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emperorscollection · 6 years

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Best Team Ever (2018 Edition)

Taken from Bill Simmons’s Book of Basketball:

The puzzle revolves around the Martian Premise. Let’s say basketball-playing aliens land on earth, blow things up Independence Day-style, then challenge us to a seven-game series for control of the universe. And let’s say we have access to the time machine from Lost, allowing us to travel back Sarah Connor-style and grab any twelve NBA legends from 1946 through 2010 (I’m extending it to 2018 for this piece), transport them to the present day, then hold practices for eight weeks before the Final Finals. Again, we **have **to prevail or planet Earth as we know it ends. Which twelve players would you pick?

I’m totally stealing from Simmons, but I’m not the first one to use his premise to write about basketball.

This was taken from the chapter called “The Wine Cellar.” I’m getting twelve players after they completed their season. Twelve vintages, if you will. I’m not necessarily getting the top twelve players of all-time. I’m forming the best team I can. All the players need to complement each other’s skill sets. This is the kind of play I’m looking to have once these twelve players are chosen:

Dynamic and unselfish passing similar to the 1986 Celtics or the 2014 Spurs aka “Summertime”

The ability to run the floor to create an advantage on the fast break like the Showtime Lakers

Tough defense combining the one-one-one individual defense of those mid-2000’s Detroit Pistons, the rotational and switching abilities of the late-2010’s Golden State Warriors, with anger and pure disgust like when Jordan & Pippen defended Toni Kukoc in the 1992 Olympics

Variety of ways to score offensively no matter what kind of defense they face

All the players will have to accept their roles on the team. I don’t need a player to let their ego grow so big that it ruins the team’s chemistry. Let’s start with my starting lineup.

All regular season stats from basketball-reference.com

PPG = Points Per Game

RPG = Rebounds Per Game

AST = Assists Per Game

BLK = Blocks Per Game

STL = Steals Per Game

FG% = Field Goal Percentage

3pt% = 3-point Shot Percentage

FT% = Free Throw Percentage

Starting Five

1985 Magic Johnson – 18.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 12.6 AST, 0.3 BLK, 1.5 STL, FG% .561, 3pt% .189, FT% .843

Magic redeemed himself after the ’84 finals by coming back to beat the Boston Celtics in the ’85 Finals. Although he averaged more points in other years, he’s being placed on the best team possible so he’s not going to be handling the scoring load here. I want Magic coming off title number three, with the Celtics monkey off his back. He ran Showtime, he can conduct this fantasy team. He’s gonna have the biggest smile of his face passing on this team.

1993 Michael Jordan – 32.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.5 AST, 0.8 BLK, 2.8 STL, FG% .495, 3pt% .352, FT% .837

Clearly MJ made the team. The difficult part was picking which Jordan vintage. ’92 Jordan is the best blend of his athletic ability and working as a part of a team. ’96 Jordan is more deliberate, calculating, but still as effective as any of his other years. I’m choosing ’93 Jordan also after title number three, after his Dream Team experience, and at the absolute height of his powers. He abruptly retired after this season citing burnout and a lack of desire to play (and then later citing the murder of his father). But you tell Jordan that he is going to join an all-star team across space-time to face basketball-playing aliens in a seven-game series to save Earth, he’s going to be renewed. Maybe this is how Space Jam got made.

2013 Lebron James – 26.8 PPG, 8.0 RPB, 7.3 AST, 0.9 BLK, 1.7 STL, FG% .565, 3pt% .406, FT% .753

Out of all the things Lebron has done, the most impressive thing is being able to extend his prime. Usually an athlete’s prime lasts for three years. I’d argue that from 2011 up to now is Lebron’s prime. So, if you were to switch ‘13 Lebron for another year in that period, I wouldn’t be mad. Those Miami years, however, are when he got obsessed with shooting efficiency, and ‘13 was the most efficient Miami year. Shooting 40% from three, with just as high free throw percentage and field goal percentage as any year in his career. On top of that, we get Lebron at his athletic apex. Just imagine ’85 Magic throwing lobs to ’13 Lebron.

2003 Tim Duncan – 23.3 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 3.9 AST, 2.9 BLK, 0.7 STL, FG% .513, 3pt% .273, FT% .710

The best power forward ever is making the starting five. Getting him after his second title, Duncan will have no problem playing any role given. He’s proven to allow his other teammates to lead them to victory and he will play support. If the aliens go small, Duncan can slide to center. He’s going to force a double-team when posted up, allowing open shots and cutting lanes for the team. In Duncan I Trust.

