NBA Starting 5

Big Blue's House is intended for general sports talk, sharing ideas, announcements, etc.
Yossarian
Posts: 10492
Joined: November 14th, 2010, 11:56 pm
Has thanked: 350 times
Been thanked: 3056 times

NBA Starting 5

Post by Yossarian » September 9th, 2021, 5:37 pm

Pick one from each group. Who are your starting 5?

Group 1
Magic Johnson
Steph Curry
Oscar Robertson
Jerry West
Chris Paul
John Stockton
Jason Kidd
Steve Nash
Russell Westbrook
Allen Iverson

(you could also take from Pete Maravich and Isiah Thomas if you want)

Group 2
Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
Dwayne Wade
James Harden
Clyde Drexler
Manu Ginobili
Reggie Miller
Ray Allen
George Gervin
Tracy McGrady

Group 3
LeBron James
Larry Bird
Kevin Durrant
Julius Erving
Elgin Baylor
Scottie Pippen
John Havlicek
Adrian Dantley
Paul Pierce
Kawhi Leonard

Group 4
Kevin Garnett
Dirk Nowitzki
Charles Barkley
Karl Malone
Tim Duncan
Bob Pettit
Kevin McHale
Elvin Hayes
Chris Webber
Dennis Rodman

Group 5
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Shaquille O'Neal
Bill Russel
Wilt Chamberlain
David Robinson
Hakeem Olajuwon
Moses Malone
Patrick Ewing
Bill Walton
Arvydas Sabonis


Eutaw St. Aggie

BamaAggie
Posts: 138
Joined: August 25th, 2013, 7:06 pm
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 22 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by BamaAggie » September 9th, 2021, 7:06 pm

Yossarian wrote:
September 9th, 2021, 5:37 pm
Pick one from each group. Who are your starting 5?

Group 1
Magic Johnson
Steph Curry
Oscar Robertson
Jerry West
Chris Paul
John Stockton
Jason Kidd
Steve Nash
Russell Westbrook
Allen Iverson

(you could also take from Pete Maravich and Isiah Thomas if you want)

Group 2
Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
Dwayne Wade
James Harden
Clyde Drexler
Manu Ginobili
Reggie Miller
Ray Allen
George Gervin
Tracy McGrady

Group 3
LeBron James
Larry Bird
Kevin Durrant
Julius Erving
Elgin Baylor
Scottie Pippen
John Havlicek
Adrian Dantley
Paul Pierce
Kawhi Leonard

Group 4
Kevin Garnett
Dirk Nowitzki
Charles Barkley
Karl Malone
Tim Duncan
Bob Pettit
Kevin McHale
Elvin Hayes
Chris Webber
Dennis Rodman

Group 5
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Shaquille O'Neal
Bill Russel
Wilt Chamberlain
David Robinson
Hakeem Olajuwon
Moses Malone
Patrick Ewing
Bill Walton
Arvydas Sabonis
Assuming this is the team I’m taking to win a single game or even a best of 7 series and not my favorite players at said positions…

Nash
MJ
Scottie
Duncan
Hakeem



User avatar
abattoirag
Posts: 142
Joined: November 3rd, 2010, 4:01 pm
Has thanked: 6 times
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by abattoirag » September 9th, 2021, 7:57 pm

Magic
MJ
Bird
Duncan
Russell
These users thanked the author abattoirag for the post:
Coloraggie


"The causes of human actions are usually immeasurably more complex and varied than our subsequent explanations of them."
-Fyodor Dostoevsky

User avatar
NowhereLandAggie
Posts: 4301
Joined: November 8th, 2010, 4:25 pm
Has thanked: 494 times
Been thanked: 570 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by NowhereLandAggie » September 9th, 2021, 8:55 pm

Stockton
Jordan
Bird
Duncan
Abdul Jabbar
These users thanked the author NowhereLandAggie for the post:
Coloraggie



Aggie19
Posts: 1615
Joined: November 2nd, 2018, 7:52 am
Has thanked: 1729 times
Been thanked: 1084 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by Aggie19 » September 9th, 2021, 8:57 pm

Stockton
Jordan
Durrant
Duncan
Russell


Go Aggies!

