The "No-Top-10 Top Ten" Game

[PosImpos]

Let's play a game.  I want you to try to build the best roster (starting 5, bench 5) you can without using any top 10 players, and without putting any current starters on your bench.  

For the sake of this game only -- leave argument over this point to other threads -- let's have the list of top 10 players be as follows (no particular order):

Lebron
Wade
Kobe
Durant
Dwight
Melo
Rose
Love
CP3
Griffin


Your goal is to make the team that would have the best shot at winning a title this season.  My idea in proposing this game is to try and demonstrate how difficult it is to create such a team -- a serious contender without a top 10 player.


Here's my best attempt:


Rajon Rondo / Mo Williams
Joe Johnson / James Harden
Andre Iguodala / Corey Brewer
LaMarcus Aldridge / Al Harrington
Marc Gasol / Chris Andersen


Just how good would that team be?  Really good.  Tons of production off the bench, good defense, scoring potential at every starting position, and a great passer with tons of weapons at his disposal.

Here's the thing -- I don't think they'd even necessarily be the title favorite, despite being about as stacked as I could possibly make them without using any superstars.

[Who]

Deron Williams, Ben Gordon
James Harden, Nicolas Batum
Luol Deng, Shane Battier
Blake Griffin, Taj Gibson
LaMarcus Aldridge, Omer Asik

[Eja117]

I'm going nuts

Rondo/Lou WIllaims
Rubio/JJ Redick
Dirk (you left him out. He's mine now)/Tyler Hansbrough
Pau Gasol/Chris Kaman
Josh Smith/Boris Diaw


I win!

[KGs Knee]

Starters:
R.Rondo
J.Harden
R.Gay
L.Aldridge
T.Chandler

Bench:
J.Terry
A.Igoudala
A.Jefferson

I'll go with just an 8-man rotation, because I think it allows you to maximize their minutes and effectiveness.  All the players I listed can play multiple positions, with the exception of Rondo and Harden.

[pearljammer10]

Rondo/D. Williams
Allen/Harden
Gerald Wallace/Deng
Nowitzki/Duncan
P. Gasol/Aldridge

That team wins a championship.

[KCattheStripe]

Rondo
Harden
Gay
Dirk
M. Gasol

Bench

Iggy/Deng/P. Gasol

[PosImpos]

Bench:
J.Terry
A.Igoudala
A.Jefferson

Rondo/D. Williams
Allen/Harden
Gerald Wallace/Deng
Nowitzki/Duncan
P. Gasol/Aldridge

That team wins a championship.

Bench:

Iggy/Deng/P. Gasol

read the rules again

[KCattheStripe]

Rondo/Norris Cole
Iggy/Harden
Gay/Pietrus
Dirk/Bass
M. Gasol/Asik


CHAMPIONSHIP!

[KGs Knee]

Ok, I thought you meant current Celtics starters.

Here's my redo:

Starters:
R.Rondo
R.Gay
G.Wallace
L.Aldridge
T.Chandler

Bench:
J.Terry
J.Harden
D.Favors
O.Asik

Still primarily an 8-man rotation, with Asik seeing minutes based on matchups or foul trouble.

Quite hoenstly, given the versatility this roster would have, I think it would beat any current "real" team.  Rather easily most likely.

[mgent]

Williams
Iguodala
Deng
Wallace
Pau

Ultra long, super strong lineup with the speed and athleticism to score every time on the break, yet an unstoppable halfcourt offense with Deron and Gasol.  Oh yeah, and it's the best defense in the league by an unbelievable margin.  I considered Amare at C for the ultimate uptempo team, but that's kinda unnecessary.

Bench:
Lou Williams
Harden
Batum
Thaddeus Young
Asik

Tons of energy and explosion, plus same defensive intensity.

Reserves:
Terry
Crawford
Odom
Harrington
Haslem

[byennie]

Here's what I got. Obviously trying for talent, but I also think these guys are balanced:

Steve Nash / Louis Williams
Ray Allen / James Harden
Andre Iguodala / Corey Brewer
Pau Gasol / Taj Gibson
Tyson Chandler / Omer Asik

Rationale:

I know Nash can't defend, but he's one of the few true distributors left in the game. I'd take Rondo too, but I think on a dream team like this where I can pick other lockdown defenders, Nash is more valuable with his elite shooting.

Nash + Allen would be the best shooting backcourt of All-Time, you would get murdered from the outside against those two together with Gasol posting down low.

Iguodala + Chandler give you two of the league's top unselfish and athletic stoppers.

Gasol is way underrated at this point. Sharing touches with Bynum and Kobe IMO is hiding the fact that he's still a top-15 player in the league.

Nash => Chandler alley-oops. Check.

Williams and Harden both top 6th man scoring off the bench.

Brewer keeps the opposing team's wing always sweating when Iguodala sits.

Gibson and Asik the best backup frontcourt in the league (yikes Chicago).

[indeedproceed]

Starters:
Kyle Lowry
James Harden
Gerald Wallace
Dirk
Andrew Bogut

Key reserves:
OJ Mayo
JJ Barea
Nic Batum
Asik
Favors

In the starting lineup you've got a premier scorer (Dirk), along with plenty of offensive firepower in Lowry/Harden, and premier defenders in Wallace/Bogut/Lowry.

Off the bench, you've got scoring and defense.

That's a chip squad and that's Final.

[Celtics18]

How about this one?

Starters:

Kidd
Stephenson
Marion
Nowitzki
Chandler

Bench:

Barea
Terry
Stojakovic
Mahinmi
Haywood

I think that team could win a title if they got hot at the right time. 

[Kwhit10]

Rondo/ Lou Williams
Joe Johnson/ James Harden
Gerald Wallace/ Kawhi Leonard
Josh Smith/ Taj GIbson
Greg Monroe/ Robin Lopez

I think this would be a very fun team to watch.

[KCattheStripe]

Starters:
Kyle Lowry
Andrew Bogut