Building a Team in the NBA

The NBA today has conformed to the idea that a a team needs at least three stars on the team in order to win a championship and dominate the rest of the league. This got me to thinking about creating the best team in NBA history.

I think we can all agree that if we were starting a team that could consist of any players in NBA history all of us would take Michael Jordan with the number one overall pick.

Michael Jordan would be the center piece of any team. But
who would you put around him?
Courtesy of Jonathan Daniel, All-Sport

What I am curious about is who would round out your starting line-up if you were forming the greatest team of all-time.
With Jordan at the shooting guard you are still going to need a point, two forwards and a center to dominate the paint.

At point guard you want a floor general, someone who runs the offense, plays great defense, distributes with ease, and can hit clutch free-throws down the stretch. Guys that could be mentioned in this category could be Steve Nash, Bob Cousy, Isaiah Thomas, John Stockton, or Walt Frazier. My choice, though, would have to be Magic Johnson because he was a six-foot-eight-inch point guard who changed the position forever.

A small-forward needs to be able to bang down low, as well as be smooth enough to play, and defend, outside as well. Some people might pick guys like Julius Erving, Scottie Pippen, or Elgin Baylor perhaps. The most compelling argument might be for LeBron James, but he still has not proven he can win championships, though that could change very soon. In my mind you can't go with anyone else other than Larry Bird. Larry Legend won multiple championships and was one of the most clutch players in history.

At power-forward you need a player who can defend tough in the post, step out and hit a jumper or two, not be a terrible free-throw shooter, and be finesse at the same time. People might be thinking of names like Dennis Rodman, Dirk Nowitzki, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, or Bob Pettit. The best power forward for your team might be one of the quietest players ever, Tim Duncan. Duncan has twice been named NBA MVP and is known league-wide as a great teammate.

Finally at the center position you will need a skilled guy over seven feet tall who can be a dominant force in the middle and prevent easy baskets. Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'Neal, Bill Russell, and Hakeem Olajuwon would probably be the names that first jump out to you, but don't forget about the most dominant player in NBA history. Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain had everything that you could want in a center, and then some.

In the end my team would consist of Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, and Wilt Chamberlain. Who would you want on your team? Leave a comment below.

#1 NBA Postseason Surprise Thus Far

To this point of the NBA postseason there have been many surprises. The number one team in the West, San Antonio, is on the brink of elimination, the reigning champion Lakers are being pushed by a depleted Hornets team, Brandon Roy has already given us one of the most unbelievable comebacks in postseason history, and the Hawks are exacting revenge on a Magic team that embarrassed them in the playoffs last year.

Though each and every one of these are surprising, to say the least, none of them have the surprise factor that the Indiana Pacers have brought to the 2011 playoffs.

At 37-45 during the regular season Indiana was considered one of the worst teams to EVER make it into the NBA playoffs, and many said that it was an embarrassment that the Pacers were in the playoffs. In the Western Conference the Houston Rockets missed the playoffs despite a 43-39 record, six games better than Frank Vogel's squad.

No one really thought too hard about the Pacers making any noise in the playoffs because they were facing the Chicago Bulls who boasted the league's second best record during the regular season, the likely MVP Derrick Rose, and a great supporting cast including Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, and former all-star Carlos Boozer. Whereas the Pacer's starting line-up has a combine years experience in the league of 10, and had just one player, Danny Granger, average over 13.2 points per game during the season.

Granger will have to be huge if Indiana is to pull off
the improbable upset of Chicago
Courtesy of CJ Isherwood

Fast forward a week and a half and you will find that this "David and Goliath" match up has been surprisingly even. The Bulls hold a 3-1 series lead with home court advantage, but won the first three games by a total of just 15 points, and in game four Rose injured his ankle.

The Pacers have consistently been the more aggressive, and physical team throughout the series. This lead to former Bull great Scottie Pippen calling out Chicago's team.

"The Bulls have taken too many hard fouls in this series thus far, and have yet to give one. Being one of the No. 1 defensive teams in the league, at some point you have to make a stand and I think that’s what the Bulls have to do," Pippen said  on “The Sports Reporters” on ESPN 1000 on Saturday morning.

After the game four win Indiana appears to be even more confident they can upend the East's top seed. Coach Vogel even feels confident enough in his team to make a bold prediction that, if correct, could make the Pacers the biggest surprise in NBA history.

"We feel like if we win tonight, we'll win this series," Vogel told reporters after the Tuesday morning shoot around.