CB Historical Draft - Team Rosters/Panelists Comments

[GreenFaith1819]

lol..this is so funny..even the fans on the ESPN comments section are stating that the refreeing is slanted towards the Magic..

[GreenFaith1819]

lol..this is so funny..even the fans on the ESPN comments section are stating that the refreeing is slanted towards the Magic..

Sorry guys wrong thread..

[Fan from VT]

I think I match up well vs. Utah and pretty much every other team, as I feel like I have the most complete 2-way squad that there is without having to swap in one-dimensional specialists; my top 9 rotation players can pretty much get anything done.

Shaq is clearly Utah's best player, but of anyone, DPOY Mourning was ready to at least make shaq work hard for points and boards. I think you can double off of Worthy's man as Shaq will be clogging the post and Worthy is at his best in the open field on the wing, not the half-court set, but Shaq/Dirk are halfcourt players. Additionally, the next best palyers on offense for Utah are Dirk and Drexler, and in my starting lineup we have 2 all-defense team players at those positions: Majerle and Malone.

Now, We're not going to STOP shaq, but here's my question: how do they stop Golden State? We've got excellent outside shooting at both wings, and Mourning and Malone both have the midrange shot to space the paint. Malone was, pure and simple, the best pick and roll picker of the past 20 years, and with him initiating the offense with Isiah on the drive, with options like Malone on the roll, Mourning at midrange/cutting himself, and Majerle/Mullin outside, who's going to stop that? Shaq? Dirk??? Price???

Additionally, within my top 9 I think I have the bench to compensate if things are looking dire vs. Utah. First, if two of Worthy/Drexler/Dirk are both having hot games, I can bring in Kirilenko, and have him just blanket one of those guys with Majerle on the other. Kirilenko is a great player off the bench to plug any holes in any given game. Second, If Shaq is just too much, I can sub in Divac, who first of all has the size to give him fits, and second can pull him out of the paint on offense and make him expend energy as Divac picks Utah apart from the high post. Finally, I'm brining in Carmelo at small forward for the offensive energy boost off the bench. He could easily start for one of these teams with his all-around efficient game, but I plan to bring him in with Divac, pull out Utah's only shot-blocker, and let Melo kill Marion/Worthy on the post. And, or course, Fat Lever is the 9th man in the rotation, giving you outside shooting, incredible rebounding and well above average defense. I see the individual matchups like this:

Isiah > Price
Majerle < Drexler (closer than you'd think due to defense)
Mullin = Worthy
Malone >>> Dirk
Mourning << Shaq

Divac > Moses
Kirilenko = McDyess (defense matters...and McDyess was very athletic but shot a low percentage for a young dunker)
Carmelo >> Marion (especially when you remember that Marion is on record as saying he'd rather be the #1 on a bad team than buried on a title team...I question his fit on an all-time team)
Fat > Porter

In addition to the individual matchups, I give the coaching edge to Brown over Rivers, and think the pieces fit a little better on offense and are stronger on defense across the board.

[nickagneta]

I think I match up well vs. Utah and pretty much every other team, as I feel like I have the most complete 2-way squad that there is without having to swap in one-dimensional specialists; my top 9 rotation players can pretty much get anything done.

Shaq is clearly Utah's best player, but of anyone, DPOY Mourning was ready to at least make shaq work hard for points and boards. I think you can double off of Worthy's man as Shaq will be clogging the post and Worthy is at his best in the open field on the wing, not the half-court set, but Shaq/Dirk are halfcourt players. Additionally, the next best palyers on offense for Utah are Dirk and Drexler, and in my starting lineup we have 2 all-defense team players at those positions: Majerle and Malone.

Now, We're not going to STOP shaq, but here's my question: how do they stop Golden State? We've got excellent outside shooting at both wings, and Mourning and Malone both have the midrange shot to space the paint. Malone was, pure and simple, the best pick and roll picker of the past 20 years, and with him initiating the offense with Isiah on the drive, with options like Malone on the roll, Mourning at midrange/cutting himself, and Majerle/Mullin outside, who's going to stop that? Shaq? Dirk??? Price???