1975 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 30.0 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 4.1 AST, 3.3 BLK, 1.0 STL, FG% .513, FT% .769

If we are going to battle these aliens in the ultimate seven-game series, the Skyhook needs to be in the arsenal. All but the last two years of the Lakers Kareem vintages would’ve been fine, but I want the last year of Milwaukee Kareem. Younger, more athletic, and just as effective as a scorer. His 53% field-goal percentage is his second lowest in his career, but during the games I want Kareem to defend the rim, rebound, and generally clean up any defensive leaks. During the flow of the game he’s going to get his shots, and we will deploy the Skyhook in close situations. If things get messy, Kareem will just kick any tough-acting aliens in the chest.

Again, my starting five:

1985 Magic Johnson

1993 Michael Jordan

2013 Lebron James

2003 Tim Duncan

1975 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Think of the fast breaks with Magic in the middle of the court flanked by Jordan and Lebron. We can slow it down to allow Kareem to activate the Skyhook or have him draw double teams to allow for a cutting Jordan. The only downside of this five outside of Lebron and Jordan is the lack of 3-point shooting. It’s a good thing the bench is what it is.

Bench

2015 Stephen Curry – 23.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 4.2 AST, 0.2 BLK, 2.0 STL, FG% .487, 3pt% .443, FT% .914

Apologies to Ray Allen, but Steph Curry is the best shooter of all-time. I’m getting Curry off the first title, when talk of him being the best shooter really heated up, while being a big reason why the 3-point shot has changed basketball. A 91% free-throw percentage? It’s going into his hands if we need free-throws to put a game away. ’15 Curry isn’t as good as ’16 Curry where he was better shooting overall, but I’m getting the players after they finish their season. ’16 Curry was unfortunately hurt and while he still played fairly well in that year’s Finals, he wasn’t at his healthiest. ’15 Curry certainly was and we need all the players as healthy as possible against these damn aliens.

This is where it gets tricky.

I need a backup for Jordan. Three names came to mind: Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and James Harden. I then thought of the single season of each player that stood out to me from memory.

2001 Kobe Bryant – 28.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 5.0 AST, 0.6 BLK, 1.7 STL, FG% .464, 3pt% .305, FT% .853

2009 Dwyane Wade – 30.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 7.5 AST, 1.3 BLK, 2.2 STL, FG% .491, 3pt% .317, FT% .765

2018 James Harden – 30.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 8.8 AST, 0.7 BLK, 1.8 STL, FG% .449, 3pt% .367, FT% .858

Damn. That’s damn even. Wait, ’01 Kobe was only 22 years old. ’09 Wade was 27 and ’18 Harden was 28. What kind of numbers did 27-year-old Kobe put up?

2006 Kobe Bryant – 35.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.5 AST, 0.4 BLK, 1.8 STL, FG% .450, 3pt% .347, FT% .850

Okay, 27-year-old Kobe. I see you. Here’s the problem with Kobe, he’s too much of a facsimile of Jordan. I want the production, but not the personality. Both are laser-focused, ultra-competitive, basketball perfectionists. They would certainly push each other during practice, but it might be too much. Jordan has always been Kobe’s measuring stick. Is Kobe’s ego too much of a risk? The idea that Kobe’s belief that he is just as good, or even better than Jordan could mean the literal end of the world. I’m not comfortable with that. He can preach all he wants about “the team” post-retirement, but we all saw what kind of player he was. It’s too much of a gamble.

We are left with ’09 Wade and ’18 Harden. I absolutely love Dwyane Wade. He is one of my favorite players of all-time. ’09 Wade is my favorite Wade vintage. Coming off the 2008 Olympics where he was the MVP of the Gold Medal game, he carried that momentum to one of the best post-Jordan seasons a shooting guard has ever had.

So did ’18 Harden. Okay, he split point guard and ball-handling responsibilities with Chris Paul that season, but he played shooting guard previously. His numbers are just as good was Wade’s were. Hell, he was better at the free-throw line and from 3-point range.

We wouldn’t have to worry about either player trying to usurp Jordan. Both played complementary roles on teams before (Wade on the 2008 Olympic team and during the Lebron Miami years, Harden on the 2012 Olympic team and when he was on the Thunder with Russell Westbrook and Durant). Harden is the better shooter, Wade is the better defender.

