to fight through in order to rid yourself of the butterflies that come during dire moments and instead, step up and make the shot.

Rather than thinking about what the circumstances and consequences are of missing the shot, those that are consistently clutch will instead think solely on the shot going through the basket and nothing more.

As I stated before, when it comes to leadership, there was no player more effective at coming through for your team and more capable at leading than Michael Jordan. The Chicago Bulls would win six championships with Jordan at the helm, and they came as a result of MJ leading the team through situations where other players might have laid down and admitted defeat.

With great leadership comes great responsibility. Jordan recognized his role as a leader and he made sure to step up when his team needed him most at any given opportunity. If his team needed a last-second shot to be made, Jordan was the one attempting and converting the majority of the time. He had ice cold veins until the day he retired, and he proved on countless occasions of just how lethal and dangerous of a player he can be when he was called upon.

The greatest player to ever live, Michael Jordan set the standard for what every NBA player strives to become when they pick up a basketball for the first time.