Build a Team Game

[Big333223]

TP to Redz for the idea. Here are the rules:

Start with any player who's never made an all star team and build the best possible team using only that player's teammates. Everyone on the team must have played with the non-all star you start with but in evaluating the team, we're considering everyone's careers not just the year they played with the non-all star.

I went down a rabbit hole and came up with a bunch.


Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Orlando Woolridge, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson
(Woolridge is fun. His bench can be Artis Gilmore, James Worthy, George Gervin, Joe Dumars, and Isiah Thomas.)

David Robinson, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Clyde Drexler, Rod Strickland
(Scottie Pippen is the hardest cut here and maybe he makes more sense alongside either McGrady or Drexler for defensive reasons)

Dikembe Mutombo, Toni Kukoc, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Gary Payton,

Hakeem Olajuwon, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxell, John Havlicek, Dennis Johnson
(Went with DJ for this team but it could've been Jo Jo White or Tiny Archibald at PG)

Shaquille O'Neal, Dominique Wilkins, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Ron Harper

[Bucketgetter]

D Wade
Kobe
Lamar Odom
Dirk
Pau Gasol

[Csfan1984]

IT, AB, Pierce, KG, Horford

[tazzmaniac]

Starters:  Jason Kidd, Clyde Drexler, Robert Horry, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal
Bench:  Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Dennis Rodman, Tim Duncan

With Olajuwon, O'Neal and Duncan, don't need a 4th big.  Kobe should start but I like the idea of him coming off the bench.     

[green_bballers13]

Serge Ibaka, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Demar Derozan
Bench: Kyle Lowry, Steven Adams, Jonas Valanciunas, Biyombo, Aaron Gordon

Marcus Camby, Lamarcus Aldridge, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady
Bench: Amare Stoudemire, Blake Griffin, Deandre Jordan, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd

[Moranis]

Camby may be the most decorated player that never made an all star team and you could put together an interesting team but it is one that would lack the all time greats but would still include Ewing, Iverson, Anthony, Aldridge, Deandre Jordan, Mark Jackson, Spreewell, Glen Rice, Larry Johnson, Kenyon Martin, Andre Miller.

[Roy H.]

Bill Russell
Tom Heinson
John Havlicek
Sam Jones
K.C. Jones

[Moranis]

Bill Russell
Tom Heinson
John Havlicek
Sam Jones
K.C. Jones

you could do that with Cedric Maxwell as well.  I mean that is the real problem with this thing, is you could pick some random scrub from a stacked team and build a real winner, especially if the random scrub had a long career and moved around a bit.  Someone like Marc Iavaroni comes to mind.  Played with Moses, Dr. J, Barkley, Bobby Jones, and Cheeks in Philly and then went on to play with Gervin and Gilmore in San Antonio and Stockton and Malone in Utah.  I mean that is a pretty stacked team if you have Iavaroni start (before quickly ceding to the Mailman and Barkley at the 4). 

[Big333223]

Bill Russell
Tom Heinson
John Havlicek
Sam Jones
K.C. Jones

you could do that with Cedric Maxwell as well.  I mean that is the real problem with this thing, is you could pick some random scrub from a stacked team and build a real winner, especially if the random scrub had a long career and moved around a bit.  Someone like Marc Iavaroni comes to mind.  Played with Moses, Dr. J, Barkley, Bobby Jones, and Cheeks in Philly and then went on to play with Gervin and Gilmore in San Antonio and Stockton and Malone in Utah.  I mean that is a pretty stacked team if you have Iavaroni start (before quickly ceding to the Mailman and Barkley at the 4).

Yeah, it works better if you are only putting together a 5 man unit. Then you have to stick with Iavaroni.

I'm glad to see a couple of the other teams I came up with but didn't post made it onto the thread. I went on a long deep dive putting together like 15 of these teams. It was a slow day at work and I have a lot of fun.