Additionally, within my top 9 I think I have the bench to compensate if things are looking dire vs. Utah. First, if two of Worthy/Drexler/Dirk are both having hot games, I can bring in Kirilenko, and have him just blanket one of those guys with Majerle on the other. Kirilenko is a great player off the bench to plug any holes in any given game. Second, If Shaq is just too much, I can sub in Divac, who first of all has the size to give him fits, and second can pull him out of the paint on offense and make him expend energy as Divac picks Utah apart from the high post. Finally, I'm brining in Carmelo at small forward for the offensive energy boost off the bench. He could easily start for one of these teams with his all-around efficient game, but I plan to bring him in with Divac, pull out Utah's only shot-blocker, and let Melo kill Marion/Worthy on the post. And, or course, Fat Lever is the 9th man in the rotation, giving you outside shooting, incredible rebounding and well above average defense. I see the individual matchups like this:

Isiah > Price
Majerle < Drexler (closer than you'd think due to defense)
Mullin = Worthy
Malone >>> Dirk
Mourning << Shaq

Divac > Moses
Kirilenko = McDyess (defense matters...and McDyess was very athletic but shot a low percentage for a young dunker)
Carmelo >> Marion (especially when you remember that Marion is on record as saying he'd rather be the #1 on a bad team than buried on a title team...I question his fit on an all-time team)
Fat > Porter

In addition to the individual matchups, I give the coaching edge to Brown over Rivers, and think the pieces fit a little better on offense and are stronger on defense across the board.

Couple things.

1.) Mullin is not as good as Worthy. Worthy could play defense and Mullin couldn't spell defense. Worthy was still a 28 year old in his prime and had a decent mid range game in the year I chose and was one of the most clutch performers you would ever see.
2.) What has what Marion said while trying to secure a max level contract have to do with whether he is as good a player as Melo? Marion at his best and Melo at his, is pretty much a wash.
3.) I would have to say that Lever and Porter are a wash as well.
4.) I said already, Moses will be lucky to see the floor. But if he does, I think people are seriously undervaluing the play of Moses Malone at 33 years old. The man had 30 games of 20+PPG/10+RPG. In Vlade Divac's best year he might have had half that many. At 33, Moses had 30 of those games. 30.
5.) Shaq's advantage over Mourning is much greater than Malone's advantage over Nowitzki. Malone was a great post defender. He never had to guard a perimeter 7 footer that had the shooting ability that Dirk does.

[Fan from VT]

I think I match up well vs. Utah and pretty much every other team, as I feel like I have the most complete 2-way squad that there is without having to swap in one-dimensional specialists; my top 9 rotation players can pretty much get anything done.

Shaq is clearly Utah's best player, but of anyone, DPOY Mourning was ready to at least make shaq work hard for points and boards. I think you can double off of Worthy's man as Shaq will be clogging the post and Worthy is at his best in the open field on the wing, not the half-court set, but Shaq/Dirk are halfcourt players. Additionally, the next best palyers on offense for Utah are Dirk and Drexler, and in my starting lineup we have 2 all-defense team players at those positions: Majerle and Malone.

Now, We're not going to STOP shaq, but here's my question: how do they stop Golden State? We've got excellent outside shooting at both wings, and Mourning and Malone both have the midrange shot to space the paint. Malone was, pure and simple, the best pick and roll picker of the past 20 years, and with him initiating the offense with Isiah on the drive, with options like Malone on the roll, Mourning at midrange/cutting himself, and Majerle/Mullin outside, who's going to stop that? Shaq? Dirk??? Price???

Additionally, within my top 9 I think I have the bench to compensate if things are looking dire vs. Utah. First, if two of Worthy/Drexler/Dirk are both having hot games, I can bring in Kirilenko, and have him just blanket one of those guys with Majerle on the other. Kirilenko is a great player off the bench to plug any holes in any given game. Second, If Shaq is just too much, I can sub in Divac, who first of all has the size to give him fits, and second can pull him out of the paint on offense and make him expend energy as Divac picks Utah apart from the high post. Finally, I'm brining in Carmelo at small forward for the offensive energy boost off the bench. He could easily start for one of these teams with his all-around efficient game, but I plan to bring him in with Divac, pull out Utah's only shot-blocker, and let Melo kill Marion/Worthy on the post. And, or course, Fat Lever is the 9th man in the rotation, giving you outside shooting, incredible rebounding and well above average defense. I see the individual matchups like this:

Isiah > Price
Majerle < Drexler (closer than you'd think due to defense)
Mullin = Worthy
Malone >>> Dirk
Mourning << Shaq

Divac > Moses
Kirilenko = McDyess (defense matters...and McDyess was very athletic but shot a low percentage for a young dunker)
Carmelo >> Marion (especially when you remember that Marion is on record as saying he'd rather be the #1 on a bad team than buried on a title team...I question his fit on an all-time team)
Fat > Porter

In addition to the individual matchups, I give the coaching edge to Brown over Rivers, and think the pieces fit a little better on offense and are stronger on defense across the board.

