Interesting thought exercise for dead period - Best Teammates of an All Timer

[Birdman]

Rajon Rondo hands down..he almost played for every team so he got some great teammates to pick from 😀

[Moranis]

To make it more interesting maybe you can only take a year from the player when they actually played together.  So Shaq can have Malone and Payton, but the 2004 version of them (or 2006 or 7 for Payton as well).  And maybe we require it to be a season when the player you are using was an all star, all nba, or all defense.  So that really narrows the list down as the player you are using has to be really good still and play with great teammates while being really good.  So no Robert Horry or no end of career journeyman type seasons (so really hurts the Rondo, Carter's, etc. in this).

So like Ray Allen could have 08 KG, 08 PP, 00-02 Big Dog, 00-02 Cassell, 05-07 Lewis, 11 Rondo, but he could not get Lebron, Wade, or Bosh, since he wasn't an all star in Miami. 

[bdm860]

To make it more interesting maybe you can only take a year from the player when they actually played together.  So Shaq can have Malone and Payton, but the 2004 version of them (or 2006 or 7 for Payton as well).  And maybe we require it to be a season when the player you are using was an all star, all nba, or all defense.  So that really narrows the list down as the player you are using has to be really good still and play with great teammates while being really good.  So no Robert Horry or no end of career journeyman type seasons (so really hurts the Rondo, Carter's, etc. in this).

So like Ray Allen could have 08 KG, 08 PP, 00-02 Big Dog, 00-02 Cassell, 05-07 Lewis, 11 Rondo, but he could not get Lebron, Wade, or Bosh, since he wasn't an all star in Miami.

My first thought is Durant jumps to the top of that list.

Himself, prime Curry, prime Klay, prime Draymond, young Harden or slightly past his prime Harden, prime Kyrie, prime Westbrook.

More of a step down, but still a prime Caris Levert, prime Joe Harris, prime Dinwiddie (more so if we include '20 when Durant was injured), prime Ibaka, prime Jeff Green (whenever that was).

Older but effective Iggy, Deandre Jordan, Blake Griffin

A young Steven Adams, young Jarrett Allen.

If we don't limit to All-Star/All-NBA years, Durant could add in a 30 year old very effective Wally Szczerbiak in case his team needed some more outside shooting.

[Celtics2021]

To make it more interesting maybe you can only take a year from the player when they actually played together.  So Shaq can have Malone and Payton, but the 2004 version of them (or 2006 or 7 for Payton as well).  And maybe we require it to be a season when the player you are using was an all star, all nba, or all defense.  So that really narrows the list down as the player you are using has to be really good still and play with great teammates while being really good.  So no Robert Horry or no end of career journeyman type seasons (so really hurts the Rondo, Carter's, etc. in this).

So like Ray Allen could have 08 KG, 08 PP, 00-02 Big Dog, 00-02 Cassell, 05-07 Lewis, 11 Rondo, but he could not get Lebron, Wade, or Bosh, since he wasn't an all star in Miami.

I'll go off this idea, but pick a teammate's single best season from when they were actually teammates, and try to make a rotation out of that.  However, I'm not going to require the player himself to be an all-star that particular season, because then you're limited to selecting from players who were all-stars their entire career.

I present to you the Danny Green All-Stars:

PG: 2012 Tony Parker (2nd Team All-NBA, 5th in MVP)
SG: 2016 Kawhi Leonard (1st Team All-NBA, 2nd in MVP, 1st Team All-Defense)
SF: 2010 LeBron James (1st Team All-NBA, MVP Winner, 1st Team All-Defense)
PF: 2020 Anthony Davis (1st Team All-NBA, 6th in MVP, 1st Team All-Defense)
C:  2021 Joel Embiid (2nd Team All-NBA, 2nd in MVP, 2nd Team All-Defense)

Bench:
2013 Tim Duncan (1st Team All-NBA, 7th in MVP, 2nd Team All-Defense)
2018 Lamarcus Aldridge (2nd Team All-NBA, 9th in MVP)
2011 Manu Ginobili (3rd Team All-NBA, 8th in MVP)
2021 Ben Simmons (All-Star, 12th in MVP, 1st Team All-Defense
2019 Kyle Lowry (All-Star)

[Roy H.]

To make it more interesting maybe you can only take a year from the player when they actually played together.  So Shaq can have Malone and Payton, but the 2004 version of them (or 2006 or 7 for Payton as well).  And maybe we require it to be a season when the player you are using was an all star, all nba, or all defense.  So that really narrows the list down as the player you are using has to be really good still and play with great teammates while being really good.  So no Robert Horry or no end of career journeyman type seasons (so really hurts the Rondo, Carter's, etc. in this).

