Who are the top players in the NBA to build your franchise around?

[SHAQATTACK]

Better question...

WHO do the Celtics have a legit chance of landing as a franchise type player.  I have lots of LIKES but I have ZERO hope DA could pry any away from their teams.

I can't think of any off hand 

[Yogi]

There is one guy that averages 15, 9, 6 and 2 in the playoffs for his career on one of the best contracts in the league.  He seems to want to play in Boston as well.  He even has a ring. 

[indeedproceed]

In order, from the top, personal bias included:

1) Lebron James
2) Kevin Durant
3) Chris Paul
4) Dwight Howard
5) Derrick Rose
6) Kyrie Irving
7) Russell Westbrook
Dwyane Wade
9) James Harden
10) Steph Curry
11) Carmelo Anthony
12) Anthony Davis

I can't think of anyone else Id want as my potential franchise cornerstone after that. Rondo, Lillard, and Aldridge barely missed the cut.

[fitzhickey]

Kyrie
D-rose
Paul George
KD
Steph Curry
Lebron
in no specific order

[BigAlTheFuture]

1. Lebron. (no matter how bad his team is, he's gonna give you a chance to contend every year)




2. Durant
3. Dwight Howard
4. Chris Paul
5. Derrick Rose (when healthy obviously)

Not quite sold on Harden being a franchise player yet. Think Curry is getting there, should be on the list by next season, elite shooter, underrated passer. Kyrie needs to work on being a more complete player until he gets on the list.

I don't think someone can build around guys like Westbrook or Carmelo as their number one option and win the championship.

If we're talking about guys in their primes then you obviously have to include Kobe, Garnett, Duncan, etc.

[Clench123]

Rajon Rondo

[scaryjerry]

Lol@ all the Chris Paul nonsense

Based off what, years of nothing and quitting on franchises?

[LarBrd33]

In order, from the top, personal bias included:

1) Lebron James
2) Kevin Durant
3) Chris Paul
4) Dwight Howard
5) Derrick Rose
6) Kyrie Irving
7) Russell Westbrook
Dwyane Wade
9) James Harden
10) Steph Curry
11) Carmelo Anthony
12) Anthony Davis

I can't think of anyone else Id want as my potential franchise cornerstone after that. Rondo, Lillard, and Aldridge barely missed the cut.

How do you feel about Kevin Love?  Just a huge stat guy?  Otherwise, I agree with your list for the most part. If Davis progresses like we think, he'll be towards the top of that list in a few years.

[Moranis]

First off, I think it is a massive mistake to ever build any franchise around a PG unless he is 6'9", can play four other positions and has a first name of Magic. And yes, that includes every PG in the NBA today.

To build a franchise, my base franchise player has to have transcendent talent, size, and be able to dominate either offensively or defensively or both.

LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Dwight Howard
Anthony Davis
Kobe Bryant
Kevin Garnett
Tim Duncan
Carmelo Anthony
Dirk Nowitzki

That's it in all of today's NBA, IMHO, and I think it can be said that KG, Dirk and TD probably are not on this list next year and Davis still has to grow before he is truly that guy. Unless you have a team with one of these guys on it, I don't see your team having a chance to win it all.

and yet the two teams that have played the best I the two western series, i.e Golden State and Memphis have none of those players.  Neither does Indiana or Chicago.

[BballTim]

I ask this question, because a lot of folks are making the claim that you can't possibly be a contender if you make Rajon Rondo the centerpiece of your franchise.

My take is that in today's NBA landscape there are really only two players under the age of 32 who can be considered in that rarified air of "transcendent franchise player."  One plays for Miami, the other in Oklahoma City. 

I'd like to know if anyone has a top ten or top fifteen list of players to build your franchise around starting today.  I've been trying to come up with such a list myself, but after the top two there are a lot of players that I simply can't choose from.

I'd put Rondo somewhere on that list.  For those who think that's utterly insane, I'd like to see what guys out there other than Durant and James that folks feel would by themselves put us on that automatic path to contender status.

  The real problem with this is that I don't think that everyone has the same idea of what it means to build around a player. It's like asking people to name their favorite role players, eventually it would come out that people have very different ideas about what type of player a role player is.

  Can you come up with a team where Rondo's your best player and compete for a title? I'd say that that's obviously true, he's taken teams on deep playoff runs before and if he'd been a little healthier in the 2010 finals they'd have dispatched the Lakers as easily as they'd dispatched the Cavs.