Couple things.

1.) Mullin is not as good as Worthy. Worthy could play defense and Mullin couldn't spell defense. Worthy was still a 28 year old in his prime and had a decent mid range game in the year I chose and was one of the most clutch performers you would ever see.
2.) What has what Marion said while trying to secure a max level contract have to do with whether he is as good a player as Melo? Marion at his best and Melo at his, is pretty much a wash.
3.) I would have to say that Lever and Porter are a wash as well.
4.) I said already, Moses will be lucky to see the floor. But if he does, I think people are seriously undervaluing the play of Moses Malone at 33 years old. The man had 30 games of 20+PPG/10+RPG. In Vlade Divac's best year he might have had half that many. At 33, Moses had 30 of those games. 30.
5.) Shaq's advantage over Mourning is much greater than Malone's advantage over Nowitzki. Malone was a great post defender. He never had to guard a perimeter 7 footer that had the shooting ability that Dirk does.

Couple quick notes, then i'll be back tomorrow:

1a. No Way marion is as good as Carmelo.
1b. I think attitude absolutely matters, I think this is more than a fantasy stat tally. This was not while seeking a contract, this was his philosophical stance.
2. I think you're underestimating Mullin now. He was a fantastic all-around athlete and there's a reason he was tabbed for the dream team. Worthy was a good defender. Never made an all-defense team, topped out at all-NBA 3rd. Thrived in the opposite style your team will play.
3. Don't sleep on Mourning. He was a revolutionary center before his kidney failed. They both started same year. 98-99 mourning was all nba 1st, shaq 2nd. in 99-00, shaq was 1st Center, Mourning 2nd. Then Mourning's kidney gave out. So they were back and forth at their peaks. Difference was, Mourning was tabbed DPOY in 98-99, while shaq's best all all-defense 2nd. So now that I look at it, I actually have to downgrade shaq to just a Mourning < Shaq advantage!
4. I'll definitely take Lever everyday for backup guard. Again, all these teams have great offense, so any defensive edge really matters.
5. Malone is significantly better than Dirk. Malone is in the conversation for best PF of all time. Dirk will never get there. Dirk is below average on defense; Malone was all-NBA 1st, just as fast as Dirk, and significantly stronger. We've seen that you don't need to be taller than Dirk to defend him, being stronger is a better strategy even when shorter: witness how the best defense against him was by someone like Bowen or Stephen Jackson. I love that advantage for my team on BOTH ends of the floor, because again, I just don't see how Golden State's offense is contained.

[nickagneta]

Funny. A DPOY award makes Mourning closer to being as good as Shaq but Shaq's MVP, multiple Finals MVPs and championships mean what exactly? Let's not forget that Mourning won his ring playing as a backup center. To whom? Shaq.

Worthy doesn't play well in the type offense I am going to play? What offense was he playing in in the 1990's? The Lake Show had become much more half court oriented by then. And his game improved in the playoffs when the game became even more half court oriented. He had a great mid range game and was great posting people up.

But I'm going to leave it at that.

You've got a great team. I think I have a great team. I'll let others decide who they think is better. Good luck. TP for good debate and point counterpoint.

[GreenFaith1819]

I must interject here:

As for the Mourning-Shaq matchup - I love Mourning in his prime, but there is very little that he can do vs Shaq in his prime.

This is the main reason why I drafted Perk - Shaq in his prime would still have a hard time moving Perk, even though Shaq still wins this matchup for me.

But Mourning prime vs Shaq Prime? Shaq wins...I have watched more youtube videos over the last week or so than ever before, and Shaq just shredded Centers...I even made it a point to watch every matchup VS my Main Man, Hakeem, and Shaq just worked on his game up to the point where he was better than Hakeem, at least offensively.

I think Perk was/is stronger than Mourning, even in his prime, so that is why I would even give my team, NJ, a slight chance of containing Shaq.

