Who's your ultimate starting 5?

[raspsa]

If you had to pick 5 players from past and present NBA greats to form your starting unit,who would you select? My first team:

PG - Oscar Robertson
SG - Michael Jordan
SF - Larry Bird
PF - Tim Duncan
C - Bill Russell

I only considered players who had at least 1 NBA championship ring. This bunch has 24 rings among them!

[davi78239]

PG-John Stockton
SG-Michael Jordan
SF-Larry Bird
PF-Tim Duncan
C-Hakeem Alajawan

[NoMoneyDown]

Actually, in all fairness, you have to really wonder how affective some of the players of old (Bill Russell, Big "O") would do today. Players have gotten so much better over the years. I even wonder if some of the greats back then could even be on the bench today, let alone start and be 1st team All-everything.

[sa_butta]

PG-Magic Johnson
SG-Michael Jordan
SF-Larry Bird
PF-Tim Duncan
C-Hakeem Olajuwon

[strangeweather]

PG-Magic Johnson
SG-Michael Jordan
SF-Larry Bird
PF-Tim Duncan
C-Hakeem Olajuwon
Yeah, that's my list, too.

Olajuwon is a tough, tough call, but his game is so complete on both the offensive and defensive ends that I can't bring myself to pick anyone else.

[MrChug]

Starting, PG-John Stockton SG-Micheal Jordan SF-Larry Bird PF-Tim Duncan C- Bill Russell

[resistanze]

PG-Magic Johnson
SG-Michael Jordan
SF-Scottie Pippen
PF-Tim Duncan
C-Hakeem Olajuwon

[DirkAB]

Magic
Jordan
Bird
Malone
Kareem

[1Parker1]

Magic
Jordan
Bowen
Duncan
Shaq

:lol It's a little homeristic, but I figure, with the other 4 players, Bowen wouldn't even need to score one point.

[waly.mg]

Magic-Jordan-Bird-Duncan-Shaq

[Slinkyman]

Malik Rose
Malik Rose
Malik Rose
Malik Rose
Malik Rose

[baseline bum]

PG Magic
SG Jordan
SF Pippen
PF Duncan
C Olajuwon

Could you imagine anyone scoring on this team or keeping up with them in transition?

[Spurologist]

Magic
Jordan
Bird
TD
Wilt

[baseline bum]

Actually, in all fairness, you have to really wonder how affective some of the players of old (Bill Russell, Big "O") would do today. Players have gotten so much better over the years. I even wonder if some of the greats back then could even be on the bench today, let alone start and be 1st team All-everything.

Have you ever seen tape of Russell? He may not be an MVP right now, but I have no doubt hed be an All-Star and the DPOY every single season. He's the fastest jumper I've ever seen. He'd easily be a top-10-top-15 player in this league right now IMO.

I couldn't imagine how good Russell would be with modern weight-training programs and the like. He was already such a freak athletically.

[weidaandduncan]

Nash-Manu-Tmac-TD-Shaq guys can be great even without rings.. be objective

[TheSanityAnnex]

PG- Magic
SG- Jordan
SF- Artest
PF- Duncan
C- O'Neal

[THE SIXTH MAN]

1.)Magic
2.)Jordan
3.)Bird
4.)Duncan
5.)Shaq
:fro

[ShoogarBear]

Have you ever seen tape of Russell? He may not be an MVP right now, but I have no doubt hed be an All-Star and the DPOY every single season. He's the fastest jumper I've ever seen. He'd easily be a top-10-top-15 player in this league right now IMO.

I couldn't imagine how good Russell would be with modern weight-training programs and the like. He was already such a freak athletically.
Russell was the most technically advanced player of all time. By that I mean there has never ever been a player in any team sport (with the possible exception of Babe Ruth) who more completely changed the concepts of how the game was played. Every center who plays defense today does so doing things that Bill Russell invented.

Having said that, Russell also played in an era of mostly slow, unathletic big men (Wilt notwithstanding). And he was 6'9".

I think a parallel question to ask would be: what would Ben Wallace have done if he played in the 1960s?

[ShoogarBear]

PG-Magic Johnson
SG-Michael Jordan
SF-Larry Bird
PF-Tim Duncan
C-Hakeem Olajuwon
Center is a choice between Hakeem, Russell, and Kareem for me.