Yossarian
Posts: 10492
Joined: November 14th, 2010, 11:56 pm
Has thanked: 350 times
Been thanked: 3056 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by Yossarian » September 9th, 2021, 9:28 pm

I would like to see

Iverson
Jordan
Bird
Nowitzki
Jabbar

Heavy on offense, but defense might be questionable.

I could be convinced to take Robertson over Iverson.


Eutaw St. Aggie

User avatar
3rdGenAggie
Pick'em Champ - '16 Kickoff
Posts: 12303
Joined: November 3rd, 2010, 11:53 pm
Location: The City of the Salty Lake
Has thanked: 3955 times
Been thanked: 2283 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by 3rdGenAggie » September 10th, 2021, 10:00 am

Fun thread.

Group 1 :Steph Curry (Best shooter ever?)
Group 2: Michael Jordan (Duh)
Group 3: LeBron James (Probably the 2nd best player of all time. And is almost for sure the most versatile player of all time.)
Group 4: Kevin Durant (Maybe the best scorer in the NBA currently, basically a 7-foot guard.)
Group 5: Bill Russell (Great defender and an absurdly good rebounder. Wouldn't even need much offense from him with the other 4.)

I realize I'm heavy on current players, but I think the talent level in the NBA is better than it's ever been. The 3-pointer is the most important shot in basketball. Most likely some of the older players would have learned to shoot the three if it had been important during their era, but I want players that I know can shoot it.


"I have no idea what I'm doing, but I know I'm doing it really, really well." -Andy Dwyer

bwcrc
Posts: 683
Joined: November 7th, 2013, 12:24 pm
Has thanked: 73 times
Been thanked: 483 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by bwcrc » September 10th, 2021, 4:43 pm

Group 1: Magic - probably the most complete PG and one who usually made the right pass
Group 2: Kobe - personal dislike of MJ keeps him off as well as I think Kobe would be willing to defer to Magic
Group 3: Bird - killer instinct and skill both with the ball and trash talking
Group 4: Duncan - guy who will do what it takes to win
Group 5: Hakeem - probably most all-around skilled center

All around, I think this is about as complete as you can get. All five can go inside and two are solid or great from outside (Magic improved over his career but was never a great outside threat). Four solid to great defenders.



Imakeitrain
Posts: 13966
Joined: March 11th, 2011, 9:12 pm
Has thanked: 906 times
Been thanked: 1884 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by Imakeitrain » September 11th, 2021, 6:49 pm

Curry, Jordan, Kawhi, Duncan, Shaq (prime Shaq)

Giannis and Luka seem to be the best players left out. Giannis at least would have been on my list if he were available.



Coloraggie
Posts: 2645
Joined: November 5th, 2010, 10:09 am
Has thanked: 100 times
Been thanked: 697 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by Coloraggie » September 11th, 2021, 9:54 pm

Here you, starters (backups)

Magic (Stockton)
Jordan (Kobe)
Bird (Durrant)
Duncan (Malone)
Russell (Hakeem)
2 more to fill out bench would be: Miller], Nowitzli
These users thanked the author Coloraggie for the post:
3rdGenAggie



User avatar
treesap32
Moderator
Posts: 16777
Joined: July 28th, 2005, 1:00 am
Location: Washington D.C.
Has thanked: 1112 times
Been thanked: 2655 times
Contact:

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by treesap32 » September 12th, 2021, 12:00 am

John Stockton
Michael Jordan
LeBron James
Karl Malone
Wilt Chamberlain



User avatar
QuackAttackAggie
Pick'em Champ - '12, '22 Bowl; '15, '17 Weekly; '18 BB Predict the Score; '22 Kickoff
Posts: 18149
Joined: November 3rd, 2010, 12:08 pm
Location: Sonora, MX
Has thanked: 308 times
Been thanked: 2840 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by QuackAttackAggie » September 12th, 2021, 1:31 am

Stockton may be the greatest shot blocker of all time


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Blitz79
Posts: 2296
Joined: January 16th, 2011, 8:11 am
Has thanked: 7 times
Been thanked: 416 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by Blitz79 » September 12th, 2021, 7:26 pm

3rdGenAggie wrote:
September 10th, 2021, 10:00 am
Fun thread.