The Absolute Only Knock I have on Shaq? His defense. Hakeem, I think, was better than Shaq defensively.

But on the block Offensively? Shaq in his prime wasn't going to be stopped..he was quick enough to manuever around most centers, even as big as he was..he was very agile for his size.

My Own Team strategy for even attempting to slow down Nick's team is Twin Tower method - but even that is a reach. Shaq, in his prime, was a good passer for a Center - not as good as say, Sabonis or Daugherty, but still good in his own right.

Just my two cents...my own Big tandem would be very hard pressed to defend Nick's Utah team....it could be done, but you talk about execution - it would have to be perfect. Perk would have to stay behind Shaq Prime, while Hakeem fronted him.

Even that plan concerns me, because it leaves me to pull Glenn Rob out of the game, for Gerald Wallace to defend Dirk.

Now, what about Worthy? .

Nick drafted well. He doesn't have a perfect team, but his lineup is a nightmare to defend right now.

[Roy Hobbs]

I must interject here:

As for the Mourning-Shaq matchup - I love Mourning in his prime, but there is very little that he can do vs Shaq in his prime.

This is the main reason why I drafted Perk - Shaq in his prime would still have a hard time moving Perk, even though Shaq still wins this matchup for me.

But Mourning prime vs Shaq Prime? Shaq wins...I have watched more youtube videos over the last week or so than ever before, and Shaq just shredded Centers...I even made it a point to watch every matchup VS my Main Man, Hakeem, and Shaq just worked on his game up to the point where he was better than Hakeem, at least offensively.

I think Perk was/is stronger than Mourning, even in his prime, so that is why I would even give my team, NJ, a slight chance of containing Shaq.

The Absolute Only Knock I have on Shaq? His defense. Hakeem, I think, was better than Shaq defensively.

But on the block Offensively? Shaq in his prime wasn't going to be stopped..he was quick enough to manuever around most centers, even as big as he was..he was very agile for his size.

My Own Team strategy for even attempting to slow down Nick's team is Twin Tower method - but even that is a reach. Shaq, in his prime, was a good passer for a Center - not as good as say, Sabonis or Daugherty, but still good in his own right.

Just my two cents...my own Big tandem would be very hard pressed to defend Nick's Utah team....it could be done, but you talk about execution - it would have to be perfect. Perk would have to stay behind Shaq Prime, while Hakeem fronted him.

Even that plan concerns me, because it leaves me to pull Glenn Rob out of the game, for Gerald Wallace to defend Dirk.

Now, what about Worthy? .

Nick drafted well. He doesn't have a perfect team, but his lineup is a nightmare to defend right now.

Shaq was a great player, but I think you're overrating him a bit, honestly.  The guy couldn't be shut down, but he could be contained; he wasn't invincible.

I mean, I think you're selling Hakeem short, for instance.  He held his own against Shaq, as did Mourning and Dikembe, for instance.

[GreenFaith1819]

I must interject here:

As for the Mourning-Shaq matchup - I love Mourning in his prime, but there is very little that he can do vs Shaq in his prime.

This is the main reason why I drafted Perk - Shaq in his prime would still have a hard time moving Perk, even though Shaq still wins this matchup for me.

But Mourning prime vs Shaq Prime? Shaq wins...I have watched more youtube videos over the last week or so than ever before, and Shaq just shredded Centers...I even made it a point to watch every matchup VS my Main Man, Hakeem, and Shaq just worked on his game up to the point where he was better than Hakeem, at least offensively.

I think Perk was/is stronger than Mourning, even in his prime, so that is why I would even give my team, NJ, a slight chance of containing Shaq.

The Absolute Only Knock I have on Shaq? His defense. Hakeem, I think, was better than Shaq defensively.

But on the block Offensively? Shaq in his prime wasn't going to be stopped..he was quick enough to manuever around most centers, even as big as he was..he was very agile for his size.

My Own Team strategy for even attempting to slow down Nick's team is Twin Tower method - but even that is a reach. Shaq, in his prime, was a good passer for a Center - not as good as say, Sabonis or Daugherty, but still good in his own right.

Just my two cents...my own Big tandem would be very hard pressed to defend Nick's Utah team....it could be done, but you talk about execution - it would have to be perfect. Perk would have to stay behind Shaq Prime, while Hakeem fronted him.