[PM5K]

Jordan
Jordan
Jordan
Jordan
Anybody @ Center..., Maybe Jordan

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Jordan
Jordan
Jordan
Jordan
Anybody @ Center..., Maybe Jordan

Starting center.....DITKA!

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

My five

Latoya
Janet
Tito
Jermaine
Michael

[strangeweather]

My five

Latoya
Janet
Tito
Jermaine
Michael
What, no love for Jackie and Marlon? :lol

[shelshor]

Actually, in all fairness, you have to really wonder how affective some of the players of old (Bill Russell, Big "O") would do today. Players have gotten so much better over the years. I even wonder if some of the greats back then could even be on the bench today, let alone start and be 1st team All-everything.
I would imagine so, if they had the same year round training programs that the guys today have; bear in mind that up until the late Nixon/early Ford administrations only a handful of players in ANY league were paid enough to live on---they all had to have at least off season jobs and a lot of them had second jobs during the season
Picture, if you will, sitting down to dinner and the doorbell rings. When you answer it, there stands Tony Parker trying to sell you a life insurance policy.
Far fetched? That's how and when John Havlicek got his start in what turned into a very nice business. Roger Staubach couldn't feed his family on what the Cowboys were paying him; he's now a very successful real estate magnate and developer. Oscar Robertson worked at a trucking company, which he later bought and still owns
The list is very long.
Perhaps a better question would be: Could today's spoiled athletes be effective if they had to have a real job during the off season?
How effective would they be if they had to have a real job during the season to feed and house their families?

[baseline bum]

Russell was the most technically advanced player of all time. By that I mean there has never ever been a player in any team sport (with the possible exception of Babe Ruth) who more completely changed the concepts of how the game was played. Every center who plays defense today does so doing things that Bill Russell invented.

Having said that, Russell also played in an era of mostly slow, unathletic big men (Wilt notwithstanding). And he was 6'9".

I think a parallel question to ask would be: what would Ben Wallace have done if he played in the 1960s?

6'9"? So waht. Hakeem is only 6'10". I maintain that I've never seen anyone even close to as quick off his feet as Russell. There's no way Wallace could block shots or board the way Russell did. The only two guys I'd ever compare to Russell defensively are Olajuwon and Robinson.

[timvp]

PG Tony Parker
SG Manu Ginobili
SF Bruce Bowen
PF Malik Rose
C Tim Duncan

[shelshor]

My starting 5:

C- Bill Russell
G- Oscar Robertson
G- George Gervin
F- Tim Duncan
F- Elgin Baylor

Sixth man- John Havlicek

[ShoogarBear]

PG Tony Parker
SG Manu Ginobili
SF Bruce Bowen
PF Malik Rose
C Tim Duncan
whottt's chode to explode in 4 . . . 3 . . .

[Bob Lanier]

PG: John Stockton
SG: Michael Jordan
SF: Dennis Rodman
PF: Hakeem Olajuwon
C: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

[1Parker1]

PG Tony Parker
SG Manu Ginobili
SF Bruce Bowen
PF Malik Rose
C Tim Duncan


:lol

[Leetonidas]

PG - Magic Johnson
SG - Michael Jordan
SF - Kevin Garnett
PF - Tim Duncan
C - Kareem Abdul Jabar

Second choice:

PG - John Stockton
SG - George Gervin
SF - Larry Bird
PF - Karl Malone
C - Shaquille O'Neal

Third Choice:

PG - Steve Nash
SG - Kobe Bryant
SF - Tracy McGrady
PF - Charles Barkley
C - David Robinson

[sa_butta]

Center is a choice between Hakeem, Russell, and Kareem for me.I was thinking the same thing, but I just couldnt pick Kareem, but it was a toss up for Russell and Hakeem.

[Texas_Ranger]

Magic
Jordan
James
Duncan
Abdul Jabar

[DarrinS]

PG-Magic Johnson
SG-Michael Jordan
SF-Larry Bird
PF-Tim Duncan
C-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

[DarrinS]

The 1992 Olympic team wasn't too shabby

Team roster

Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns
Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics
Clyde Drexler of the Portland Trail Blazers
Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks
Magic Johnson, retired, formerly of the Los Angeles Lakers
Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls
Christian Laettner of Duke University
Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz
Chris Mullin of the Golden State Warriors
Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls
David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs
John Stockton of the Utah Jazz

[jcrod]

PG- Magic
SG- MJ
SF- Kobe
PF- Russell
C- Robinson


Magic can pass and score, MJ and Kobe can light it up and play defense, and Russell and DRob would not let anyone score around the rim.

