What great players today are the most team oriented?

[walker834]

Bill Russell has been my favorite basketball player ever since I knew about him because of how little he wasted on the court. If you watch highlights of him during that era he was a great rebounder and shotblocker but he was also a great team player.  He would rebound the ball and fundamentally the game was played the right way.  He would outlet it and immediately look up the floor to start transition and run the floor himself and fill lanes.  He was also proficient in the halfcourt for a big man in those days.  He wasn't wilt but he played within the team concept and was one of the greatest passing big men ever.

Watching Simmons this is the issue I have with him.  He takes the ball and wants to bring it up too much himself.  This is all well and good from a talent stand point as he is able to dominate players with his size and speed but it can also be stopped.  Lebron himself is a ball dominating player today even though he has learned to use his talent in other ways.

 This is why teams like the spurs can beat players like Lebron.  It's why Tim Duncan is so underrated compared to him. Duncan has more rings for that reason.  It's also why scorers like Pierce are underrated.  He might not have had the gawdy stats of Lebron but he allowed other players to play with him.

I've never bought the argument that Russell is the "greatest defensive player or team player of all time" either.  This is from people who don't understand the game.  It's a team game, he won for a reason because he was a better player.  Stats and highlight dunks are overrated that way.  That doesn't mean you are better at the game of basketball. Intelligence, heart, unselfishness and understanding the game has just as much to do with it.

[walker834]

I always read these arguments that Russell wasn't the best because he didn't have the stats from young people who don't understand the game as well.  It's sad because players like that are more and more rare for that reason because this is what the media has taught  people like that. They are more concerned with a paycheck than winning with integrity and the right way.

Just watch Russell play.

[alldaboston]

This is what I fear about Simmons too. So many LSU games i watched him take the ball, pound it at halfcourt, get down to 10 on the shotclock, try to get a PnR, it fails, he gives it up to a teammate, and the teammate has to create his own offense with little time on the clock. It really p---ed me off. If we get him, I hope brad teaches him to play more as a member of a team. he's certainly talented enough. he just needs to buy in and care enough.

[mr. dee]

Steph Curry. He can make plays for his teammate and capable of play off the ball. He is not slacking on the defensive ends too despite his deficiencies.

[Maurice98]

Nowadays it's hard to find players like that.  That's why I love this team. Red would have been proud to see players like Marcus, Jae, AB, Amir and Isaiah.

They're not flashy players but they play so [dang] hard. That's why we had 48 wins.

[walker834]

Nowadays it's hard to find players like that.  That's why I love this team. Red would have been proud to see players like Marcus, Jae, AB, Amir and Isaiah.

They're not flashy players but they play so [dang] hard. That's why we had 48 wins.

What we need on this team is a gazelle like Russell blocking shots and running the floor on this team. Russell didn't shoot 3's but averaged 15 and 22 with who knows how many blocks. I like Bender for this reason but who knows how good he is and he's not really a rebounder yet or so they say. He also shoots 3's but he is a well rounded player like that. He's being touted as this well rounded master of none player but these are just descriptions.  From what I've seen I like him though.

Durant is a really well rounded scorer.  Cousins is more like Chamberlain than Russell ever was with issues of his own.

Ingram is a good scorer.  I'm not that big on guys like Horford.  I'm hoping we can make Simmons adjust his game or get one of these stars to.  Or get lucky with someone in the draft.

Stevens does a good job of getting players to play to their strengths within a system where it doesn't take away from the team.

I think Kevin Love is a team oriented offensive player.  He is becoming one at least because he has to playing with Lebron.

Most stars today are allowed to stat stuff because they are far and away the best players on their teams. Their teams aren't that good though.

[walker834]

Deyonta Davis and Skal Labissiere I like a bit for this reason but they aren't nearly teh passers, rebounders  or transition players.  You don't see that kind of fundamental stuff anymore.  Sully can rebound and has some savvy. can't run the floor or block shots.  We have amir next to him now.  I don't think that front line is going to be good enough though.

GS has the splash brothers and Draymond and it seems to work.

The C's are going to have to create their own identity though.  Getting durant and cousins or butler or Love whoever is all well and good but we need some identity. Talent is important and players learn to play with each other but it doesn't always work either.

A guy like Lebron has really taken over the league like Kobe did in ways.  He has Kyrie and Love but that's not set in stone and who knows what he going to try to assemble.