I have wanted to do a piece on what NBA star I would want on my franchise if I was starting a team. The constraint to this argument is that it’s just for one season, not who to build the franchise around for the long haul (clearly James would be the choice). Here are the players I would want on my team if I was making a championship run this season.1. Kobe Bryant – Simply put, the best player in the game. Has everything in his arsenal; superior ball handling skills, ferocious defense, unlimited range, and the ability to get to the rim at will. I’m not putting Kobe on the same level as MJ quite yet, but he exhibits the same will to win that MJ had, and that is something you can’t teach.
2. LeBron James – James is certainly the future of this league (total dominance for the next decade), in the mean time being 1B to Bryant is nothing to complain about. James has the ability to make everyone on the court better (take a look at the roster). The NBA, or any pro sport for that matter has never seen and athlete with the speed, size, and power of a LeBron James.
3. Chris Paul – You could make the argument that Dwayne Wade should be #3, and I respect that. However Paul’s court vision is what sets him apart in this league. His supporting cast is nothing to get excited about, and any accolades they receive is due solely to Paul’s brilliance. On a side note, Paul doesn’t average 25 plus a night like the others listed, but lets be honest he could get 30 a night without breaking a sweat if he wanted to.
4. Dwayne Wade – What Wade is doing in Miami this season is nothing short of amazing. When your second best player is a broken down, washed up Jermaine O’Neal, and your team is in the playoff hunt, then you are doing something right. Wade has improved his overall game, and every night he is performing like he did in the 2006 NBA finals. If you don’t recall Wade single-handedly carried that team to the NBA championship over Dallas, while overcoming an 0-2 series deficit.
5. Dwight Howard – Howard is a bit of an enigma to me. One night the guy is getting 35 and 20, and the next 15 and 7. His level of consistency isn’t near the others on this list, however he is the most dominant big man in the league and gives the Magic the inside presence they so desperately need.
6. Deron Williams – An under rated player in my opinion, Williams has the overall game to possibly surpass Paul if this list were to come out two years from now. He is playing the John Stockton role in Utah to perfection, while having no Karl Malone sidekick anywhere in sight on that roster. When healthy, Williams is what makes the Jazz tick, and they could sneak up on the Lakers this year in the West playoffs.
7. Brandon Roy – “The Natural”, Roy’s game isn’t flashy, and it often looks like he is playing in slow motion. He has the blazers vying for home court advantage in the first round, and without him this team would be vying for the first pick in the NBA draft. This level headed star will be an All Star for the next decade, but unfortunately may never get the national attention he deserves because of his team first mentality.
No comments:
Post a Comment