Poll: Best starting 5 of all time

[Who]

Boston Celtics
PG: Cousy
SG: Hondo
SF: Bird
PF: KG
C: Russell

Would you abandon the PG for Boston?

Maybe go super big with Pierce coming in. Let Pierce and Hondo run the offense in a super-sized backcourt.

G: Hondo
G: Pierce
F: Garnett
F: Bird
C: Russell

Or maybe play Sam Jones

G: Sam Jones
G: Hondo
F: Garnett
F: Bird
C: Russell

Or go even smaller without KG.

G: Sam Jones
G: Hondo
F: Pierce
F: Bird
C: Russell

[scaryjerry]

Weirdly taking the bucks. Just too bad Middleton is involved

[celticsclay]

Celtics with Shaq. Stop the slander on that team

[Who]

Weirdly taking the bucks. Just too bad Middleton is involved

I'd go with Marques Johnson over Middleton. He had everything. Such a well rounded ball player.

[Who]

Detroit Pistons

G: Isiah Thomas
G: Joe Dumars
F: Grant Hill
F: Rasheed Wallace
C: Bob Lanier

[Who]

Can Dallas put together a competitive team?

Dirk and Luka is the obvious starting point. What can they put around them?

- PG options would be third team All-NBA Steve Nash. A non All-Star Derek Harper. An All-Star Jason Kidd as a young up and comer.
- SG options would be Rolando Blackman and Michael Finley.
- SF is probably where I'd have Luka. If we were to swith Luka to guard, that would create an opening for Mark Aguirre or Josh Howard.
- C options could be Porzingis, Tyson Chandler, Sam Perkins, Roy Tarpley, Sam Donaldson. Porzinigis has the most talent but he was so up and down in Dallas. I like Perkins as the center. Stretch 5. Although maybe a rim roller like Tyson is better with Dirk.

Dallas Mavericks

G: Steve Nash
G: Michael Finley
F: Luka Doncic
F: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Tyson Chandler

Feels weak with Tyson at center compared to the talent at the center position on other teams.

[jay]

Steph KD Mitch Klay Mullin in today's game?  Hard to leave out Wilt, but today's game is so crazy.

How about this Nuggets lineup?  Mahmoud Abdul Raof, Jokic, Alex EngLish. MELO, Kiki Vandeweghe

[Moranis]

I'm bored, so I thought I'd come up with another franchise

Since I'm an Ohio guy, here are the Cavs

PG - Price, Irving, Garland
SG - Mitchell, Free, Harper
SF - James, Ehlo, Wilkins
PF - Love, Nance Sr., Mobley
C - Daugherty, Big Z, Hot Rod

Talent wise, not as good as some of the other teams, but I do think they could outscore teams.  Lots of ball handling, passing, and scoring.  If Mobley and Garland both hit their full potential, then the talent might actually start to compare to other franchises.

As I was doing this, I realized the Cavs have some pretty awesome player names: World B. Free, Bingo Smith, Foots Walker, Hot Rod Williams

[tenn_smoothie]

Hmm.  If we’re trying to win a modern title…

Russell / Parish / Cowens
KG / McHale / Antoine
Bird / Hondo / Tatum
Pierce / Ray / Brown
JoJo / DJ / IT

Two-way:  Tiny, Ainge

My team, my rules.  I hated leaving off Horford and Good Rondo

How do you put Parish ahead of Cowens, just straight up and especially the modern game with Cowens mobility and outside shooting ?

[tenn_smoothie]

Bird, Parish and McHale had such great chemistry and were so very dominant, I hate breaking up that trio, even if it is to include KG and Russell.

I might be inclined to leave that entire 1986 Celtics starting lineup intact and use that as the Celtics lineup. The chemistry and fit were near perfection.

And I still consider them the greatest team of all time.

[Who]

The Suns would be fun.

Phoenix Suns

G: Steve Nash
G: Paul Westphal
F: Shawn Marion
F: Charles Barkley
C: Amare Stoudmire


Not the strongest defensively but imagine trying to defend Amare or Barkley in today's league? Nightmare. And with Nash at the controls too.

[Muzzy66]

Firstly, my top 5 honourable mentions...

Heat:
PG: Tim Hardaway
SG: Dwyane Wade
SF: Jimmy Butler
PF: Lebron James
C: Alonzo Mourning

Rockets:
PG: James Harden
SG: Tracy McGracy
SF: Clyde Drexler
PF: Moses Malone
C: Hakeem Olajuwon

Suns:
PG: Jason Kidd
SG: Steve Nash
SF: Charles Barkley
PF: Kevin Durant
C: Amare Stoudemire

Celtics:
PG: Bob Cousy
SG: John Havlicek
SF: Larry Bird
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Bill Russell

Sours:
PG: Tony Parker
SG: George Gervin
SF: Kawhi Leonard
PF: Tim Duncan
C: David Robinson

But the top team would have to be...

Lakers:
PG: Magic Johnson
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Lebron James
PF: Kareem Abdul Jabbar
C: Shaquille Oneal

An argument could be made for every player in that Lakers starting 5 being worth of a spot on the 10 all-time list.  I don't think any other team in the league can make that argument.  The only Celtics you could really argue belong in the top 10 are probably Bird and Russell. 

[Who]

Portland Trail Blazers

G: Lillard
G: Drexler
F: Batum
F: L Aldridge
C: Bill Walton

Hmm ... not sure who should start at SF. I am tempted by starting Sheed there. He played some SF for them. There is Calvin Natt, Kiki Vandeweghe, Jerome Kersey, Scottie Pippen. Cliff Robinson.

Maybe slide Drexler up a spot and start Terry Porter in the backcourt alongside Lillard. Porter played a fair bit of SG. He has the size and defense to be there. Tougher for Drexler to slide up. Or Jim Paxson at SG with Cylde at SF.

That last spot is a bit of a problem.

[Muzzy66]

Portland Trail Blazers

G: Lillard
G: Drexler
F: Batum
F: L Aldridge
C: Bill Walton

Hmm ... not sure who should start at SF. I am tempted by starting Sheed there. He played some SF for them. There is Calvin Natt, Kiki Vandeweghe, Jerome Kersey, Scottie Pippen. Cliff Robinson.

Maybe slide Drexler up a spot and start Terry Porter in the backcourt alongside Lillard. Porter played a fair bit of SG. He has the size and defense to be there. Tougher for Drexler to slide up. Or Jim Paxson at SG with Cylde at SF.

That last spot is a bit of a problem.

You could go with Petrovic at SG and Drexler at SF.  Could also go with Kiki or Steve Smith. 

[Kernewek]

Steph KD Mitch Klay Mullin in today's game?  Hard to leave out Wilt, but today's game is so crazy.

How about this Nuggets lineup?  Mahmoud Abdul Raof, Jokic, Alex EngLish. MELO, Kiki Vandeweghe

I think the Nuggets lineup would be incredibly fun to watch - but I really think some blend of Golden State's TMC/Splash Bros backcourt and wings with Durant and Wilt at the 4 and 5 just seems absolutely unstoppable under the modern ruleset. Wilt is Giannis but bigger and stronger and better at basketball, you know?