Even that plan concerns me, because it leaves me to pull Glenn Rob out of the game, for Gerald Wallace to defend Dirk.

Now, what about Worthy? .

Nick drafted well. He doesn't have a perfect team, but his lineup is a nightmare to defend right now.

Shaq was a great player, but I think you're overrating him a bit, honestly.  The guy couldn't be shut down, but he could be contained; he wasn't invincible.

I mean, I think you're selling Hakeem short, for instance.  He held his own against Shaq, as did Mourning and Dikembe, for instance.

Maybe for this Utah Team, Shaq wouldn't have, say, a Kobe to pass out to - this is a given.

Shaq absolutely shredded Mutumbo - just my memory of their matchups. Mourning? Mourning would be doing a lot of tugging to keep him off the blocks.

When the Refs let Shaq do his thing, and back Centers down - it was hard to contain him.

Shaq Prime VS Hakeem Prime? This is the main reason for my Twin Tower Scheme - Shaq Prime was just too strong for Hakeem Prime. Yes Hakeem could slow him down, but I would be better pressed to use Perk to keep him off the blocks.

Hakeem's quickness would definitely be an asset in this matchup.

Now don't get me wrong - Fan From VT has a Great Team - Mourning and Malone Prime is Tough.

[Roy Hobbs]

I must interject here:

As for the Mourning-Shaq matchup - I love Mourning in his prime, but there is very little that he can do vs Shaq in his prime.

This is the main reason why I drafted Perk - Shaq in his prime would still have a hard time moving Perk, even though Shaq still wins this matchup for me.

But Mourning prime vs Shaq Prime? Shaq wins...I have watched more youtube videos over the last week or so than ever before, and Shaq just shredded Centers...I even made it a point to watch every matchup VS my Main Man, Hakeem, and Shaq just worked on his game up to the point where he was better than Hakeem, at least offensively.

I think Perk was/is stronger than Mourning, even in his prime, so that is why I would even give my team, NJ, a slight chance of containing Shaq.

The Absolute Only Knock I have on Shaq? His defense. Hakeem, I think, was better than Shaq defensively.

But on the block Offensively? Shaq in his prime wasn't going to be stopped..he was quick enough to manuever around most centers, even as big as he was..he was very agile for his size.

My Own Team strategy for even attempting to slow down Nick's team is Twin Tower method - but even that is a reach. Shaq, in his prime, was a good passer for a Center - not as good as say, Sabonis or Daugherty, but still good in his own right.

Just my two cents...my own Big tandem would be very hard pressed to defend Nick's Utah team....it could be done, but you talk about execution - it would have to be perfect. Perk would have to stay behind Shaq Prime, while Hakeem fronted him.

Even that plan concerns me, because it leaves me to pull Glenn Rob out of the game, for Gerald Wallace to defend Dirk.

Now, what about Worthy? .

Nick drafted well. He doesn't have a perfect team, but his lineup is a nightmare to defend right now.

Shaq was a great player, but I think you're overrating him a bit, honestly.  The guy couldn't be shut down, but he could be contained; he wasn't invincible.

I mean, I think you're selling Hakeem short, for instance.  He held his own against Shaq, as did Mourning and Dikembe, for instance.

Maybe for this Utah Team, Shaq wouldn't have, say, a Kobe to pass out to - this is a given.

Shaq absolutely shredded Mutumbo - just my memory of their matchups. Mourning? Mourning would be doing a lot of tugging to keep him off the blocks.

When the Refs let Shaq do his thing, and back Centers down - it was hard to contain him.

Shaq Prime VS Hakeem Prime? This is the main reason for my Twin Tower Scheme - Shaq Prime was just too strong for Hakeem Prime. Yes Hakeem could slow him down, but I would be better pressed to use Perk to keep him off the blocks.

Hakeem's quickness would definitely be an asset in this matchup.

Now don't get me wrong - Fan From VT has a Great Team - Mourning and Malone Prime is Tough.

Fan From VT is using '98-'99 Zo, who didn't match up with Shaq.  However, if you look at the next season, here are their H2H stats:

March 5:  Shaq - 17 points, 11 rebounds; Mourning - 21 points, 9 rebounds
March 20: Shaq - 28 points, 12 rebounds; Mourning - 33 points, 13 rebounds

Keep in mind, 2000 is the year that nick elected, so this is comparing apples to apples.  Head to head, Zo contained Shaq, and in fact, outplayed him.

