Best hypothetical team according to Insidehoops

[jongib369]

Which teams are matching up against each other?

How each of yours fair with either of mine. So your team A vs my A&B and your team B vs my A&B

[Foster5k]

PG- Jason Kidd
SG- Michael Jordan
SF- Kevin Durant
PF- Kevin Garnett
C- Shaq

coach: Phil Jackson
assistant coach: Red Auerbach
GM: Pat Riley
Owner: Jerry Buss

This team is sweeping throughout the playoffs and will win 12 NBA titles all back to back.

[Prometheus]

My submissions, loved yours and the reasons why you made them. In your opinion how would each of yours fair against mine?


C-Wilt-67 role
PF-Malone
SF-Bird
SG-West
PG -Robertson
6th-LeBron


C- Thurmond
PF- Hakeem
SF-Pippen
SG-Jordan
PG-West
6th-Kareem

Okay well I'll do AvA:

Shaq - Wilt67
Nowitski - Malone
Bird - Bird
Allen - West
Stockton - Robertson

LeBron LeBron



So this one is a bit ... we've got Bird vs. Bird at the 3, and both have LeBron coming off the bench. ... My game plan wouldn't change at all. I'd want my team to play at a grinding, super slow pace. The issue is that you obviously have the only center with a chance of being able to contain Shaq without a double team. I would feed O'Neal early and see how the matchup is fairing. I see two reasons your defense will struggle against my team - Nowitski will stretch Malone out to the perimeter, and I don't think Jerry West could keep up with Ray Allen zipping all over the floor. I still think my team could get open shots, but the Bird/Bird cancellation and the fact that Shaq is guarded by Wilt worries me a little bit. The biggest problem would be the rebounding - Wilt and Malone together would destroy Shaq and Dirk on the boards, so I don't like that. Your team only has two guys that can shoot from outside while mine has four, so I have some concerns about how your half court offense will compare with mine, but I think it's pretty tough to call because you have better shot blocking and rebounding. I still think my team fits together better (though yours probably has more overall talent). I'm picking my guys in 7.

[I<3NBA]

PG Magic
SG Jordan
SF Bird
PF Lebron
C Wilt

6th man Shaq

[hateraid]

PG- Magic Johnson
SG- Kobe Bryant
SF- Lebron James
PF- Kevin Garnett
C- David Robinson

6th- Charles Barkley

I picked this team for the ability to transition. This would be the greatest defense to offense team ever assembled with an ability to modestly stretch the floor in a half court set. Lot's of length and mismatch potential.

[Prometheus]

My submissions, loved yours and the reasons why you made them. In your opinion how would each of yours fair against mine?


C-Wilt-67 role
PF-Malone
SF-Bird
SG-West
PG -Robertson
6th-LeBron


C- Thurmond
PF- Hakeem
SF-Pippen
SG-Jordan
PG-West
6th-Kareem

Now for AvB...

Shaq - Thurmond
Nowitski - Hakeem
Bird - Pippen
Allen - Jordan
Stockton - West

LeBron - Kareem

First of all, didn't you say in your OP that we couldn't put a guy in a position he wasn't known for playing? I don't recall Hakeem logging any minutes at the four... that being said, Nate Thurmond would be much more likely to play power forward on this team, and since Shaq would slaughter him moreso than Hakeem, I'll just switch it for you and put Hakeem at center. I think your first team could have won, but I really don't see any chance for this one. Hakeem did well against young Shaq, but he never had to deal with O'Neal at his peak. None of your centers are strong enough to deny Shaq his deep position, and so you would be forced to double team... Which is why I have four supreme three point shooters. Who will you leave open for the double? Stockton, Allen, Bird, Dirk? No good options. My offense would crush with minimal effort. Just feed the big guy, and make the obvious play. Jordan and Pippen make for a killer wing defense, but I really won't be looking for Allen or Bird to create their own shot against this team very much. Allen will test Jordan's cardio and try to make him work as much as possible - that matchup will be a nightmare for me on the other end, but the point is that Jordan would have to exert so much more energy to dominate his matchup than Shaq would his. And if Jordan starts abusing Allen too badly, I'll sub in LeBron and at least guard him respectably. I'm feeling four or five games on this one. (To be clear, I honestly thought the other matchup could have gone either way, I just picked my team because it's my team )

[jongib369]

Now for AvB...

Shaq - Thurmond
Nowitski - Hakeem
Bird - Pippen
Allen - Jordan
Stockton - West

LeBron - Kareem

First of all, didn't you say in your OP that we couldn't put a guy in a position he wasn't known for playing? I don't recall Hakeem logging any minutes at the four... that being said, Nate Thurmond would be much more likely to play power forward on this team, and since Shaq would slaughter him moreso than Hakeem, I'll just switch it for you and put Hakeem at center. I think your first team could have won, but I really don't see any chance for this one. Hakeem did well against young Shaq, but he never had to deal with O'Neal at his peak. None of your centers are strong enough to deny Shaq his deep position, and so you would be forced to double team... Which is why I have four supreme three point shooters. Who will you leave open for the double? Stockton, Allen, Bird, Dirk? No good options. My offense would crush with minimal effort. Just feed the big guy, and make the obvious play. Jordan and Pippen make for a killer wing defense, but I really won't be looking for Allen or Bird to create their own shot against this team very much. Allen will test Jordan's cardio and try to make him work as much as possible - that matchup will be a nightmare for me on the other end, but the point is that Jordan would have to exert so much more energy to dominate his matchup than Shaq would his. And if Jordan starts abusing Allen too badly, I'll sub in LeBron and at least guard him respectably. I'm feeling four or five games on this one. (To be clear, I honestly thought the other matchup could have gone either way, I just picked my team because it's my team )

Just put that team together to have a second, I'll change it up to this to actually follow my own rules....

C-Wilt-67 role
PF-Garnett
SF-Pippen
SG-Kobe
PG-Magic
6th-Havlicek


To clarify you think Thurmond would play Shaq defensively worse than Hakeem? Considering there's only two players in history to make Kareem average below 50% I'm thinking if anything it'd have to be equal

[TheMarkMadsen]

you guys are pairing too many ball dominant players together.

I like my team, they'd work well together and wouldn't have a problem knowing who gets what shots. Plus their defense would be insane

[MavsSuperFan]

Shaquille
Duncan
Lebron
MJ
Magic

6th man: bird

[Prometheus]

To clarify you think Thurmond would play Shaq defensively worse than Hakeem? Considering there's only two players in history to make Kareem average below 50% I'm thinking if anything it'd have to be equal

Shaq has repeatedly stated that Hakeem was his biggest challenge over the course of his career, but I'm basing this more off of size than anything. Hakeem was 7'0, 255 lbs., Thurmond was only 6'11, 225 lbs. He was probably stronger than Hakeem (at least... he looks like he was), but peak Shaq was upwards of 350. The size difference is just so extreme... I still think Wilt is the only person in history that might have been able to guard him one-on-one. What Thurmond was able to do against Kareem is not important to me - Kareem presents the exact opposite challenge as a center. He was skinny and finesse oriented.

Also, I'm still going to give some analysis for the other teams you offered up, but life outside of ISH is demanding right now so I'll get to it later. Feel free to provide some of your own.