Group 1 :Steph Curry (Best shooter ever?)
Group 2: Michael Jordan (Duh)
Group 3: LeBron James (Probably the 2nd best player of all time. And is almost for sure the most versatile player of all time.)
Group 4: Kevin Durant (Maybe the best scorer in the NBA currently, basically a 7-foot guard.)
Group 5: Bill Russell (Great defender and an absurdly good rebounder. Wouldn't even need much offense from him with the other 4.)

I realize I'm heavy on current players, but I think the talent level in the NBA is better than it's ever been. The 3-pointer is the most important shot in basketball. Most likely some of the older players would have learned to shoot the three if it had been important during their era, but I want players that I know can shoot it.
Durant is one the list as a 3, not a 4. I like your list though. I'll go with Duncan at the 4.



User avatar
3rdGenAggie
Pick'em Champ - '16 Kickoff
Posts: 12303
Joined: November 3rd, 2010, 11:53 pm
Location: The City of the Salty Lake
Has thanked: 3955 times
Been thanked: 2283 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by 3rdGenAggie » September 13th, 2021, 9:00 am

Blitz79 wrote:
September 12th, 2021, 7:26 pm
3rdGenAggie wrote:
September 10th, 2021, 10:00 am
Fun thread.

Group 1 :Steph Curry (Best shooter ever?)
Group 2: Michael Jordan (Duh)
Group 3: LeBron James (Probably the 2nd best player of all time. And is almost for sure the most versatile player of all time.)
Group 4: Kevin Durant (Maybe the best scorer in the NBA currently, basically a 7-foot guard.)
Group 5: Bill Russell (Great defender and an absurdly good rebounder. Wouldn't even need much offense from him with the other 4.)

I realize I'm heavy on current players, but I think the talent level in the NBA is better than it's ever been. The 3-pointer is the most important shot in basketball. Most likely some of the older players would have learned to shoot the three if it had been important during their era, but I want players that I know can shoot it.
Durant is one the list as a 3, not a 4. I like your list though. I'll go with Duncan at the 4.
Good catch! In that case, I still stick with LeBron at the 3 and go with Dirk Nowitzki at the 4 for his shooting ability. It came down to him and Duncan in my mind.


"I have no idea what I'm doing, but I know I'm doing it really, really well." -Andy Dwyer

Yossarian
Posts: 10492
Joined: November 14th, 2010, 11:56 pm
Has thanked: 350 times
Been thanked: 3056 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by Yossarian » September 13th, 2021, 12:01 pm

3rdGenAggie wrote:
September 13th, 2021, 9:00 am
Blitz79 wrote:
September 12th, 2021, 7:26 pm
3rdGenAggie wrote:
September 10th, 2021, 10:00 am
Fun thread.

Group 1 :Steph Curry (Best shooter ever?)
Group 2: Michael Jordan (Duh)
Group 3: LeBron James (Probably the 2nd best player of all time. And is almost for sure the most versatile player of all time.)
Group 4: Kevin Durant (Maybe the best scorer in the NBA currently, basically a 7-foot guard.)
Group 5: Bill Russell (Great defender and an absurdly good rebounder. Wouldn't even need much offense from him with the other 4.)

I realize I'm heavy on current players, but I think the talent level in the NBA is better than it's ever been. The 3-pointer is the most important shot in basketball. Most likely some of the older players would have learned to shoot the three if it had been important during their era, but I want players that I know can shoot it.
Durant is one the list as a 3, not a 4. I like your list though. I'll go with Duncan at the 4.
Good catch! In that case, I still stick with LeBron at the 3 and go with Dirk Nowitzki at the 4 for his shooting ability. It came down to him and Duncan in my mind.
I, too, like Dirk at the 4. I put Jabbar at the 5. In his prime, he was unbelievably athletic for a tall guy. And he had an indefensible shot in the post at which he was very proficient. He could also block shots.
These users thanked the author Yossarian for the post:
3rdGenAggie


Eutaw St. Aggie

jpswensen
Posts: 2719
Joined: November 17th, 2010, 6:59 pm
Location: Pullman, WA
Has thanked: 318 times
Been thanked: 651 times
Contact:

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by jpswensen » September 13th, 2021, 10:45 pm