2018 James Harden – 30.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 8.8 AST, 0.7 BLK, 1.8 STL, FG% .449, 3pt% .367, FT% .858

I’m going with ’18 Harden. He’s the better shooter, plus he won’t be responsible to run the offense, so he can have energy to use in other ways. We tell Harden to take open shots, cut to the rim when the defense bends, and to take defense seriously. Also, doesn’t hurt to get Harden coming off his MVP season as well. (By the way, come see me cause I believe he should’ve won MVP two years in a row. Y’all fell in love with Russell Westbrook putting up a triple-double season. Westbrook puts up another triple-double season and he doesn’t even sniff the MVP. He shouldn’t have the year he won it, too.) Harden playing defense is a better gamble than Kobe not getting into a fist fight with Jordan.

I think.

Shit.

Maybe I should go Wade.

No, let’s stick with Harden and move on before I change my mind.

2017 Kevin Durant – 25.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 4.8 AST, 1.6 BLK, 1.1 STL, FG% .537, 3pt% .375, FT% .875

First person to scream “Sonics!” gets a cookie. Although Durant got injured during the season, you wouldn’t even realize it during the Finals when he averaged 30 points against a still-in-his-prime Lebron. This is the most complete season he’s had with his defense on par with his offense. I did consider his season when he won the regular season MVP, but it felt like we witnessed the absolute apex of Durant in 2017. Plus, as he mentioned with Bill Simmons on a podcast, he played the best basketball he’s ever played. Yes, I want the best basketball KD has ever played to continue.

So far I got a starting five and backups for positions 1-3. Settling on Harden was tough, but now thinking about the backup power forward is worse. Look at this.

1986 Kevin McHale – 21.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.7 AST, 2.0 BLK, 0.4 STL, FG% .574, 3pt% 0.0, FT% .776

1993 Charles Barkley – 25.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 5.1 AST, 1.0 BLK, 1.6 STL, FG% .520, 3pt% .305, FT% .765

1997 Karl Malone – 27.4 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 4.5 AST, 0.6 BLK, 1.4 STL, FG% .550, 3pt% 0.0, FT% .755

2004 Kevin Garnett – 24.2 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 5.0 AST, 2.2 BLK, 1.5 STL, FG% .499, 3pt% .256, FT% .791

2007 Dirk Nowitzki – 24.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 3.4 AST, .08 BLK, .07 STL, FG% .502, 3pt% .416, FT% .904

2012 Kevin Love – 26.0 PPG, 13.3 RPG, 2.0 AST, 0.5 BLK, 0.9 STL, FG% .448, 3pt% .448, FT% .824

How do I figure this out?

I love Dirk’s shooting, especially if any bigs get into foul trouble, he can be on the floor to make free throws. Defense was never his calling card, though. Although he won the regular-season MVP, the ’07 Mavs did get eliminated by the ’07 Warriors, so that might weigh on his mind. He might be in too much of a funk to play the aliens. Then again, if he can join this team, he may view this as redemption.

Minnesota-era Kevin Garnett was incredible. Better rebounder and overall defender than Dirk, plus he’s good enough at the free throw line to not be a liability. Garnett being the leader of the second unit does sound great.

Minnesota-era Kevin Love was a juggernaut. It made sense that the Cavs traded for him. Look at those numbers. But, I fear he will be underutilized. Although still effective on the Cavs, he isn’t the glass cleaner he was early in his career. Plus, he was on the 2012 USA Olympics team, where he did struggle at the line.

Speaking of struggling at the line, Karl Malone has had his struggles with late-game free throws. Between missing both free throws in Game 7 of the 1996 Western Conference Finals against the Sonics, and missing both free throws in Game 1 of the 1997 Finals against the Bulls, I can’t trust Malone here.

1993 Charles Barkley would also be amazing. Coming off the Dream Team and carried it to a Finals appearance against Jordan, Barkley would steamroll anyone on a fast break. I just wonder if his defense can hold up not to hurt us.

1986 Kevin McHale is in a lot of ways the prototypical power forward. Long limbs made him an effective defender allowing more small ball lineups, and an arsenal of low post moves would do wonders for the offense.

I’m going with McHale. He won’t need to score that many times. If he can get around 12 shots a game, plus play hard defense then I can be happy with this selection.

