Your All-Time Starting 5

[The Big Squeezy]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

Since I was one of the guys to put Dr. J in my starting lineup over LeBron; let me elaborate. I put him there because he's my favorite player in NBA history (followed by Brad Daugherty and Hakeem). I didn't put him there because I think he's better than LeBron (which I do, but that has a lot to do with the fact that I'm a jaded Cleveland fan).

Edit: I also put Hakeem at the 4 in my starting lineup because he played the 4 his first few years in the league when he played besides Ralph Sampson (kinda like Timmy did with D. Robinson even though they're both centers) so I saw it as an opportunity to put him up there because I can't leave on of my favorite players off of my All Time Starting 5 but I also can't dis-include Wilt.

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

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[Jeffx]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

Since I was one of the guys to put Dr. J in my starting lineup over LeBron; let me elaborate. I put him there because he's my favorite player in NBA history (followed by Brad Daugherty and Hakeem). I didn't put him there because I think he's better than LeBron (which I do, but that has a lot to do with the fact that I'm a jaded Cleveland fan).

You should have seen The Doctor during his ABA days. I lived in Uniondale, and my dad used to take me to see the Nets at the Nassau Coliseum. My jaw would drop watching Dr.J operate. After so many crushing playoff losses, I was ecstatic when he finally won in 1983.

[Drewski]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

After some careful consideration over the weekend, I'd have to put Bird in over Bron at the small forward.

[wwharton]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

Just from players I have seen, with the respective version of them I would pick:

Really like how you qualified that. Gives the list more weight imo.

After some careful consideration over the weekend, I'd have to put Bird in over Bron at the small forward.

Props to you man... not even bc you switched to the side I was arguing but just coming in and saying you changed your mind like that gets props from me.

[Drewski]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

Props to you man... not even bc you switched to the side I was arguing but just coming in and saying you changed your mind like that gets props from me.

I'm not hard headed, I thought about this long and hard over the weekend and had a few discussions with people. I love the NBA, always thirsty for more. Bird just... had intangibles that Lebron will never touch. Natural instincts that can't be learned. I'm comfortable enough with my NBA knowledge to admit when I've made right/wrong calls (even if this is a subjective list, I think it's extremely difficult to pick a perfect objective 5 players, but I'm sure with some Hollinger advanced stats we could figure out statistically at least who the best five were, but that's far beside the point.).

I'm slightly surprised Kevin Garnett isn't getting alot of love, not because I'd pick him, but because two of my good friends who jabber NBA all day almost instantly went with KG at the PF.

[wwharton]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

I'm not hard headed, I thought about this long and hard over the weekend and had a few discussions with people. I love the NBA, always thirsty for more. Bird just... had intangibles that Lebron will never touch. Natural instincts that can't be learned. I'm comfortable enough with my NBA knowledge to admit when I've made right/wrong calls (even if this is a subjective list, I think it's extremely difficult to pick a perfect objective 5 players, but I'm sure with some Hollinger advanced stats we could figure out statistically at least who the best five were, but that's far beside the point.).

I'm slightly surprised Kevin Garnett isn't getting alot of love, not because I'd pick him, but because two of my good friends who jabber NBA all day almost instantly went with KG at the PF.

I think I'll throw some fuel on the KG fire here. Everyone agrees that KG is one of the greatest PF's to ever play and MAY be the best defensively (him or Timmy imo) but like you said, he's not getting much love. You have to wonder if even though people use the Celtics as the reason it's ok the current Heat got together to win a ring, KG's inability to win it before leaving to go to another team is hurting the perception of him in this case.

Just throwing it out there... it could just as easily be all his years in Minnesota without many eyes on him or the idea that he couldn't win there (which would support the argument that players should leave that kind of situation before its too late).

[Drewski]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

I think I'll throw some fuel on the KG fire here. Everyone agrees that KG is one of the greatest PF's to ever play and MAY be the best defensively (him or Timmy imo) but like you said, he's not getting much love. You have to wonder if even though people use the Celtics as the reason it's ok the current Heat got together to win a ring, KG's inability to win it before leaving to go to another team is hurting the perception of him in this case.

Just throwing it out there... it could just as easily be all his years in Minnesota without many eyes on him or the idea that he couldn't win there (which would support the argument that players should leave that kind of situation before its too late).

