Dream Team (character counts!) Topic

Just for fun, I was just thinking about all-time dream teams today, and was interested to hear others' thoughts on which of the all-time greats would work best together.  A tournament of dream teams in the Sim would be cool, though I was thinking about including the intangibles as well...

Here's mine (for today at least).

C: Kareem (71-72)--2nd scoring option, punish undersized frontcourts; can shoot mid-range; won't let you down at the FT line
PF: Rodman (95-96)--defense, rebounding; a year where he's not too crazy to work well with other star players
SF: 'Bron (11-12)--3rd scoring option, secondary distributor, fills the lane on breaks; a superior version of James Worthy or Pippen who can also wall off the perimeter with MJ
SG: Air Jordan (88-89)--1st scoring option, our anchor defensively against other teams' best perimeter penetrator
PG: Magic (86-87)--primary distributor, 4th scoring option

Bench

F/C: Duncan (03-04)--1st big off the bench, balanced scoring/rebounding/defense, good character guy to come in after Rodman gets T'd up
G/F: Bird (85-86)--fill-in-the-blanks guy, on the floor when going small for perimeter shooting
PG: Payton (94-95)--defensive specialist to shut down waterbug PGs Magic can't handle
SG: Ray Allen (01-02)--3pt specialist, stretch the floor, tire defenders for MJ to abuse

Nine guys is all we really need, with somewhat limited minutes for Payton & Allen.  For the deep bench, I would go with:

F: Barkley (87-88) --toughness, rebounding--keeps guys motivated in practice
G: Oscar Robertson (62-63) --ultimate combo-guard
C: Kwame Brown (01-02) --Just kidding.

12th man: 

F/C: Bill Russell (63-64) --rebounding, defense, blocks, team spirit... No matter what the situation, in practice or in a game, who would do more to ensure a win?


Very interested to see others' thoughts here....
8/5/2012 3:48 PM

Starting Lineup:
 '66-'67 Chamberlain - absolutely sick numbers
 '58-59 to '66-'67 - Bill Russell - would do all the things you pointed out in your russell. The ultimate winner, along with Jordan. Wouldn't commit the stupid fouls that Rodman does.
'08-'09 to '11-'12 Lebron - for all the same reasons you gave
'87-'88 to '91-'92 Jordan - for all the same reasons you gave
'09-'10 Jason Kidd - does some of the same things as Magic, but is known as a better defender, doesn't turn the ball over near as much, and provides excellent perimeter scoring to spread out opposition defence

Bench - Duncan for the same reasons
Bird - for the same reasons
Payton - for the same reasons
Allen - for the same reasons
Barkley - for the same reasons
Magic - for the same reasons you had him in the starting lineup
Kareem - for the same reasons you had him in the starting lineup

8/7/2012 12:42 PM
Would definitely be interesting to see Wilt & Russell play together--perhaps Wilt's psyche would benefit, and he could reach his potential that way. 
8/7/2012 2:25 PM
anyone who doesnt have Magic starting doesnt understand the excercise - who would be better at orchestrating the egos and making sure everyone gets their touches? he's the only one who actually did something like that every game through most of his career - besides picking Mike at the 2 spot it's the easiest decision to make (Kidd doing 'the same things as Magic' is like some guy playing putt-putt doing the same things as Tiger - "sure he's striking the ball, that's kind of the same thing" smh)

Magic - who else is going to run the three ring circus? this is a leader and the best ever at running a varied balanced offense which with these egos is a high priority
Mike - is Mike
Bird - you could go with Lebron here but you already have Mike - Larry is a better compliment and about 80 times more clutch
Russell - I actually think with his mobility and athleticism he could give a stretch 4 like Dirk nightmares
Wilt - forget the paint

West - country mile range - dont worry about needing a specialist when you can have the clutch, the explosiveness and the lock down at either guard position plus the range 
Lebron - pick a position, you're covered
Rodman - pick a position, you're covered (figuratively)
Hakeem - elite defense at either power position depending on match-ups (mid 90s model for the unstoppable post game)
Shaq or Kareem - pick one just to make opponents cry just when they think they're getting a break when Wilt steps off the floor
mid 90s Pippen - can do just about anything you ask

8/7/2012 2:38 PM
Dream team
Pg- magic
Sg- Air Jordan
SF- bird- only because they need a starting sharp shooter.
PF-duncan bringing elite D-fence and rebounding and well the best PF ever
C-Kareem- I try to keep 60's players off great teams because the dominated in a college lvl nba
Bench- Reggie miller, lebron James, Rodnan, Shaq and isiah Thomas
Felonius bird was not 80 times more clutch lebron proved this year that with 5 min left he's up there with the greats, ya I still wouldn't trust him with game winner but you think Jordan is going to let anyone shoot besides him

8/8/2012 1:09 AM
80 times just by sheer incident count - Clutch in 80 more individual in-game circumstances than Lebron has ever been - you could probably catalogue it shot by shot or game by game

plus much more complimentary to the overall team offense
8/8/2012 1:43 AM
I came up with the following Dream Team:

The Starters: Very Balanced lineup with all time winners. A lot of egos to stroke. Kareem gets in at center for basically being the most reliable low post scorer ever. Bird gets the call at SF for toughness and shooting.

Magic, Mj, Bird, Russell, Kareem

The bench (press): The idea here was to pair 4 guys with MJ to run a press defense for stretches. Can't think of a Much better press lineup.
Payton, (MJ), Pippen, Lebron, Hakeem

Deep Bench: I didn't think I could bury 3 more all time greats down here. Rodman can play with either the starters or the press group depending on matchups. Maravich and Price are just here to shoot 3's.

