If you were to build around one player from the past 25

[IronMexican]

Past 25 draft classes to start a franchise, who would it be?

[Rip-Hamilton32]

lol is this for real?

[Showtime24 LAKERS]

Kobe Bryant, The G.O.A.T for sure!

[ShoogarBear]

From the past 25 years, I'd have to take either Magic, Duncan, or Bird. They are the plug-and-play dream teammates of the era.

What did you have to do to be Magic's teammate? Basically just play good defense, and then if you got open on offense, you knew you were going to get the ball. Same with Bird. Pretty easy to find players who can blend with them.

With Duncan, you have the added advantage that you build not only your offense, but also your defense around him. He'll do all the dirty work and doesn't really mind if he's not scoring. Who doesn't fit playing alongside Tim Duncan?

The problem with Jordan is, great as he was, you basically needed to have guys who didn't mind not seeing the ball for huge chunks of time, but had to be ready to hit shots when they sporadically came. That's not an easy role to play, and that;s why I think it took the Bulls a while to find the right mix with Jordan, while Bird, Duncan, and Magic were all champions within their second year.

I always thought that Allen Iverson would have been a much better player if Jordan had never existed, because then his blueprint would have been somebody like Isaiah or Nate Archibald.

[balli]

Detlef Schrempf.

[MavDynasty]

Dirk Nowitzki over those scrubs anyday, k thx bai

[JamStone]

I look at it two different ways. If we knew back then what we already know now, it's obviously a lot easier. In retrospect, I'd go in this order, top 5:

1. Jordan
2. Shaquille O'Neal
3. Tim Duncan
4. Hakeem Olajuwon
5. LeBron James

If you're talking about before knowing how the players would perform as NBA players and having to go with what you knew at the time they were still prospects, I'd go:

1. Shaquille O'Neal
2. Hakeem Olajuwon
3. LeBron James
4. Tim Duncan
5. David Robinson

By the way, I'm apparently a LeBron James hater.

[balli]

After MJ? Duncan, Shaq, Hakeem.

By the way, I'm apparently a LeBron James hater.

For what it's worth I only consider you to be an unjustifiable hater of Deron Williams.

[IronMexican]

From the past 25 years, I'd have to take either Magic, Duncan, or Bird. They are the plug-and-play dream teammates of the era.

What did you have to do to be Magic's teammate? Basically just play good defense, and then if you got open on offense, you knew you were going to get the ball. Same with Bird. Pretty easy to find players who can blend with them.

With Duncan, you have the added advantage that you build not only your offense, but also your defense around him. He'll do all the dirty work and doesn't really mind if he's not scoring. Who doesn't fit playing alongside Tim Duncan?

The problem with Jordan is, great as he was, you basically needed to have guys who didn't mind not seeing the ball for huge chunks of time, but had to be ready to hit shots when they sporadically came. That's not an easy role to play, and that;s why I think it took the Bulls a while to find the right mix with Jordan, while Bird, Duncan, and Magic were all champions within their second year.

I always thought that Allen Iverson would have been a much better player if Jordan had never existed, because then his blueprint would have been somebody like Isaiah or Nate Archibald.

I would probably pick Magic too.

[mavs>spurs2]

why does everyone put Hakeem before Duncan? Is it just because this is a spurs message board? Hakeem dominated both ends of the floor like never before seen. He's number 2 on the GOAT list for sure in my book

[IronMexican]

why does everyone put Hakeem before Duncan? Is it just because this is a spurs message board? Hakeem dominated both ends of the floor like never before seen. He's number 2 on the GOAT list for sure in my book

That just speaks volumes of that '84 Drafts. Top 3 PF, top 3 C, and the GOAT.

[JamStone]

I would probably pick Magic too.

That's because you and lakaluva are not very good at math.

[IronMexican]

That's because you and lakaluva are not very good at math.

that's why i didn't add him. but someone mentioned him, so i said i'd take him over any one of these guys.

[stretch]

By the way, I'm apparently a LeBron James hater.

lol, oversensitive

[JamStone]

versus obsessive

[KidCongo]

If you're talking about before knowing how the players would perform as NBA players and having to go with what you knew at the time they were still prospects, I'd go:

1. Shaquille O'Neal
2. Hakeem Olajuwon
3. LeBron James
4. Tim Duncan
5. David Robinson

I wonder who would be taken first if they were all out of high-school. Was Shaq full grown coming out of high school? or did he grow in college?

[Obstructed_View]

Sam Bowie.

[BlackSwordsMan]

duncan

[Dex]

Like others have said, Michael was a better player, but Duncan is a better teammate. You could build a team around him any number of ways, and he would bring everything, work hard, and still be satisfied. No off the court issues, no drama, no jealousy. Like Pop has stated before, "a coach's dream".

[tlongII]

This is a no-brainer. It's obviously Jordan. It pains me to say that since we passed on him the in the draft. He's the ultimate player and the ultimate leader.

[rj215]

I don't think you could go wrong with either Jordan or Duncan. They both led in different ways but they always set the tone for the team with their performance.

[baseline bum]

From the past 25 years, I'd have to take either Magic, Duncan, or Bird. They are the plug-and-play dream teammates of the era.

What did you have to do to be Magic's teammate? Basically just play good defense, and then if you got open on offense, you knew you were going to get the ball. Same with Bird. Pretty easy to find players who can blend with them.

With Duncan, you have the added advantage that you build not only your offense, but also your defense around him. He'll do all the dirty work and doesn't really mind if he's not scoring. Who doesn't fit playing alongside Tim Duncan?

The problem with Jordan is, great as he was, you basically needed to have guys who didn't mind not seeing the ball for huge chunks of time, but had to be ready to hit shots when they sporadically came. That's not an easy role to play, and that;s why I think it took the Bulls a while to find the right mix with Jordan, while Bird, Duncan, and Magic were all champions within their second year.

I always thought that Allen Iverson would have been a much better player if Jordan had never existed, because then his blueprint would have been somebody like Isaiah or Nate Archibald.

Bird, Magic, and Duncan all walked into situations in which they had HOF teammates. Bird had Archibald, McHale, and Parish on his team (Pistol Pete too, though only for that first year). Magic had Kareem. Tim had David. Jordan had nothing close to that level when he entered the league, and his teams were beat by Bird's Celtics in 86 and 87 and the Pistons of Isiah and Dumars from 88-90 (two of the greatest teams ever put together).

The Bulls success and status as a le contender came once Pippen started to hit his prime. I can't blame Jordan for not winning les with Orlando Woolridge and Dave Corzine.

Jordan's my pick, and I wouldn't think twice about it.

[baseline bum]

I wonder who would be taken first if they were all out of high-school. Was Shaq full grown coming out of high school? or did he grow in college?

Stanley Roberts was the star at LSU for most of Shaq's career. Shaq was pretty skinny in high school.

If you were considering players after their senior year of high school, LeBron would almost unquestionably be the #1 pick (the only compe ion for him out of high school would probably be Kareem).

[bdictjames]

I dont know why any one in their right minds wouldn't pick Michael. He simply is the best.

[angelbelow]

Jordan