[JamStone]

Magic
Michael
LeBron James
Tim Duncan
Hakeem Olajuwan

or

Oscar Robertson
Jerry West
Elgin Baylor
Bill Russell
Wilt Chamberlain

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

THE Top 5


Magic
Jordan
Bird
Duncan
Wilt

[Pistons < Spurs]

PG- Magic
SG- MJ
SF- Dr. J
PF- Russel
C- Wilt


No one else selected Dr. J??? :wow

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

PG-Magic Johnson
SG-Michael Jordan
SF-Larry Bird
PF-Tim Duncan
C-Hakeem Olajuwon
In-freakin-deed. :smokin

[Son of Mavs Man]

PG-Magic
SG-Jordan
SF-Bird
PF-Russell
C-Kareem

Being a winner is something that all these guys had down pat.

[SPARKY]

Who's your ultimate starting 5?


http://www.southalabama.edu/mathstat/info/why_math/rob1.jpg

[greens]

Don't laugh but honestly my top 5 of all time is:

Tim Duncan
Tony Parker
Manu Ginobili
Robert Horry
Bruce Bowen

I just love these five guys and I think they have the best chemistry on a team...They play the best together...And they are my favorite five guys of all time...

Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson are the other choices for me...

[himat]

PG- Magic
SG- MJ
SF- Dr. J
PF- Russel
C- Wilt


No one else selected Dr. J??? :wow

Yeah I was wondering that too, nice line up! You have a playmaker (Magic), a scorer and great defender (MJ), you have a guy who can get to the basket at will (Dr.J), a shotblocker and a guy who can gaurd multiple guys at once (Bill Russell), and a guy who can take you in the paint (Wilt).

[raspsa]

Bill Russell had terrific athleticism. coordination, timing. But what really made him special was his mental approach to the game. Talk of Jordan and Bird being mentally tough, well Bill wrote the book. The best defensive player in history, he would have excelled in today's game, big ball, small ball whatever. I like the stories about him wearing a black suit during trips to opponents homecourts to intimidate the crowd.. it was like going to someone's funeral.

[RON ARTEST]

shawn bradley
turiaf
quinton ross
matt harpring
jason hart

[pjjrfan]

If you had to pick 5 players from past and present NBA greats to form your starting unit,who would you select? My first team:

PG - Oscar Robertson
SG - Michael Jordan
SF - Larry Bird
PF - Tim Duncan
C - Bill Russell

I only considered players who had at least 1 NBA championship ring. This bunch has 24 rings among them!
I'd put Magic in for Oscar but I'm cool with the all the rest. I think that Russell would still make an impact if he was playing today. The guy had incredible timing and quickness and he was like 6-9 with long arms. I would take Tim over Malone because I think that Tim is by far the more effecient defender. And I'm a die hard Bird fan.

[2005105311]

Duncan
Duncan
Duncan
Duncan
Duncan

[raspsa]

I decided on the Big O instead of Magic because I consider him a more complete player,offensively and defensively. At 6ft.5 he was the first great big PG and triple double games were no big deal for him- he averaged a triple double for an entire season, He was MJ without the hops.

[Leetonidas]

so your taking ginobli over michael jordan? thats brilliant bumpkin!!!!lol.

He's going by team chemistry.

[resistanze]

how bout this for team chemistry?

PG-Ron Harper
SG-Michael Jordan
SF-Scottie Pippen
PF-Dennis Rodman
C-Luc Longley

72 wins! :elephant

[gospursgojas]

PG- Negele Knight
SG- Andrew Gaze
SF- Loyd Daniels
PF- Carl "Amigo" Herrera
C- Felton Spencer

[SA Gunslinger]

PG- Negele Knight
SG- Andrew Gaze
SF- Loyd Daniels
PF- Carl "Amigo" Herrera
C- Felton Spencer

:lol

You forgot Sidney Green.

My five:

Magic
Jordan
Garnett
Duncan
Jabbar

[gospursgojas]

PG- Negele Knight
SG- Andrew Gaze
SF- Loyd Daniels
PF- Carl "Amigo" Herrera
C- Felton Spencer

Sad thing is that this was probally our starting lineup at some point in the 96 season

[Mavs_man_41]

PG- Magic
SG- Jordan
SF- Bernard King
PF- Dirk Nowitzki
C- Hakeem