Rodman,Maravich, Price  

Anyway, I could have grabbed guys like Wilt, Shaq or Kobe for the bench but I wanted to mix it up a bit.

I put this team together in NBA2k12 and simmed the 82 game season and playoffs. The team lost 1 game all year. A regular season game 120-119 to.. Indiana. Of course, I had to turn off team chemistry to keep everyone from ******** about playing time.




8/8/2012 10:24 AM (edited)
@steelers - I like that you give Isiah some respect. He gets dissed a lot when these things come up. But we are supposed to take chemistry into account... and I don't want Jordan to refuse to play. For that matter.. I'm not sure Bird or Magic would be that hot about playing with Isiah. From a pure basketball perspective, I thought having Payton as Magic's backup made sense anyway.. A defensive stopper to cover Magic in that area.
8/8/2012 10:08 AM
Bill Simmons put together a team in his book.. Post merger guys only. 

86 Bird
03 Duncan
85 Magic
92 Jordan
77 Kareem
---------
86 McHale
92 Pippen
77 Walton

01 Kobe

09 Wade
09 Paul
10 Lebron 
01 Ray Allen

8/8/2012 2:17 PM (edited)
Posted by felonius on 8/8/2012 1:44:00 AM (view original):
80 times just by sheer incident count - Clutch in 80 more individual in-game circumstances than Lebron has ever been - you could probably catalogue it shot by shot or game by game

plus much more complimentary to the overall team offense
I think it would be funny to watch LBJ try to sneak in and get to the powder toss before MJ!
8/8/2012 10:26 AM
just to be clear Im talking about things like this: hey Xavier here's what's going to happen....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6sLMupoQLQ

can anyone here imagine Lebron doing that? not just wanting the last shot (Lebron's just learning how to take it, let alone want it and assume it's his by right like Larry did) but then telling your opponent when and where and how it's going to happen and then doing it (and there's a similar stories from Horace Grant amongst others)
8/8/2012 12:50 PM (edited)
After Bird made four straight baskets with Dennis Rodman guarding him, he ran over to Chuck Daly and asked "who's guarding me, Chuck? Is anyone guarding me? You better get someone on me or I'm gonna go for 60." Then he'd continue the banter the next time he got the ball with Rodman inches away.

"I started talking a little trash to him," Horace Grant recalled, when the Celtics were the defending champions. "I'm saying, 'You're not going to score. You're not getting this basket. I remember him then telling me exactly what he was going to do to me. He says he's going to fake me left and then he's going to shoot a right-hand hook over me. And then he goes and does it and scores."

On a West Coast trip in 1986, Bird told the entire Dallas Mavericks bench that after the time out, Ainge would inbounds the pass to DJ, who would hit Bird in the corner where Bird would step back and take a three. "So you got that?" Bird queried the bench. "I'm gonna stand right here. I'm not going to move. They'll pass me the ball, and the next sound you hear will be the ball hitting the bottom of the net." And that's exactly what happened. Bird winked at the Mavericks before heading back down to the other end of the court.

When the Indiana Pacers put rookie George McCloud on Bird in the closing minutes of a game, Bird yelled over to the Pacers bench, "Hey, I know you guys are desperate, but can't you find someone who at least has a prayer?"

After Craig Hodges won the NBA All-Star Game Three-Point contest in Bird's absence, Hodges was asked if the victory was tainted because Bird hadn't participated. "He knows where he can find me," was Hodges retort. Told of Hodges' challenge, Bird replied, "Yeah, at the end of the Bulls bench."

During the three-point shooting contest on All-Star Weekend 1986, Bird entered the locker room, looked around for a while without saying a word, when he finally spoke he said, "I want all of you to know I am winning this thing. I'm just looking around to see who's gonna finish up second." He won the shooting contest.

During one game on Christmas Day against the Indiana Pacers, before the game Bird told Chuck Person that he had a Christmas present waiting for him. During the game, when Person was on the bench, Bird shot a three-pointer on the baseline right in front of Person. Immediately after releasing the ball, Bird said to Person, "Merry ****in' Christmas!", and then the shot went in. This was no doubt inspired by Person (nicknamed the "Rifleman") stating prior to the game that "The Rifleman is Coming, and He's Going Bird Hunting."

Reggie Miller recalled his encounter with Larry Bird's legendary trash talking ability in his book "I Love Being The Enemy". Reggie tried to disrupt Larry's concentration when he was shooting free throws late in a game. Larry glared at him, made the first free throw and said, "Rook, I am the best ****ing shooter in the league. In the league, understand? And you're up here trying to ****ing tell me something?" Then Larry buried the second free throw.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

so you got that? that's what cold blooded clutch looks like, Lebron is great in a lot of different ways but sure as hell aint got that


8/8/2012 12:56 PM (edited)
@felonius- awesome.
8/8/2012 1:00 PM
Posted by logain on 8/8/2012 10:18:00 AM (view original):
Bill Simmons put together a team in his book.. Post merger guys only. 

86 Bird
03 Duncan
85 Magic
92 Jordan
77 Kareem
---------
86 McHale
92 Pippen
77 Walton
01 Kobe
09 Wade
09 Paul
10 Lebron 
01 Ray Allen

no Shaq, no Hakeem, 4 guys who played for the celtics v 3 guys who played for the Lakers ( as opposed to 4 celtic titles v  10 Lakers titles (since 77)) : invalid
8/8/2012 1:06 PM (edited)
Posted by caesari on 8/8/2012 1:00:00 PM (view original):
@felonius- awesome.
merry ****ing christmas
8/8/2012 1:04 PM
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