They must fit the following criterias :
- Must be a team player; if he wants to win, he'll do what his coach tells him to do; must leave his ego at the door
- Excellent defensive player, or at least good enough regarding his overall skills
- Compe ive; wants to win and leave his ego at the door
- Tough
- could be a Bruce Bowen type of player too (Defense + 3's)
- Is not necessarily a superstar
- Is a good citizen
This is my list so far; fell free to add yours and discuss :
- Dennis Johnson
- Bill Russell
- Rory Sparrow as a backup : the little guy was tough, quick, and did everything his coaches asked him to do.
- John Starks : a more talented Bruce Bowen (although I think Bruce is a better defensive player); big heart.
- Magic Johnson : could play any position, wanted to win every single night, incredibly versatile; not a defensive legend, but he was better in that department than, let's say, Steve Nash; he was bigger than Nash, and was dedicated. Also, Magic wasn't a whiner; when the Celtics or Pistons sent his teammates flying, he would stand up for them. And last but not the least, Spurs share the ball, and Magic loved to do that.
- Michael Cooper : D + 3's + dunks
- Derek Harper
- Sidney Moncrief
-Paul Westphal : talented (he used to make sick shots and assists), extremely compe ive. Underrated defense.
- John Stockton
- John Havlicek : big plays, killer instinct, team player
- Jeff Hornacek : a Brent Barry type of player; high basketball IQ, excellent passer, great shooter, but but better D than Brent
- Joe Dumars
- Kareem
- Pippen
since i've not seen all of those players in action, it's hard to tell, however i'd have loved to see Bill Russel in a spurs uniform, i know everybody would but he really fits all the crierias mentioned above (Sparrow would have done great too... as a sub)
Scottie
Robert Parish. And I would have loved Tony Kukoc on the team
Kukoc was Phil Jackson's whipping boy because of his matador defense. I can only imagine the treatment he would get from Popovich.
i would like to have seen larry keenon in this system
Sebastian Ginobili.
Not a past player, but there never was a guard better designed for Pop's sysem than Derek Fisher.
Larry Bird
Walt Frazier
Derek Fisher ya i said it.
Maurice Lucas.
David Robinson and Tim Duncan playing together in their primes.
Just think about guys. If we had 50, in his prime, on this year's roster.
We would the most athletic center to play game, paired with the greatest PF.
Isaiah Thomas
Larry Bird
Terry mings
Joe Dumars
James Worthy
Dennis Johnson
Jack Sikma
Vlade Divac.
Good thread, though I think you left "Smart" out of your criteria list by mistake.
Trying to avoid listing MVP-types...
Popovich has referred to acquiring a Derrick McKey type of player, so why not the man himself?
Bobby Jones
Larry Nance
Doc Rivers
Buck Williams
Jeff Ruland
That's all I've got for now.
Nice list; I can't believe I forgot Bobby Jones
Jerry Sloan is a strong candidate too.
Bobby Jones is a lock. What a replacement for Bowen he would have been.
But the Spurs system is also built on role players from the bench. I'd like to start this line of thinking with George Karl and Mike Gale from the Spurs past. Not starters, but they fulfill all the other qualifications, eg.
- Must be a team player; if he wants to win, he'll do what his coach tells him to do; must leave his ego at the door
- Excellent defensive player, or at least good enough regarding his overall skills
- Compe ive; wants to win and leave his ego at the door
- Tough--Nobody in the NBA ever took more tough charges for the team than Karl. His battles with 250 lb forward Georger McGinnis are legendary.
- could be a Bruce Bowen type of player too (Defense + 3's)
- Is not necessarily a superstar
- Is a good citizen
Oscar Robertrson
Paul Silas
Buck Williams
Bill Walton
KC Jones
Pop would have loved Joe Dumars on his team. Kevin Johnson would probably play a similar role as Tony Parker. Charles Oakley would have been a decent guy to play alongside Duncan, banging down low on defense and being able to hit that midrange jumper on the wing. Michael Cooper obviously for defense and versatility. Dennis Johnson for similar reasons, plus he played better in big playoff games. Maybe Alvin Robertson.
Derrick McKey
Love the choice of Bobby Jones. Could do it all on the defensive end. Block shots, man up, steals, weak side defender, rotated well. Formidable offensive player too. Cut, pass, drain open jumpers, rebound. Many forget that Jones had MAD hops too. An ideal fit. Good soul.
Can't believe I forgot to mention Walton; the closest thing to TD
The first name that came to my mind. Detlef Schrempf was also a good choice.
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