Stockton
Jordan
Bird
Duncan
Not-slow/fat Shaq


My side projects:
Internet-connected Aggie A's: www.sports-iot.com
Physics and the Pinewood Derby: www.pinewoodphysics.com

NVAggie
SJSU Ultimate Loser Award Winner - Given to someone that should probably give up but won't.
Posts: 23328
Joined: November 3rd, 2010, 8:09 am
Location: Where the sagebrush grows!
Has thanked: 1400 times
Been thanked: 3128 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by NVAggie » September 14th, 2021, 8:04 am

Magic
Jordan
Bird
Duncan
Russell



Coloraggie
Posts: 2645
Joined: November 5th, 2010, 10:09 am
Has thanked: 100 times
Been thanked: 697 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by Coloraggie » September 14th, 2021, 1:50 pm

I see a lot of Stockton and Malone (even mine as backups) in this list. I wonder how many people outside a fan board based in the midst of the Jazz footprint would put them on this team. It is incredible to think Utah had two players who could be on an all-time NBA team. But incredible to think of the Lakers with potentially Magic, Kobe, James, Shaq and Kareem if you conside James and Shaq as Lakers. I'm inclined to think of Lebron as Cavalier, Shaq is more interesting in deciding which franchise he belongs to but he got enough rings as a Laker I'd tend to put him there over Orlando. Kareem was a Buck but I think everyone thinks of him with the Lakers.



bwcrc
Posts: 683
Joined: November 7th, 2013, 12:24 pm
Has thanked: 73 times
Been thanked: 483 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by bwcrc » September 14th, 2021, 3:19 pm

Coloraggie wrote:
September 14th, 2021, 1:50 pm
I see a lot of Stockton and Malone (even mine as backups) in this list. I wonder how many people outside a fan board based in the midst of the Jazz footprint would put them on this team. It is incredible to think Utah had two players who could be on an all-time NBA team. But incredible to think of the Lakers with potentially Magic, Kobe, James, Shaq and Kareem if you conside James and Shaq as Lakers. I'm inclined to think of Lebron as Cavalier, Shaq is more interesting in deciding which franchise he belongs to but he got enough rings as a Laker I'd tend to put him there over Orlando. Kareem was a Buck but I think everyone thinks of him with the Lakers.
Growing up in SoCal in the 80s I was a Lakers fan by default. How could you not enjoy watching Showtime and listening to Chick calling a game. Those battles with the Celtics and Pistons were epic. Don't really follow the NBA anymore. I would never consider Lebron a Laker and don't think most real Lakers' fans do either. They do with Shaq (he had more success there than with any other team and played there longer than with any other team) and Kareem (most fans today probably don't even know he started with the Bucks).

While Lebron may be the most physically skilled player ever, he lacks the mental aspect that MJ, Kobe, Bird, Magic, and so many other all-time greats had. I would love to see a Lebron game called like it was back in the 80s with someone like Rodman or Lambier guarding Lebron. I think the refs would double T Lebron in the first quarter just to not have to listen to his whining any more.
These users thanked the author bwcrc for the post:
Coloraggie



Coloraggie
Posts: 2645
Joined: November 5th, 2010, 10:09 am
Has thanked: 100 times
Been thanked: 697 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by Coloraggie » September 14th, 2021, 5:33 pm

bwcrc wrote:
September 14th, 2021, 3:19 pm
Coloraggie wrote:
September 14th, 2021, 1:50 pm
I see a lot of Stockton and Malone (even mine as backups) in this list. I wonder how many people outside a fan board based in the midst of the Jazz footprint would put them on this team. It is incredible to think Utah had two players who could be on an all-time NBA team. But incredible to think of the Lakers with potentially Magic, Kobe, James, Shaq and Kareem if you conside James and Shaq as Lakers. I'm inclined to think of Lebron as Cavalier, Shaq is more interesting in deciding which franchise he belongs to but he got enough rings as a Laker I'd tend to put him there over Orlando. Kareem was a Buck but I think everyone thinks of him with the Lakers.
Growing up in SoCal in the 80s I was a Lakers fan by default. How could you not enjoy watching Showtime and listening to Chick calling a game. Those battles with the Celtics and Pistons were epic. Don't really follow the NBA anymore. I would never consider Lebron a Laker and don't think most real Lakers' fans do either. They do with Shaq (he had more success there than with any other team and played there longer than with any other team) and Kareem (most fans today probably don't even know he started with the Bucks).