So like Ray Allen could have 08 KG, 08 PP, 00-02 Big Dog, 00-02 Cassell, 05-07 Lewis, 11 Rondo, but he could not get Lebron, Wade, or Bosh, since he wasn't an all star in Miami.

My first thought is Durant jumps to the top of that list.

Himself, prime Curry, prime Klay, prime Draymond, young Harden or slightly past his prime Harden, prime Kyrie, prime Westbrook.

More of a step down, but still a prime Caris Levert, prime Joe Harris, prime Dinwiddie (more so if we include '20 when Durant was injured), prime Ibaka, prime Jeff Green (whenever that was).

Older but effective Iggy, Deandre Jordan, Blake Griffin

A young Steven Adams, young Jarrett Allen.

If we don't limit to All-Star/All-NBA years, Durant could add in a 30 year old very effective Wally Szczerbiak in case his team needed some more outside shooting.

Kyrie gives us the Lebron / Durant pairing.

Horford
Lebron / Love
Durant / Tatum
Harden / Brown
Kyrie

Weak up front, but you’ve got Tristan Thompson, Varejao, Jordan, etc.

[Moranis]

To make it more interesting maybe you can only take a year from the player when they actually played together.  So Shaq can have Malone and Payton, but the 2004 version of them (or 2006 or 7 for Payton as well).  And maybe we require it to be a season when the player you are using was an all star, all nba, or all defense.  So that really narrows the list down as the player you are using has to be really good still and play with great teammates while being really good.  So no Robert Horry or no end of career journeyman type seasons (so really hurts the Rondo, Carter's, etc. in this).

So like Ray Allen could have 08 KG, 08 PP, 00-02 Big Dog, 00-02 Cassell, 05-07 Lewis, 11 Rondo, but he could not get Lebron, Wade, or Bosh, since he wasn't an all star in Miami.

I'll go off this idea, but pick a teammate's single best season from when they were actually teammates, and try to make a rotation out of that.  However, I'm not going to require the player himself to be an all-star that particular season, because then you're limited to selecting from players who were all-stars their entire career.

I present to you the Danny Green All-Stars:

PG: 2012 Tony Parker (2nd Team All-NBA, 5th in MVP)
SG: 2016 Kawhi Leonard (1st Team All-NBA, 2nd in MVP, 1st Team All-Defense)
SF: 2010 LeBron James (1st Team All-NBA, MVP Winner, 1st Team All-Defense)
PF: 2020 Anthony Davis (1st Team All-NBA, 6th in MVP, 1st Team All-Defense)
C:  2021 Joel Embiid (2nd Team All-NBA, 2nd in MVP, 2nd Team All-Defense)

Bench:
2013 Tim Duncan (1st Team All-NBA, 7th in MVP, 2nd Team All-Defense)
2018 Lamarcus Aldridge (2nd Team All-NBA, 9th in MVP)
2011 Manu Ginobili (3rd Team All-NBA, 8th in MVP)
2021 Ben Simmons (All-Star, 12th in MVP, 1st Team All-Defense
2019 Kyle Lowry (All-Star)

But Danny Green is a journeyman role player, which totally defeats the purpose of this.

[Celtics2021]

To make it more interesting maybe you can only take a year from the player when they actually played together.  So Shaq can have Malone and Payton, but the 2004 version of them (or 2006 or 7 for Payton as well).  And maybe we require it to be a season when the player you are using was an all star, all nba, or all defense.  So that really narrows the list down as the player you are using has to be really good still and play with great teammates while being really good.  So no Robert Horry or no end of career journeyman type seasons (so really hurts the Rondo, Carter's, etc. in this).

So like Ray Allen could have 08 KG, 08 PP, 00-02 Big Dog, 00-02 Cassell, 05-07 Lewis, 11 Rondo, but he could not get Lebron, Wade, or Bosh, since he wasn't an all star in Miami.

I'll go off this idea, but pick a teammate's single best season from when they were actually teammates, and try to make a rotation out of that.  However, I'm not going to require the player himself to be an all-star that particular season, because then you're limited to selecting from players who were all-stars their entire career.

I present to you the Danny Green All-Stars:

PG: 2012 Tony Parker (2nd Team All-NBA, 5th in MVP)
SG: 2016 Kawhi Leonard (1st Team All-NBA, 2nd in MVP, 1st Team All-Defense)
SF: 2010 LeBron James (1st Team All-NBA, MVP Winner, 1st Team All-Defense)
PF: 2020 Anthony Davis (1st Team All-NBA, 6th in MVP, 1st Team All-Defense)
C:  2021 Joel Embiid (2nd Team All-NBA, 2nd in MVP, 2nd Team All-Defense)

Bench:
2013 Tim Duncan (1st Team All-NBA, 7th in MVP, 2nd Team All-Defense)
2018 Lamarcus Aldridge (2nd Team All-NBA, 9th in MVP)
2011 Manu Ginobili (3rd Team All-NBA, 8th in MVP)
2021 Ben Simmons (All-Star, 12th in MVP, 1st Team All-Defense
2019 Kyle Lowry (All-Star)

But Danny Green is a journeyman role player, which totally defeats the purpose of this.

