Bill Simmons' All-Time Team (Dont click this thread if you haven't finished his book)

[1987_Lakers]

So I'm reading his new book and his all-time team is...

C - 1977 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
PF - 2003 Tim Duncan
SF - 1986 Larry Bird
SG - 1992 Michael Jordan
PG - 1985 Magic Johnson
BENCH
1977 Bill Walton
2001 Kobe Bryant
1986 Kevin McHale
2009 LeBron James
1992 Scottie Pippen
2009 Dwayne Wade
2009 Chris Paul
2001 Ray Allen


I personally love this team. It has everything.

[EricForman]

So I'm reading his new book and his all-time team is...

C - 1977 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
PF - 2003 Tim Duncan
SF - 1986 Larry Bird
SG - 1992 Michael Jordan
PG - 1985 Magic Johnson
BENCH
1977 Bill Walton
2001 Kobe Bryant
1986 Kevin McHale
2009 LeBron James
1992 Scottie Pippen
2009 Dwayne Wade
2009 Chris Paul
2001 Ray Allen


I personally love this team. It has everything.

i think the one weakness is it lacks killer outside shooting. if ray is hurt or goes cold they dont have one of them spot up deadly shooters who spaces the floor (bird could shoot threes no doubt but hes such a deadlier midrange shooter/attacker)

id switch mchale with a legendary spot up shooter but simmons is a celtics homer so he had to have mchale in there

[Abraham Lincoln]

C: 1967 Wilt Chamberlain
C: 1962 Bill Russell
F: 1976 Julius Erving
G: 1966 Jerry West
G: 1964 Oscar Robertson

Bench:

2000 Shaquille O'Neal
1990 Charles Barkley
1997 Glen Rice
1995 David Robinson
1983 Moses Malone
2001 Allen Iverson
1967 Hal Greer
1990 Dennis Rodman
1981 Bobby Jones

[Fiyah]

I'd agree about the lack of outside shooting. I mean no team is beating that team anyway, they are way too good for everyone, but if you had to pick one slight weakness it'd be 3 point shooting.

[che guevara]

i think the one weakness is it lacks killer outside shooting. if ray is hurt or goes cold they dont have one of them spot up deadly shooters who spaces the floor (bird could shoot threes no doubt but hes such a deadlier midrange shooter/attacker)

id switch mchale with a legendary spot up shooter but simmons is a celtics homer so he had to have mchale in there

Who would you put instead of Mchale? '09 Anthony Parker (55% from 3 so far)? Robert Horry?

Oh, and Abe, your list is just garbage. The bias towards the older generation is a really annoying gimmick - you don't really think Jerry West would be better than prime Michael Jordan, do you?

[ShaqAttack3234]

My all time team

C- 2000 Shaquille O'Neal
F- 1994 Hakeem Olajuwon
F- 1986 Larry Bird
G- 1991 Michael Jordan
G- 1987 Magic Johnson

Bench 1967 Wilt Chamberlain, 2009 Lebron James, 2008 Kobe Bryant, 2007 Steve Nash, 1993 Charles Barkley, 2001 Ray Allen, 1992 Scottie Pippen

[chitownsfinest]

Who would you put instead of Mchale? '09 Anthony Parker (55% from 3 so far)? Robert Horry?

Oh, and Abe, your list is just garbage. The bias towards the older generation is a really annoying gimmick - you don't really think Jerry West would be better than prime Michael Jordan, do you?

He put a team together that would compete with the team Bill Simmons came up with, meaning he can't have any of the players listed originally. He is really biased towards Philly players though (he has 7 in total), lol.

[che guevara]

He put a team together that would compete with the team Bill Simmons came up with, meaning he can't have any of the players listed originally. He is really biased towards Philly players though (he has 7 in total), lol.

I thought he made that list based on the scenario that Bill Simmons described in his book.

[che guevara]

My all time team

C- 2000 Shaquille O'Neal
F- 1994 Hakeem Olajuwon
F- 1986 Larry Bird
G- 1991 Michael Jordan
G- 1987 Magic Johnson

Bench 1967 Wilt Chamberlain, 2009 Lebron James, 2008 Kobe Bryant, 2007 Steve Nash, 1993 Charles Barkley, 2001 Ray Allen, 1992 Scottie Pippen

Why 1991 MJ and not 1990? Why 1994 Hakeem instead of 1995? Why 2008 Kobe over 2003, or 2006, or 2007, or over 2009 D Wade? I'm not saying anything is dumb, it's just that I like to read your explanations for everything. And no Kareem?

[kshutts1]

I have not read the book, so if there were guidelines followed that go against what I say, sorry...

Anyway, 3 point shooting is obviously missed, but a couple other things -- no Shaq? and along the same vein, it is a very small team.. KAJ, Duncan, McHale and Walton is it for big men.. I would have left off Wade (doesn't add 3 point shooting, so as a guard his skills are very redundant and unnecessary with Jordan and Kobe and Lebron there) and throw Shaq in instead.

[1987_Lakers]

I have not read the book, so if there were guidelines followed that go against what I say, sorry...

