So with Summer League pretty much a wrap and the worst time of the year for Hoops on the horizon, I'm bored and was thinking. I've heard Shaq mention many times his top players ever. Whether top 5, top 10 or best starting five. A while back he stated that no five dudes could ever beat... Shaq LeBron MJ Kobe AI I mean Shaq's five in this scenario is crazy offensively, but could they even play together. Two ball dominant dudes on a team can be tough as is, but five? Although my 4 and 5 have never wavered, I have bounced back and forth hypothetically on 1-3. In the end I decided on a group some might question, but I have no doubt could take them. Dream Duncan Kawhi KD Magic Tell me I'm wrong. So my question to you all. All players in their prime, what five you got against Shaq's?
Shaq's team is weak on 3-point shooting and passing/vision... and is too many ball-dominant players... especially with Iverson and Kobe... no role players. This team wins more than they lose against them. PG: Reid Sheppard (shooting, vision) SG: Kawhi Leonard (defense) SF: Larry Bird (defense, shooting, vision) PF: Tim Duncan (defense, rebounding) C: Hakeem Olajuwon (defense, offense) Bench: Steph Curry (shooting), Kevin Durant (shooting), Jock Landale (rim protection)
C: Wilt Chamberlain PF: Tim Duncan SF: Larry Bird SG: Tracy McGrady PG: Oscar Robertson Bigger and Stronger at every position. Better shooting. Better Defense. Better Passing.
It's extremely difficult to beat a team with both MJ and LeBron on the same team. I like that list but perhaps tweak it, as Garnett would be better on switches on wings defensively than Duncan in this era. As guys like LeBron, MJ and Kobe might actually hunt Tim on switches. Explosive, quicker players like Amare gave him trouble occasionally and they would hide him on defense at times in the playoffs, with others guarding him as his team was usually better. AI is the weak link there, so if you attack that perhaps. C: Dream PF: Garnett SF: Durant SG: Kawhi PG: Curry Should be enough offense, better defense, more cohesive and enough spacing. It will be close and difficult to beat that MJ and LeBron team but if Curry can dominate AI, Kawhi and Garnett can hold their own it's a good shot.
Give me all these guys in their absolute prime and I'll whip his teams ass! C - Chamberlain (unstoppable both sides) PF - Olajuwon (unstoppable both sides) SF - Bird (unstoppable both sides + psych warfare) SG - Harden (unstoppable offense + play making) PG - Stockton (Elite shooting, play making and defense)
Dream Kemp Bird KD Gary Payton Dream owns Shaq and breaks down their defense every time down the court. Payton could give AI fits on both ends. KD and Bird hit shots like crazy and Kemp was good enough athletically to play against LeBron. I assume all ten are in their prime? My biggest concern is having multiple players be able to get the ball to Dream in the post, but I'd take my five with a little nervousness if I was betting, but I do think they'd come out on top 7/10 times.
Did Shaq have a brain aneurism? Why is AI in his top 5? That instantly blows up their team chemistry because the other 4 guys would get sick and tired of AI dribbling the ball 95% of the time and throw him off the team because he's the least talented of everyone by a wide margin on both ends of the floor. I think he's the biggest ball hog in NBA history (yes, even more than Luka). He's not even a top 50 player in NBA history. All you have to do is replace AI with a legit great PG and Shaq's team is for sure unbeatable, especially with MJ and LeBron on the same team.
With Shaq yelling, "Give me the damn ball" under the basket. And with Iverson on the team, they wouldn't have to practice.
As others said AI is the weak link in that top 5. Shaq KD Kawhi MJ Lebron I think KD is one of the best players ever ability wise, people just discount everything he did after he went to GSW. Kawhi was breaking basketball before injuries hit him hard, he is like Pippen 2.0 if he plays on this team. Lebron is prob the best pg ever all things considered.