I dont think the coming together with Pierce and Ray has a negative effect on any of those three, oddly enough. We didn't hear nearly as many whispers of these three guys can't do it alone, as we did in regards to Bron. In fact, you don't really even hear it about Wade because he had his own ring to claim I suppose, and I don't think anyone expected Bosh to carry a team to a title so he doesn't catch that flak.

I'd go with option two - that his years in Minny didn't get him the exposure, especially with a Kobe/Shaq dominated west (Or Timmy depending on the year). I think KG deserves a look, especially when considering defense and intangibles (and he wasn't anything to take lightly on the offensive end either). I'd like to play devil's advocate with KG, but I'm not sure how to dismiss Duncan.

[55]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

Really like how you qualified that. Gives the list more weight imo.

I just don't think it would have been fair of me to include players I have never seen play before.

The Johnson/Jordan/Bird/Garnett/Olajuwon starting five that I picked comes out to this per game:

134.0 PTS, 53.3 REB, 35.9 AST, 9.6 STL, 8.7 BLK, .519 FG%, .843 FT%

Who needs a bench?

[wwharton]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

I dont think the coming together with Pierce and Ray has a negative effect on any of those three, oddly enough. We didn't hear nearly as many whispers of these three guys can't do it alone, as we did in regards to Bron. In fact, you don't really even hear it about Wade because he had his own ring to claim I suppose, and I don't think anyone expected Bosh to carry a team to a title so he doesn't catch that flak.

I'd go with option two - that his years in Minny didn't get him the exposure, especially with a Kobe/Shaq dominated west (Or Timmy depending on the year). I think KG deserves a look, especially when considering defense and intangibles (and he wasn't anything to take lightly on the offensive end either). I'd like to play devil's advocate with KG, but I'm not sure how to dismiss Duncan.

Actually we did hear that about Garnett, especially when signing Marbury turned out to be a bust. And ironically, it began the talk of Garnett being more of a "robin" than a "batman" though that duo wasn't the IN term to use for it. The difference is he didn't leave as a free agent imo... he was saved, lol.

But all in all I personally agree with you that exposure played a large roll... that and Duncan being so great in so many ways that it's hard to go over him. I didn't think about it before but I think KG deserves a spot over Karl Malone.

[Drewski]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

Actually we did hear that about Garnett, especially when signing Marbury turned out to be a bust. And ironically, it began the talk of Garnett being more of a "robin" than a "batman" though that duo wasn't the IN term to use for it. The difference is he didn't leave as a free agent imo... he was saved, lol.

But all in all I personally agree with you that exposure played a large roll... that and Duncan being so great in so many ways that it's hard to go over him. I didn't think about it before but I think KG deserves a spot over Karl Malone.

Hm, perhaps I'm just being selective with my memory, but I imagine you're on the money about KG, I do remember the Marbury thing being a bust and made people wonder about KG.

But yeah... Minnesota didn't help his cause by any means. Great, great player. Glad to have seen his name come up in this thread, I think he deserves more recognition than he gets at this point.

[The15thunter]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

kevin mchale's absence, to me, is even more stunning than the lack of kevin garnett love.

[bkrich83]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

kevin mchale's absence, to me, is even more stunning than the lack of kevin garnett love.

McHale was a great low post scorer, but never put up huge scoring numbers. He wasn't a great defender. He was an average rebounder. Hell he was a 6th man for them for a large portion of his career.

I hated the Celts, but loved watching McHale just because he had every low post move in the book. He was a great player imo, but I don't think you can put him on this list.

[55]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

McHale was a great low post scorer, but never put up huge scoring numbers. He wasn't a great defender. He was an average rebounder. Hell he was a 6th man for them for a large portion of his career.

I hated the Celts, but loved watching McHale just because he had every low post move in the book. He was a great player imo, but I don't think you can put him on this list.

This.

I can think of plenty of power forwards just from the last 30 years that I would rather have.

[wwharton]

Re: Your All-Time Starting 5

kevin mchale's absence, to me, is even more stunning than the lack of kevin garnett love.

He was great but I feel like it's Duncan until you prove someone else deserves to be mentioned so I wouldn't be shocked if Duncan was the only one named. I think a young KG has an ok case to be on some lists instead of Duncan... feel no reason to argue with Malone but wouldn't pick him. I guess I put McHale in that category.