Bob Ryan with the 1st pick in an all time draft selects...

[Moranis]

Not Jordan.  Not Wilt.  Not Russell.  Not Bird.  Not Kareem or Oscar or Magic or Hakeem.  Not even Kobe, Shaq, Duncan, Garnett, or Lebron.  None of them. 

With the first pick in all time draft for winning a 7 game series, Bob Ryan selects a healthy Bill Walton.

[indeedproceed]

Over thought that one. The answer was Jordan.

[Who]

I think Bill Walton would be in that mix if not for injuries.

I believe B.Walton would be considered a top five player of All-Time (or thereabouts) if he had a healthy career. It's a shame that rivalry with Kareeem and between the Blazers and Lakers never happened. That could have been one of the greatest individual and team rivalries in league history.

Injuries suck.

[CelticG1]

One of those centers is pretty tempting. Wilt, russel, shaq hakeem.

Dont know enough about bill walton.

What is it based on. One game or one season? Or is it just assuming that if you could pick any of those guys who are completely healthybin their prime at a 10 year run?

Id love to have Shaq in his prime, no injuries, no missed games for 10 years. Im stil stuck on him basically fouling out every center on our c's teams in the late 90's. It used to be comical.

[More Banners]

One of those centers is pretty tempting. Wilt, russel, shaq hakeem.

Dont know enough about bill walton.

What is it based on. One game or one season? Or is it just assuming that if you could pick any of those guys who are completely healthybin their prime at a 10 year run?

Id love to have Shaq in his prime, no injuries, no missed games for 10 years. Im stil stuck on him basically fouling out every center on our c's teams in the late 90's. It used to be comical.

Yeah, but having Fortson and Potapenko as your centers was pretty comical, too...

Though I actually miss those guys.  We need one now!

[Roy H.]

I select a basketball-playing unicorn.

You're probably more likely to see one of those than a healthy Bill Walton.

[Snakehead]

I may take Garnett in this situation.  Russell is hard to pass up though.

[CelticConcourse]

Iverson! (Kidding)

[Donoghus]

Certainly a little outside the box but I could see where Ryan is coming from.  A healthy Walton was certainly one heckuva basketball player.  Arguably the best passing big man of all time. 

I'd probably go in the same direction and pick a center myself although Russell or Chamberlain would probably be the first choice to come to mind.

You're talking a 7 game series.  Gotta have yourself a top 5 big man.

[CelticConcourse]

Certainly a little outside the box but I could see where Ryan is coming from.  A healthy Walton was certainly one heckuva basketball player.  Arguably the best passing big man of all time. 

I'd probably go in the same direction and pick a center myself although Russell or Chamberlain would probably be the first choice to come to mind.

You're talking a 7 game series.  Gotta have yourself a top 5 big man.

I think Duncan should be considered

Edit: forgot that he was a PF

[Moranis]

Certainly a little outside the box but I could see where Ryan is coming from.  A healthy Walton was certainly one heckuva basketball player.  Arguably the best passing big man of all time. 

I'd probably go in the same direction and pick a center myself although Russell or Chamberlain would probably be the first choice to come to mind.

You're talking a 7 game series.  Gotta have yourself a top 5 big man.

I think Wilt or Jordan are the only acceptable answers here.

[slamtheking]

he can have a healthy Walton.  I'd take Russell or Wilt and either would more than tip the scales in my favor.

[indeedproceed]

I think the OP misconstrued Ryan's exchange a little.*

He was asked if he could have any one player all time to win one seven game series he'd pick Bill Walton. Not necessarily an 'All-Time Draft'

That doesn't mean all the rest of the picks are all-time players. Just that first pick. Who knows who the rest of the picks are.

*I learned this while investigating who else was in the all-time draft. Who was picking second? How many rounds? I'm a nerd.

[Snakehead]

Certainly a little outside the box but I could see where Ryan is coming from.  A healthy Walton was certainly one heckuva basketball player.  Arguably the best passing big man of all time. 

I'd probably go in the same direction and pick a center myself although Russell or Chamberlain would probably be the first choice to come to mind.

You're talking a 7 game series.  Gotta have yourself a top 5 big man.

I think Wilt or Jordan are the only acceptable answers here.

You think Wilt over Russell is only acceptable?  Hmmm...

I think the OP misconstrued Ryan's exchange a little.*

He was asked if he could have any one player all time to win one seven game series he'd pick Bill Walton. Not necessarily an 'All-Time Draft'

That doesn't mean all the rest of the picks are all-time players. Just that first pick. Who knows who the rest of the picks are.

*I learned this while investigating who else was in the all-time draft. Who was picking second? How many rounds? I'm a nerd.

I love thinking about that and trying to fit a team together.  In NBA 2K13 I put all the classic players in the draft with the best current players and make a team with Pete Maravich, Shawn Kemp, KG, Harden.  Fun to think about.

[KG_ended_Bias]

My Choice barring any injury would be a healthy 7'5 Ralph Sampson! Could run like a gaurd, shoot like a gaurd, move on defense like a small forward, nice ball handling for a big. And yet he still possessed all the attributes needed to dominate the paint. Early before the injuries claimed him he had his way with Kareem on many nights & I think woulda went down as a top 2 center & top 5 player all-time barring injury. Sampson could do it ALL! Also dominated Patrick Ewing in college absolutely destroyed him playing with a far inferior team.