As for Dikembe, Shaq's career scoring average against him is 21.5, compared to 24.1 for Shaq's career overall.  In other words, again, Dikembe limited him. 

With Hakeem, the two players had different primes, so it's hard to compare.  When they met in Hakeem's prime, Hakeem beat Shaq in four straight in the Finals, and outscored him in every game.  In Shaq's prime (the year nick selected), Hakeem was too old, and in the games they did matchup, Shaq only played 15 minutes in one game, and Hakeem played 22 and 13 minutes in the other games, making comparisons not really valid.

What the above hopefully shows was that Shaq was good against great big men, but he wasn't dominant.  Oftentimes, he'd still put up a very respectable 20 point performance, but it wasn't the dominant 30+ point games that he averaged against lesser guys.

Nothing against Shaq at all -- he's a big plus for nick.  However, I just think you're exaggerating his greatness a bit in your memory.

[Who]

33ppg + 15.8rpg + 4.8apg + 3.4bpg on 57% FG%

Those were the numbers Shaq put up against Mutombo in the NBA Finals when Phily tried to defend him with single coverage.

[Who]

This is the main reason why I drafted Perk - Shaq in his prime would still have a hard time moving Perk, even though Shaq still wins this matchup for me.

I think Perk was/is stronger than Mourning, even in his prime, so that is why I would even give my team, NJ, a slight chance of containing Shaq.

My Own Team strategy for even attempting to slow down Nick's team is Twin Tower method - but even that is a reach. Shaq, in his prime, was a good passer for a Center - not as good as say, Sabonis or Daugherty, but still good in his own right.

Just my two cents...my own Big tandem would be very hard pressed to defend Nick's Utah team....it could be done, but you talk about execution - it would have to be perfect. Perk would have to stay behind Shaq Prime, while Hakeem fronted him.

Even that plan concerns me, because it leaves me to pull Glenn Rob out of the game, for Gerald Wallace to defend Dirk.

Now, what about Worthy? .

Nick drafted well. He doesn't have a perfect team, but his lineup is a nightmare to defend right now.

I would use a three man big man rotation on your team with Hakeem, McHale and Nance with McHale sliding over to the center position when Hakeem goes out of the game.

I would only play Kendrick Perkins if Hakeem was in foul trouble and consequently unable to go for 35-40 minutes against a guy like Shaquille O'Neal. I would use Kenyon Martin as my fourth big before I would use Perkins except in cases where Perk's physical size + post defense has a lot of value.

I don't think Perkins would have much success against Shaq in his prime. Shaq would overpower him just like he overpowered everyone else ... and then Perk's lack of offensive contributions (allowing Shaq to roam around the rim) + likely decrease on Perk's rebounding due to the energy he was using trying to battle against the physical pounding he would be taking from Shaq would be significant negatives for your team.

[Who]

I think I match up well vs. Utah and pretty much every other team, as I feel like I have the most complete 2-way squad that there is without having to swap in one-dimensional specialists; my top 9 rotation players can pretty much get anything done.

Shaq is clearly Utah's best player, but of anyone, DPOY Mourning was ready to at least make shaq work hard for points and boards. I think you can double off of Worthy's man as Shaq will be clogging the post and Worthy is at his best in the open field on the wing, not the half-court set, but Shaq/Dirk are halfcourt players. Additionally, the next best palyers on offense for Utah are Dirk and Drexler, and in my starting lineup we have 2 all-defense team players at those positions: Majerle and Malone.

Now, We're not going to STOP shaq, but here's my question: how do they stop Golden State? We've got excellent outside shooting at both wings, and Mourning and Malone both have the midrange shot to space the paint. Malone was, pure and simple, the best pick and roll picker of the past 20 years, and with him initiating the offense with Isiah on the drive, with options like Malone on the roll, Mourning at midrange/cutting himself, and Majerle/Mullin outside, who's going to stop that? Shaq? Dirk??? Price???

