If players were restored to their prime...

[Scout200]

Which NBA team would win it all if all it's players were restored to their primes?

-Scout

[crownsy]

Which NBA team would win it all if all it's players were restored to their primes?

-Scout

I would think easily us.

our starting line up would be what,

Pg: rondo (now)
SG: Ray circa 2002 ish-2005
SF: pierce: 2001-2005
PF: KG league MVP year + most of the early decade
C: 1996-2002 Shaq

with all star JO and Perk as he is now off the bench.

You'd have 4 hall of famers in their prime in the scenario, plus like 3 up and coming young players who have (rondo, JO) or could evolve into allstars

[Roy H.]

Would any team other than the Celts even have a claim?

[crownsy]

Would any team other than the Celts even have a claim?

I cant think of anyone. LAkers would be improved at a few positions, but not as much as we would be by a time machine.

[Redz]

Throw Doc out there in his prime too.

[wdleehi]

Miami could be interesting since they would have all-star level Magloire and  all-star level Howard. 



Spurs would have in his prime Duncan. 


Dallas would have MVP candidate Kidd to go with MVP Dirk plus the all-star versions of Butler, Marion, Chandler and Terry. 


I am still taking the Celtics.

[Roy H.]

Good call on the Mavs, but yeah, still us.

[BballTim]

Miami could be interesting since they would have all-star level Magloire and  all-star level Howard. 

  All-stars like that would have a hard time getting into games for us.

  We still have the best mix of stars.

  BTW, do we get to move forward with this, taking Rondo 3 years from now?

[mgent]

I would give the Pistons a look after the Celts (even though they have a bunch of young players).

TMac + Prince, Rip, and Wallace

[Fafnir]

Good call on the Mavs, but yeah, still us.

Shaq and KG both in their primes = win

Especially since we'd get Shaq during his prime year when he was a relatively mobile and active defender.

[Fafnir]

I would give the Pistons a look after the Celts (even though they have a bunch of young players).

TMac + Prince, Rip, and Wallace

Prince and Rip were never all that good (borderline all stars) and Ben Wallace was a great defender but still an offensive liability. They wouldn't be contenders in any way.

It'd be between the Spurs/Mavs/Celtics/Heat

Lakers would have a punchers chance, though I don't think young Artest could handle not getting consistent offensive touches.

[Atzar]

Also remember that San Antonio has McDyess.

Denver with a younger Billups and Kenyon Martin, along with Melo, would be fun to watch even if they probably wouldn't contend for a title.

Phoenix may be a sleeper - MVP Nash plus superstar Grant Hill and a younger Jason Richardson is pretty scary.  They wouldn't have the depth other teams have, but Nash is capable of turning scrubs into quality players and quality players into All-Stars.

Having said that, our team wouldn't even be fair.  A starting five of 4 HOFers and one All-Star with upside, along with another All-Star off the bench in JO - and with a defensive beast in Perk.

[shookones99]

It's tough to vote against the c's.

But the Heat would be nice:

-Stackhouse in his prime.  Big Z, Magloire, J. Howard,

The Magic too:

-Only because Vince in his prime would make that team scary (but at the end of the day he's still Vince).

Denver?

-A younger Chauncey and K Mart would make that team a serious problem.

You gotta throw San Antonio in there too.   But ya noones touching the Celtics.

[Fafnir]

Also remember that San Antonio has McDyess.

Denver with a younger Billups and Kenyon Martin, along with Melo, would be fun to watch even if they probably wouldn't contend for a title.

Phoenix may be a sleeper - MVP Nash plus superstar Grant Hill and a younger Jason Richardson is pretty scary.  They wouldn't have the depth other teams have, but Nash is capable of turning scrubs into quality players and quality players into All-Stars.

Having said that, our team wouldn't even be fair.  A starting five of 4 HOFers and one All-Star with upside, along with another All-Star off the bench in JO - and with a defensive beast in Perk.

Perkins wouldn't even see the floor, O'Neal in his prime was such a good defender....

KG and the two O'Neals would demand all of the 4/5 minutes.

[mgent]

I would give the Pistons a look after the Celts (even though they have a bunch of young players).

TMac + Prince, Rip, and Wallace

Prince and Rip were never all that good (borderline all stars) and Ben Wallace was a great defender but still an offensive liability. They wouldn't be contenders in any way.

It'd be between the Spurs/Mavs/Celtics/Heat

Lakers would have a punchers chance, though I don't think young Artest could handle not getting consistent offensive touches.

They are 3/5 pieces of a championship team, that's good in my opinion.  Add a scoring champ to a top defensive team and they could contend no problem..