He’s not really a journeyman, having played the majority of his career with one team.  He is a role player.  He did at least pull down an All-Defense one season, for some leaguewide recognition.

You don’t have to like it — I was riffing on your idea, not sure why the harsh take.

[Moranis]

To make it more interesting maybe you can only take a year from the player when they actually played together.  So Shaq can have Malone and Payton, but the 2004 version of them (or 2006 or 7 for Payton as well).  And maybe we require it to be a season when the player you are using was an all star, all nba, or all defense.  So that really narrows the list down as the player you are using has to be really good still and play with great teammates while being really good.  So no Robert Horry or no end of career journeyman type seasons (so really hurts the Rondo, Carter's, etc. in this).

So like Ray Allen could have 08 KG, 08 PP, 00-02 Big Dog, 00-02 Cassell, 05-07 Lewis, 11 Rondo, but he could not get Lebron, Wade, or Bosh, since he wasn't an all star in Miami.

My first thought is Durant jumps to the top of that list.

Himself, prime Curry, prime Klay, prime Draymond, young Harden or slightly past his prime Harden, prime Kyrie, prime Westbrook.

More of a step down, but still a prime Caris Levert, prime Joe Harris, prime Dinwiddie (more so if we include '20 when Durant was injured), prime Ibaka, prime Jeff Green (whenever that was).

Older but effective Iggy, Deandre Jordan, Blake Griffin

A young Steven Adams, young Jarrett Allen.

If we don't limit to All-Star/All-NBA years, Durant could add in a 30 year old very effective Wally Szczerbiak in case his team needed some more outside shooting.

Kyrie gives us the Lebron / Durant pairing.

Horford
Lebron / Love
Durant / Tatum
Harden / Brown
Kyrie

Weak up front, but you’ve got Tristan Thompson, Varejao, Jordan, etc.

That is definitely interesting, as is Durant. 

Interestingly enough Kareem was an All Star or All NBA every single season of his career, so you can certainly come up with a pretty solid list from him.

Here is Rodman only using his honored seasons.

C - Robinson 95, Laimbeer 89
PF - Kukoc 96, Salley 92
SF - Pippen 96, Dantley 89, Elliot 95, Aguirre 91
SG - Jordan 96, Dumars 93, Ellis 94
PG - Thomas 90, A. Johnson 95, Harper 96

PF is weak, but that is a pretty solid starting 5 with some really good bench depth. 

[Roy H.]

I just wish there was somebody who played with Larry and Magic.  Free agency was wonky back then, but if I were a role player I would have wanted to play with those guys just to tell my kids.

[Celtics2021]

I just wish there was somebody who played with Larry and Magic.  Free agency was wonky back then, but if I were a role player I would have wanted to play with those guys just to tell my kids.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/roberfr01.html

[Donoghus]

I just wish there was somebody who played with Larry and Magic.  Free agency was wonky back then, but if I were a role player I would have wanted to play with those guys just to tell my kids.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/roberfr01.html

Wow.  You could put together a decent team around him.

-Magic
-Bird
-McHale
-Parish
-Malone
-Stockton
-Moncrief
-Cummings
-Robertson
-Kidd
-Gervin

[Celtics2021]

In the totally obscure players file, here's a partial list of Chuck Nevitt's teammates over his 155 game career.

Magic
Jordan
Kareem
Hakeem
Isiah Thomas
David Robinson

[Donoghus]

In the totally obscure players file, here's a partial list of Chuck Nevitt's teammates over his 155 game career.

Magic
Jordan
Kareem
Hakeem
Isiah Thomas
David Robinson

You've really gone down a rabbit hole, huh?

[Celtics2021]

In the totally obscure players file, here's a partial list of Chuck Nevitt's teammates over his 155 game career.

Magic
Jordan
Kareem
Hakeem
Isiah Thomas
David Robinson

You've really gone down a rabbit hole, huh?

I’ve found it limitless.

[Moranis]

I just wish there was somebody who played with Larry and Magic.  Free agency was wonky back then, but if I were a role player I would have wanted to play with those guys just to tell my kids.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/roberfr01.html

The funny thing is they literally both only played in the last regular season game and the 1st playoff game (and I suspect, but did not confirm, that they were never on the floor together).  The rest of the games they played that season between them only 1 of them played in the game.