1986 Kevin McHale – 21.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.7 AST, 2.0 BLK, 0.4 STL, FG% .574, 3pt% 0.0, FT% .776

Oh great, now I’ve got centers to think about.

1962 Wilt Chamberlain – 50.4 PPG, 25.7 RPG, 2.4 AST, N/A BLK, N/A STL, FG% .506, 3pt% N/A, FT% .613

1967 Bill Russell – 15.0 PPG, 24.7 RPG, 4.7 AST, N/A BLK, N/A STL, FG% .433, 3pt% N/A, FT% .550

1977 Bill Walton – 18.6 PPG, 14.4 RPG, 3.8 AST, 3.2 BLK, 1.0 STL, FG% .528, 3pt% 0.0, FT% .697

1983 Moses Malone – 24.5 PPG, 15.3 RPG, 1.3 AST, 2.0 BLK, 1.1 STL, FG% .501, 3p% 0.0, FT% .716

1992 David Robinson – 23.2 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 2.7 AST, 4.5 BLK, 2.3 STL, FG% .551, 3pt% .125, FT% .701

1994 Hakeem Olajuwon – 27.3 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 3.6 AST, 3.7 BLK, 1.6 STL, FG% .528, 3pt% .421, FT% .716

2001 Shaquille O’Neal – 28.7 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 3.7 AST, 2.8 BLK, 0.6 STL, FG% .572, 3pt% 0.0, FT% .513

2009 Dwight Howard – 20.6 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 1.4 AST, 2.9 BLK, 1.0 STL, FG% .572, 3pt% 0.0, FT% .594

This is a difficult decision, stylistically. My initial choice was Walton. Getting ’77 Walton is catching him when he won the championship that year for Portland, and before his injury. Incredible all-around center play, especially with his outlet passing. Perhaps modern-day medicine can help alleviate his feet problems as we gear up for the aliens. Plus ’75 Kareem vs ’77 Walton would be incredible to watch play against each other for eight straight weeks.

But what if we went another direction?

To contrast Kareem’s finesse play, we go with brute force. Obviously, it’s a different era, but Wilt’s 50 points per game is absurd. Moses always gave Kareem trouble with his physicality. Not to mention that Shaq is one of the game’s most dominating players, ever. David Robinson remains one of my favorite players of all-time and would love to see him on this team.

But I am going with The Dream. Olajuwon is the right mix of physical and finesse play. Imagine pairing McHale and Hakeem down low with all their post-moves. Also, when there is a YouTube video called “Olajuwon dominates Robinson”, it’s hard to ignore.

1994 Hakeem Olajuwon – 27.3 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 3.6 AST, 3.7 BLK, 1.6 STL, FG% .528, 3pt% .421, FT% .716

Reserves

To round out the team, here are the two players in reserves to push our team in practice, give the team different looks during the game, and to be used in situational in-case emergencies:

1992 Scottie Pippen – 21.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 7.0 AST, 1.9 STL, FG% .506, 3pt% .200, FT%. 760

There had to be a wing player that was on the team strictly for defense. If one of those aliens caught fire, trot out that player to shut them down. I struggled between ’92 Pippen and ’16 Kawhi Leonard. It was hard to turn down a two-time defensive player of the year, but I chose Scottie for two reasons. One, I wanted more representation from an older generation of basketball, and two, I wanted an edge from my defensive-wing player. The level of disrespect Scottie showed Patrick Ewing when he dunked on him is what put him over. I did consider getting ’18 Giannis Antetokounmpo just to have a unicorn of a freak athlete for fun.

2009 Chris Paul – 22.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 11.0 AST, 2.8 STL, FG% .503, 3pt% .364, FT%. 868

I struggled so hard between CP3 and Gary Payton. Both make up for the defense that Magic and Steph don’t have, plus they can run the offense if need be. But I decided to go with 23-year old CP3, before his first major injury. He gets due to his better 3-point shot and free throw percentage.

We have our roster.

Starting Five

1985 Magic Johnson

1993 Michael Jordan

2013 Lebron James

2003 Tim Duncan

1975 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Bench

2015 Stephen Curry

2018 James Harden

2017 Kevin Durant

1986 Kevin McHale

1994 Hakeem Olajuwon

Reserves

1992 Scottie Pippen

2009 Chris Paul

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