  Does that mean that you wouldn't be much better off building a title contender around LeBron or Durant? No. Does that mean you wouldn't be better off building your team around Irving or Paul or Rose or Howard? That becomes an interesting question. Rondo's had multiple playoffs where he's been one of the best players in the postseason in the league. That wasn't some kind of illusion when it happened.

  Are the players people are listing also capable of doing what Rondo's done? Clearly. Would most people here consider many of the names on the lists *more* capable of leading teams on deep playoff runs than Rondo? Sure. But will *all* such players do so? Very doubtful.

 

[greenhead85]

Lebron
Durant
Howard
Rose
Irving

Plus Damian Lillard and John Wall.

[SHAQATTACK]

Lol@ all the Chris Paul nonsense

Based off what, years of nothing and quitting on franchises?

yup.....I agree,  he isn't going to  STICK with a club till he gets on the Lakers.  That's his dream, he won't have any true love for any other team he lands on .  He is not devoted like Pierce is to Celtics.

He'll eventually land on LA. and there he will stay till he gets like Fisher , old and retired and players for a dozen teams as an old guy.


Cuban might get him to Dallas and he might be happy , if he has several all star buddies to play with.


CP3.  has the Dwill  ,   diva thing going on ,    either cater to me or I'll leave,    both are cry babies whining about their situations al the time.

[indeedproceed]

In order, from the top, personal bias included:

1) Lebron James
2) Kevin Durant
3) Chris Paul
4) Dwight Howard
5) Derrick Rose
6) Kyrie Irving
7) Russell Westbrook
Dwyane Wade
9) James Harden
10) Steph Curry
11) Carmelo Anthony
12) Anthony Davis

I can't think of anyone else Id want as my potential franchise cornerstone after that. Rondo, Lillard, and Aldridge barely missed the cut.

How do you feel about Kevin Love?  Just a huge stat guy?  Otherwise, I agree with your list for the most part. If Davis progresses like we think, he'll be towards the top of that list in a few years.

I think Kevin Love is among the most ideal guys in the league you'd want as your second best player, and I think he's got a great motor and great leadership qualities, aside from his considerable talents. I think you could build around him as a number 1, but between his body's fragility and defensive failings especially on the P&R and in the post..he's just not among the 'ideal' guys on my list.

Agree on Anthony Davis, its a wonder he continues to fly under the radar (well, aside from being a #1 overall pick..I'm just saying people aren't talking about him much)

[nickagneta]

First off, I think it is a massive mistake to ever build any franchise around a PG unless he is 6'9", can play four other positions and has a first name of Magic. And yes, that includes every PG in the NBA today.

To build a franchise, my base franchise player has to have transcendent talent, size, and be able to dominate either offensively or defensively or both.

LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Dwight Howard
Anthony Davis
Kobe Bryant
Kevin Garnett
Tim Duncan
Carmelo Anthony
Dirk Nowitzki

That's it in all of today's NBA, IMHO, and I think it can be said that KG, Dirk and TD probably are not on this list next year and Davis still has to grow before he is truly that guy. Unless you have a team with one of these guys on it, I don't see your team having a chance to win it all.

and yet the two teams that have played the best I the two western series, i.e Golden State and Memphis have none of those players.  Neither does Indiana or Chicago.

Have they won the title yet? In the playoffs every year will be good teams without those players. They even stand a chance of winning a title. Detroit did it in 2004, but that is the exception.

I think defense and rebounding wins titles and none of the PG star centric teams stand a chance this year.

[SHAQATTACK]

First off, I think it is a massive mistake to ever build any franchise around a PG unless he is 6'9", can play four other positions and has a first name of Magic. And yes, that includes every PG in the NBA today.

To build a franchise, my base franchise player has to have transcendent talent, size, and be able to dominate either offensively or defensively or both.

LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Dwight Howard
Anthony Davis
Kobe Bryant
Kevin Garnett
Tim Duncan
Carmelo Anthony
Dirk Nowitzki

That's it in all of today's NBA, IMHO, and I think it can be said that KG, Dirk and TD probably are not on this list next year and Davis still has to grow before he is truly that guy. Unless you have a team with one of these guys on it, I don't see your team having a chance to win it all.

I think defense and rebounding wins titles and none of the PG star centric teams stand a chance this year.

You can coach Celtics ....far as i 'm concerned  DEFENSE and  omg (REBOUNDS) win championships


This nonsense of not rebounding is absurd.   One shot and done is no way to play NBA basketball.