Anyway, 3 point shooting is obviously missed, but a couple other things -- no Shaq? and along the same vein, it is a very small team.. KAJ, Duncan, McHale and Walton is it for big men.. I would have left off Wade (doesn't add 3 point shooting, so as a guard his skills are very redundant and unnecessary with Jordan and Kobe and Lebron there) and throw Shaq in instead.

I would have also left off Wade, except I would of thrown in Jerry West instead. With Jerry West, this team all of a sudden becomes a very good shooting team.

[ShaqAttack3234]

Why 1991 MJ and not 1990? Why 1994 Hakeem instead of 1995? Why 2008 Kobe over 2003, or 2006, or 2007, or over 2009 D Wade? I'm not saying anything is dumb, it's just that I like to read your explanations for everything. And no Kareem?

1991 Jordan didn't dominate the ball the same way and I think he'd fit in better. I do rank 1990 Jordan as the best version(slightly ahead of 1991). Jordan showed how good of a playmaker he was in the '91 finals by matching Magic in the assists department. I chose 1994 Hakeem because he was better rebounder and he blocked more shots. I thought that'd be a better fit with so many scorers. I also have 1995 Hakeem as the best version(because of the playoffs).

As far as 2008 Kobe, I honestly think that's his overall peak. I use to have 2003 Kobe as the best version, but Kobe in 2008 seemed in control of the game more. He'd start off the games setting up his teammates and making them better(particularly Vujacic, Bynum, Farmar and Radmonovic) and then he'd take over late with his scoring. 2007 Kobe was showing that early in the season when the team was overacheiving before injuries, but I thought that was his worst season defensively.

If you're just asking best single seasons of any players at specific positions then I'd probably choose.

C- 2000 Shaq
PF- 1993 Barkley
SF- 1986 Bird
SG- 1990 Jordan
PG- 1987 Magic

Duncan was really playing center alongside Malik Rose as often as he was playing PF next to David Robinson in 2002 and 2003 so I didn't count him as a PF those seasons.

[steve]

I would have also left off Wade, except I would of thrown in Jerry West instead. With Jerry West, this team all of a sudden becomes a very good shooting team.

Well, he also had the caveat of using only players that he'd seen play, so that would've left West or most any players pre-1980 off.

[Abraham Lincoln]

C: 1967 Wilt Chamberlain
C: 1962 Bill Russell
F: 1976 Julius Erving
G: 1966 Jerry West
G: 1964 Oscar Robertson

Bench:

2000 Shaquille O'Neal
1990 Charles Barkley
1997 Glen Rice
1995 David Robinson
1983 Moses Malone
2001 Allen Iverson
1967 Hal Greer
1990 Dennis Rodman
1981 Bobby Jones

Simmons knows it. And by the silence in this thread the common man knows it as well. This team would beat his team in a 7 game series.

To make a correction however, O'Neal/Wilt can alternate between the starting role/6th man. Just that Russell must be a starter.

[CB4GOATPF]

C: 1967-68 Wilt Olajuwon or 1994-95 CF: Hakem Olajuwon
PF: 1989-90: Charles Barkley
SF: 1985-86: Larry Bird
SG: 1992-93: Michael Jordan
PG/Point F: 1986-87: Magic Johnson

Bench:

C: 1999-2000: Shaq O Niel
C: 1976-77: Kareem A. Jabbar
SF/PF/CF: 2002-2003: Kevin Garnett
PG/SF/Point F: 1993-94: Scottie Pippen
PG: 1987-88: John Stockton
PG/CG/SG: 1962-63: Oscar Robertson

-I did not pick Duncan stricktly because i can put Hakeem at the CF next to a Center or Charles at the PF and have a Superior Post Player that will cause more missmatch problems than him (not because Garnett is better). To compensate for D i have Chamberlain as an Interior Defender, Hakeem (The Gratest All Around Defending Big Man Ever and Skilled Post Player Ever Along McHale) whom will cause Havoc on both PFs and Cs d to Missmatch Problems.

Himself in a twin Tower System if needed along Wilt and Garnett comming of the bench for fast break points and to D up with some SFs or PFs.

-I did not pick Dr J or Karl Malone cause similar reasons: I have Barkley as a PF that can not only finish like Malone (a 1985-1993 version ofcourse) but can also handle the rock go coast to coast and pass off for better desicion making. I did not pick Dr J cause i have Pippen whom was a Better Defender (Whole Court Wise and Matchups against taller-bigger and smaller player) and can give me a similar response on the break to finish off a play and was a Better Game Creator.

I would usually play:

Wilt, Hakeem, Charles, Big 0 and Magic (Feed The Frontliners For Post Fouls On Every Play)
Wilt, Hakeem, Bird, Jordan and Stockton (Feed The Frontliners, Move Around, Pass Off and Let Jordan Slash Once in a While)

For Some Parts of the Game i would play a total Loose Game with the "2 Dobbermans at the Perimeter D"

Shaq, Garnett, Charles, MJ and Pippen (Fast Break Machine Gun at both the Backcourt and Frontcourt)

If my Team Lacks 3-Point Shooting...Then I Will Adjut For Every Play Tu Run a Pick and Roll for Bird to Get Loose