Additionally, within my top 9 I think I have the bench to compensate if things are looking dire vs. Utah. First, if two of Worthy/Drexler/Dirk are both having hot games, I can bring in Kirilenko, and have him just blanket one of those guys with Majerle on the other. Kirilenko is a great player off the bench to plug any holes in any given game. Second, If Shaq is just too much, I can sub in Divac, who first of all has the size to give him fits, and second can pull him out of the paint on offense and make him expend energy as Divac picks Utah apart from the high post. Finally, I'm brining in Carmelo at small forward for the offensive energy boost off the bench. He could easily start for one of these teams with his all-around efficient game, but I plan to bring him in with Divac, pull out Utah's only shot-blocker, and let Melo kill Marion/Worthy on the post. And, or course, Fat Lever is the 9th man in the rotation, giving you outside shooting, incredible rebounding and well above average defense. I see the individual matchups like this:

Isiah > Price
Majerle < Drexler (closer than you'd think due to defense)
Mullin = Worthy
Malone >>> Dirk
Mourning << Shaq

Divac > Moses
Kirilenko = McDyess (defense matters...and McDyess was very athletic but shot a low percentage for a young dunker)
Carmelo >> Marion (especially when you remember that Marion is on record as saying he'd rather be the #1 on a bad team than buried on a title team...I question his fit on an all-time team)
Fat > Porter

In addition to the individual matchups, I give the coaching edge to Brown over Rivers, and think the pieces fit a little better on offense and are stronger on defense across the board.

Excellent post ...

I have Worthy and Mullin canceling each other out also. Mullin was a far more effective offensive player than Worthy was but his lack of defense negates that potential advantage and neutralizes the matchup. I also agree with Worthy being a fairly mediocre fit on that team offensively because his best strengths offensively (midpost game + undersized quick PF) are limited by the presence of Dirk Nowitzki. I wouldn't have picked Worthy.

This is one of the situations where I thought Danny Granger would have brought far more to the table than the small forward selected. His increased versatility offensively, shooting ability, prolific + highly efficient scoring game would have been a nightmarish complement to players like Shaq + Dirk + Clyde + Price.

I think Karl Malone is being given too much credit. His greatest strength was his longevity as a top level player rather than his brilliance in any one specific season. I don't think he deserved either of his MVP awards (All-NBA talent) or any of his All-Defensive selections either (good but unexceptional defender).

I do not think Malone has an advantage against Dirk ... and that stage of his career, I think he struggles against Dirk's shooting ability + height/length + midpost game (a younger more athletic Malone would have fared better defensively + caused more problems in transition against Dirk's suspect transition D) ... more so that the problems he poses for Dirk on the other end of the floor (pick and roll offense is an issue but I am fine with Dirk defending him in the low post + face up opportunities).

I also seem to rate Clyde Drexler a lot higher than most others here. I think his impact in this matchup and advantage over Majerle is much larger than you do. An All-NBA talent against a borderline All-Star, huge difference.

I have no issues with Marion's statements because they never effected his play on the court. He was always unselfish, always played with effort and always put the team first. I agree that Carmelo has an advantage as the main wing off the bench but I also think Marion's top notch defense (and athleticism) can somewhat contain Melo's advantage.

As I said earlier, I don't think Isiah has a significant advantage over Price. I think Isiah is one of those players who is being too much credit for his ability due to his impact earlier in the decade (1980's).

I think McDyess has an advantage versus the other two backup bigs because I don't think Vlade can defend Dirk at the center position. Kirilenko is a very good team defender at the four but he is not tough one-on-one defender at the position and both Dirk + McDyess can be effective offensively against him. I think the backup guard role is fairly even too.

I think only two players on your team can break down the Jazz' defense -- Isiah with his playmaking ability + Carmelo with his scoring ability -- but I think Utah can effectively defend everyone else in one-on-one situations and won't be pressed into help defense often enough by the rest of your team. In contrast, I think Shaq + Dirk + Clyde can all force the Warriors defense to collapse and that Price's playmaking can create opportunities for others also. Consequently, I think your team is too reliant on one type of offense (pick and roll play) and not versatile enough overall in this matchup.

[Moranis]

33ppg + 15.8rpg + 4.8apg + 3.4bpg on 57% FG%

Those were the numbers Shaq put up against Mutombo in the NBA Finals when Phily tried to defend him with single coverage.

dikembe was 35 and past his prime at that point in his career.  I wouldn't exactly call that an apples to apples comparison.

[Moranis]

Roy, since you asked these are the five teams I think are the best outside of my own.

Milwaukee
New Jersey
Philadelphia
Utah
Golden State

I do however believe I can cause significant matchup problems for each of these teams and would in fact win 7 game series against them.