Great players you didn't and don't have to build teams around

[SouBeachTalents]

The bolded I don't agree with. Shaq needed shooters and a great wing. Dirk was very good but not great. He had a great run in one year and I'm happ for him. Very nice guy all around. I just don't think he was successful enough throughout his career with any set of players. He could work with any set... yes. But not successful enough.

Curry and Kawhi I don't know yet. Need 2 more years to determine. With MJ... I'm on the fence. He may be a good example after all. I never liked him... it may cloud my judgement.

I don't even dispute pairing Shaq with a great, high scoring wing, especially one that can close, isn't the best way to build around him. But just because that's all we saw him play with throughout the majority of his career, doesn't mean he couldn't achieve success in a different set up. You give peak Shaq a point like Nash/CP3, or a big like Dirk/KG/Duncan, you really don't think he could win a couple of championships?

And in fairness to Dirk, of the players I mentioned (besides Hakeem) he played with by FAR the least amount of talent, yet managed to win 50-60 games year after year in the brutal West without another true superstar caliber player beside him the bulk of his prime years. You give him the caliber of players most ATG's played with, I'm sure he'd be able to rack up more than one title

What's your opinion on Durant? I think he definitely has the skillset to be able to blend in seamlessly into pretty much any team, but the fact his only titles occurred under the easiest circumstances possible and he failed to win multiple years with a talented OKC team would definitely give me some hindrance

[elementally morale]

Imagining Shaq with David Robinson is a lot harder for me than to imagine Duncan with Robinson (which I saw) or Hakeem with Robinson (which I can easily imagine). You made a good point though: sometimes we need to imagine things in order to talk about potential... and in this thread I was talking about how it actually went down in my opinion.

Durant? Maybe. I watch as little Durant as I possibly can. He is a good player and I'll leave it at that.

[Hey Yo]

It may be false but there is a guy with the name Davis on the back of his jersey. Plus it is one year and 15 games... not a big enough sample. LeBron's career is a bigger sample... and it looks he needed all the help in the world and specialist around him.

And Magic didn't have a guy with the name of Jabbar on the back of his?

Also you said Magic showed he could work with any type of teammates. What year(s) did that happen??

[NBASTATMAN]

Lebron is a player that you simply couldn't build a team around. Cause he will make sure you play Bran ball no matter the personnel

that's a part why he always needed "more help" cause he never maximized the potential of talent he had around him and therefore the whole was always less than the sum the parts.

Lebron still manage to win rings because the amount of talent he had on the teams simply overcame the lack of synergy and deficiency in coordination

DUDE CAN YOU READ?.. OH WAIT LEBRON IS ON YOUR MIND ALL THE TIME




I think STEPH CURRY was a guy you didnt have to build around and so is Klay Thompson..

[elementally morale]

And Magic didn't have a guy with the name of Jabbar on the back of his?

Also you said Magic showed he could work with any type of teammates. What year(s) did that happen??

With Divac. Had HIV not been there I think Magic and Divac would've won together. They needed one good wing player to replace Worthy or Scott.

[warriorfan]

Kevin Garnett. Looking back he had some pretty shitty teams in Minnesota while playing in a brutal conference. He immediately won it all as soon as he joined Boston. He probably should have won the FMVP too.

[tpols]

Kevin Garnett. Looking back he had some pretty shitty teams in Minnesota while playing in a brutal conference. He immediately won it all as soon as he joined Boston. He probably should have won the FMVP too.

to be fair he joined ray allen and paul pierce in a weak east.

any great player would have tremendous odds in that situation, but i agree with garnett being underrated.

[elementally morale]

to be fair he joined ray allen and paul pierce in a weak east.

any great player would have tremendous odds in that situation, but i agree with garnett being underrated.

Garnett for me is... Dirk. Very very good. If I put one on the list I have to put the other one there, too. I'm a bit reluctant... if I do I have to put them near the bottom.

But this list is very hard to make. I'm not sure I have more than 10 players I can put on it. A lot harder than an all time top 25 for me.

[Hey Yo]

With Divac. Had HIV not been there I think Magic and Divac would've won together. They needed one good wing player to replace Worthy or Scott.

So he showed he can play with a big who can score inside and outside + rebound? Yeah, Magic never played with that kind of player before Vlade. That's a lot of adaptation for him.

[elementally morale]

I think I have a good example, finally.

Jason Kidd

[elementally morale]

So he showed he can play with a big who can score inside and outside + rebound? Yeah, Magic never played with that kind of player before Vlade. That's a lot of adaptation for him.

I saw Magic play. You were not alive then. You are free to make your own list though. You can leave out Magic and put LeBron on the list. I won't agree with it... yet you are welcome.

So.. what is your list then?

[egokiller]

And Magic didn't have a guy with the name of Jabbar on the back of his?

Also you said Magic showed he could work with any type of teammates. What year(s) did that happen??

Did Magic speak to Jabbar behind the scenes and conspire to join up on a completely different team that neither one of them had ever played on? LOL at pretending Magic is the POS "colluder" that Lebron is and continues to be.

[egokiller]

I never said he wasn't the greatest I've seen. I said the opposite. I just think he is not the best example here. Then again... my judgement may be clouded. I have no problem someone adding Jordan. Just never add Kobe, please.

Fair enough

[ArbitraryWater]

I think I have a good example, finally.

Jason Kidd

Yeah, Dirk isn't good enough, but hey, we got Jason Kidd!

[tpols]

Yeah, Dirk isn't good enough, but hey, we got Jason Kidd!

prime kidd was on dirk's level. he was a genius.