While Lebron may be the most physically skilled player ever, he lacks the mental aspect that MJ, Kobe, Bird, Magic, and so many other all-time greats had. I would love to see a Lebron game called like it was back in the 80s with someone like Rodman or Lambier guarding Lebron. I think the refs would double T Lebron in the first quarter just to not have to listen to his whining any more.
Like your take. If Lebron played with Rodman and Lambier I think he would go out from injury before the refs had a chance to double T him. Physically gifted but not durable to go each night, and you are right, he is not mentally tough enough to beat the other guys. He can only win championships when convincing multiple premier free agents to come join him.



utaggies
Posts: 8367
Joined: November 3rd, 2010, 12:25 pm
Has thanked: 992 times
Been thanked: 870 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by utaggies » September 15th, 2021, 5:44 pm

A few folks got it “almost” correct.

Magic (Stockton)
Jordan (Kobe)
Bird (Durrant)
Duncan (Malone)
Kareem (Hakeem)



User avatar
NowhereLandAggie
Posts: 4301
Joined: November 8th, 2010, 4:25 pm
Has thanked: 494 times
Been thanked: 570 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by NowhereLandAggie » September 19th, 2021, 12:06 pm

utaggies wrote:
September 15th, 2021, 5:44 pm
A few folks got it “almost” correct.

Magic (Stockton)
Jordan (Kobe)
Bird (Durrant)
Duncan (Malone)
Kareem (Hakeem)
Stockton had better metrics than Johnson.

If John Stockton had James Worthy at the 3 or Kareem Abdul Jabbar at the 5 instead of Greg Ostertag or Bryon Russell, he would have multiple rings.

Stockton has more assists than any player in NBA history, and it isn't even close. He broke Magic Johnson's assist record in fewer games, despite not starting until his 3rd year.

He also was a much better thief on the court than Magic. Magic Johnson was not even in the top 10 in steals, while Stockton was the all time leader.

The rings Magic Johnson won are due to him being a good player, but if he had the supporting cast Stockton did, he would likely have never gotten to the finals. Stockton wasn't the best Jazz player, but in Charles Barkley's words, "He was the MVP of the team." He also stated he was one of the top 5 players he ever played against.

Other than that, I agree with your list.



Yossarian
Posts: 10492
Joined: November 14th, 2010, 11:56 pm
Has thanked: 350 times
Been thanked: 3056 times

Re: NBA Starting 5

Post by Yossarian » September 20th, 2021, 3:42 pm

This is appropriate for this forum.

NBAreference.com has a metric they use to place a value on players called "Value over Replacement Player". It is defined thusly:

VORP - Value Over Replacement Player (available since the 1973-74 season in the NBA); a box score estimate of the points per 100 TEAM possessions that a player contributed above a replacement-level (-2.0) player, translated to an average team and prorated to an 82-game season. Multiply by 2.70 to convert to wins over replacement. Please see the article About Box Plus/Minus (BPM) for more information.

It is meant to normalize a players worth to an average team over an 82-game season as compared to a replacement-level player. They have a list of the top VORP players for a career here:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/le ... areer.html

For those not curious enough to click the link, the Top 15 career VORP players and their VORP scores are as follows:

1 - Lebron James (137.28)
2 - Michael Jordan (116.08)
3 - John Stockton (106.50)
4 - Karl Malone (99.03)
5 - Kevin Garnett (96.85)
6 - Tim Duncan (91.12)
7- Chris Paul (89.71)
8 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (85.72)
9 - Dirk Nowitzki (84.82)
10 - David Robinson (81.96)
11 - Charles Barkley (80.46)
12 - Koby Bryant (80.14)
13 - Julius Erving (80.05)
14 - Magic Johnson (79.97)
15 - Larry Bird (77.24)

Kind of an interesting list.
These users thanked the author Yossarian for the post (total 2):
3rdGenAggieNowhereLandAggie


Eutaw St. Aggie

Locked Previous topicNext topic