OT: Brian Kenny show (NBC Sports Radio): 3-man all-time NBA draft

[PtldPlatypus]

Team #1
1. Wilt
4. Lebron
7. Dr. J
10. Duncan
13. Kobe

Team #2
2. Bird
5. Shaq
8. Frazier
11. Kareem
14. West

Team #3
3. Jordan
6. Magic
9. Russell
12. Robertson
15. Olajuwon

Which 5-man team do you think would win a round-robin?

 

[Eastoff]

team 3 dominates.

 

[Eastoff]

Also, what time period are the rules?

 

[Reep]

I was thinking team 1 at first, but I think team 3 would share the ball much better. I'll say 3.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Also, what time period are the rules?

Ha--good question. Do you think it would make an appreciable difference?

I was thinking team 1 at first, but I think team 3 would share the ball much better. I'll say 3.

That was exactly what the drafter of team 3 was suggesting while laughing at the architect of team 1 after drafting Kobe. Lebron and Duncan would be standing around watching Wilt attack triple teams and Kobe launch off-balance jumpers.

 

[Eastoff]

Ha--good question. Do you think it would make an appreciable difference?

Could Maurice Lucas survive in this league?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Could Maurice Lucas survive in this league?

I guess what I'm saying (asking) is--what era's set of rules would allow team 1 or team 2 to beat team 3?

 

[crandc]

I was thinking team 1 at first, but I think team 3 would share the ball much better. I'll say 3.

Agree. I vote 3.
That is, presuming all players are at peak playing age and not today's age!

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Agree. I vote 3.
That is, presuming all players are at peak playing age and not today's age!

True; if they were at today's age, team 1 would win hands down, even playing 4 on 5.

 

[e_blazer]

Never happen. You couldn't fit all of the egos into one building.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Never happen. You couldn't fit all of the egos into one building.

They could play outdoors, like in the Carrier Classic games they've had the last couple of years.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Team 3 actually has a PG, which I hear is useful.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Team 3 actually has a PG, which I hear is useful.

Lebron would play point for team 1, and either West or Frazier could run point for team 2. In fact, it can be argued that the PG on team 3 would be less significant, since Magic, Jordan, and Robertson are all ball handlers.

It should also be noted that with Frazier West and Bird, team 2 would have the superior perimeter shooting. That could be relevant.

 

[KingSpeed]

Team 3 easily

 

[Draco]

Olajuwan Jordon Russell might be the three best defenders and they are all on team 3.

All of these teams are so talented chemistry and teamwork might be the difference. If Popovich is the coach of one and Kaleb Canales the coach of another that would be the difference.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

If you are looking for players who are playing at the peak of their skills Bill Walton would have to be on one of those teams.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

If you are looking for players who are playing at the peak of their skills Bill Walton would have to be on one of those teams.

Between Duncan, Shaq, Olajuwon, Russell, Kareem, and Wilt--which big of the 6 picked would you replace with Walton?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Between Duncan, Shaq, Olajuwon, Russell, Kareem, and Wilt--which big of the 6 picked would you replace with Walton?

Duncan would be the easiest to replace but you could make an argument for most of them. At his peak Walton had an amazing all around game.

Also Walton had amazing court vision and was an excellent passing big man which would help in an allstar fantasy team.

 

[PapaG]

Hard to argue with any of the picks.

Guys that should also be considered if we're going on healthy and in their prime...

John Stockton
Karl Malone
David Robinson
Moses Malone
Bill Walton
Chris Paul (25.5 career PER on 23.7 career USG is sick)

 

[NOVoodoo]

If you are looking for players who are playing at the peak of their skills Bill Walton would have to be on one of those teams.

Man, you really hit the nail on the head with that point.

Whenever people make these "all-time" teams, they go on careers, instead of actually taking the best players "in their prime," as the premise implies.

Not only are there players like Walton (or Penny) that had amazing season(s) and then got hurt, but if you're really taking these guys in their primes, then you also have to consider that even amongst the legends that had great careers, certain legends had better prime seasons than other legends, even if one legend may have had a better overall career than another.

 

[NOVoodoo]

For example, what about Bob McAdoo in '75, Moses Malone in '82, Kevin Garnett in '04? Hell, even if you take Kareem from '72, the guy's gotta be a top five pick in that "draft."

 

[STOMP]

That was exactly what the drafter of team 3 was suggesting while laughing at the architect of team 1 after drafting Kobe. Lebron and Duncan would be standing around watching Wilt attack triple teams and Kobe launch off-balance jumpers.

didn't Wilt lead the league in Assists one season?

What I see this boiling down to is that LeBron can't be guarded by Bird (team 2) or Magic (3) at all as both were at best passable defenders, and neither team has anyone else his size. So team 1's PG would be able to initiate offense with relative ease. I see them having a complimentary mix with Duncan on the High Post, the Big Dipper down low and Doc & Bryant on the wings... they'd be nasty on D too

btw, this OP is a great concept for debate... I've actually been mulling over a similar question of where the greatest ever would go in an All-Time draft. Of his picks, the one that made the least sense to me was Bird @ #2

STOMP

 

[STOMP]

If you are looking for players who are playing at the peak of their skills Bill Walton would have to be on one of those teams.

was Walton at his peak better then Sabas at his?

STOMP

 

[SlyPokerDog]

was Walton at his peak better then Sabas at his?

STOMP

I never got to see Sabonis at his peak. Walton himself has said that Sabonis was better and I've heard the stories but we don't know how good he was against NBA competition in his prime.

 

[Sinobas]

Team #1
1. Wilt
4. Lebron
7. Dr. J
10. Duncan
13. Kobe

Team #2
2. Bird
5. Shaq
8. Frazier
11. Kareem
14. West

Team #3
3. Jordan
6. Magic
9. Russell
12. Robertson
15. Olajuwon

Which 5-man team do you think would win a round-robin?

I honestly don't think Kobe, Frazier, Shaq or Dr J should be on these teams. I'd replace them with Drexler, Pippen, Walton(if you don't consider how injury prone he was), and wow...so many guards I'd take over Walt Frazier.

 

[Sinobas]

If you had to put together a team with the goal of going 82-0, who would it be? Thinking about chemistry rather than the best player at every position. I'd have

PG: Stockon
SG: Jordan
SF: Drexler
PF: Bird
C: Olajuwon

 

[PtldPlatypus]

If you had to put together a team with the goal of going 82-0, who would it be? Thinking about chemistry rather than the best player at every position. I'd have

PG: Stockon
SG: Jordan
SF: Drexler
PF: Bird
C: Olajuwon

I'd prefer to have get two-way players who could share the ball as well as score. So I'd probably go:

PG: Lebron
SG: Jordan
SF: Pippen
PF: Duncan
C: Walton

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I'd prefer to have get two-way players who could share the ball as well as score. So I'd probably go:

PG: Lebron
SG: Jordan
SF: Pippen
PF: Duncan
C: Walton

I'd have Pippen run the point and Lebron play small forward with that line up. Also you could pull Walton away from the basket and have him run the offense with the rest slashing and posting.

 

[Stevenson]

Team 2, almost easily I say. That is the best "team." Teams 1 and 3 are great for fantasy leagues, but Team 2 would make a great team.

Team 1 with Wilt and LeBron and Kobe - all need to dominate the ball.

Team 3 is close, with Russ and Magic and the Big O, but for me, a team with Bird, Frazier, Jerry, and Shaq & Kareem in the middle would dominate offensively, defensively, and would move the ball the best.

It's also got the highest basketball IQ of them all.

 

[RoyToy]

Team 3 beats both teams 9 times out of 10.

Not even close.