RealGM Analysis
Here?s the thing about judging a contest like this ?much is in the eye of the beholder, and many of the judges beheld entirely different things.
One judge refused to vote for anyone that didn?t pick Shaquille O?Neal. Another judge was disdainful of entries that started with Shaq because of the big man?s toe, knee and weight troubles.
The 15 entries chosen for the final voting had five different players from the first group. Kevin Garnett was selected most frequently (five times), followed by Shaq (four), Tim Duncan (three), Tracy McGrady (two), and Kobe Bryant (one).
RealGM users submitted 141 entries. Judges made an initial cut to 40-50 rosters, then hashed that list to 15 finalists. There was little to differentiate rosters in the final 40-50 from those that made the finals.
?Out of all the entries from the most knowledgeable fans on the web, we should have had at least a few slam-dunk entries,? said Orlando affiliate and contest judge Howard Mass. ?But we didn't. We had none.?
A common problem was explanations that didn?t match the players selected. For example, one entrant said he wanted to build around a dominating low-post presence and surround that big man with great shooters. Then, he passed on Shaq, Duncan and Yao, going with Garnett and Ray Allen instead. He compounded the problem by taking Jamaal Tinsley as his backup PG. There?s nothing wrong with choosing any of those players, but the selections didn?t make sense given the stated plan.
One wannabe GM inexplicably selected Grant Hill. Perhaps he wanted to have the most talented injured list.
The logical disconnect even made it to the judges. One panelist who insisted that entrants had to pick Shaq to made up his own team ? that didn?t include Shaq.
Few entries did what the contest asked ? to make selections and explain how those players would interact together on the court to form a cohesive unit. That?s true of the finalists as well. And just to add to the confusion, the two I thought did the best job of meeting the contest?s objectives didn?t win.
A few words on the judging ? We had a panel of RealGM writers, affiliates and veteran NBA observers who contributed to reducing the total entries to a semi-finals and finals. Once the official voting began, we ended up with what amounted to a tie. So, to break the tie, each of the 15 finalists was asked to vote. They were not permitted to vote for their own team.
I asked each voter to rank their top five ? in order ? from the 15 finalists. Each slot was assigned a point value. No entry appeared on every ballot, and no one received more than three first place votes. Every finalist received some voting support ? the guy in 15th place got two fifth place votes. Without further ado, here?s how the finalists ranked (using RealGM username wherever possible and initials or other identifier where I don?t know the username):
1. dfrocked ? 65 points
2. Ruzious ? 46
3. ORL ? 42
4. TrueLAFan ? 33
5. MSD ? 32
6. fatlever ? 31
7. SP ? 29
8. ChocolateCityJordanairres ? 28
9. bishnykfan ? 24
10. MM ? 23
11. Kwikfix ? 22
12. NT ? 20
13. IM ? 18
14. I love heinson ? 10
15. lacemaker ? 2
I thought seriously about providing a link to a bull?s-eye, but decided to go ahead and post the 15 finalists instead. Open fire.
1. dfrocked
Here's my team:
PG - Bibby/ Stoudamire
SG - Allen/ Ginobili/ Prince
SF - Artest/ Posey/ Prince
PF - Gooden/ Randolph/ Fortson
C - Shaq/ Curry
Explanation: At PG, I have two proven guys, and Bibby is clutch. At SG, Allen stretches the zone with his shot, Ginobili is quick and can slash, and Prince is an excellent defender and can hit the three. At SF, I have a slightly undersized, but great defender in Artest, so I have a big guy (with loooong arms) in Posey. Prince can play here as well. At PF, I went with young potential. Gooden and Randolph have both been great with the minutes they've been given, and Fortson can come in and rip down boards. At C, I had to go with the most dominant player in the league. And who better to tutor Baby Shaq than the real Shaq?
2. Ruzious
Pick Rank Name
1 2 Tracy McGrady
2 35 Yao Ming
3 54 Mike Bibby
4 76 Amare Stoudemire
5 113 Shane Battier
6 135 Al Harrington
7 152 Kwame Brown
8 205 Mehmet Okur
9 217 Emanuel Ginobili
10 254 Mike Dunleavy
11 285 Juan Dixon
12 320 Chris Wilcox
This team is built around team play and defense rather than flash, though it is not short on athleticism. McGrady is surrounded by players who know their roles. Battier is in there to play defense and hit the open shot. Bibby sets the tempo. Stoudemire attacks the glass and provides physicality freeing up Ming to wreak havoc.
Off the bench, Harrington can score and defend at three positions. Brown and Wilcox are the future up front. The improving Okur provides a great shooting big man. Ginobili gives quality all-around guard play. Dixon and Dunleavy provide three point shooting.
3. ORL
C: Shaquille O?Neal/ Zydrunas Ilgauskas
PF: Rasheed Wallace/ Keon Clark/ Zeljko Rebracca (PF/C)
SF: Gordan Giricek/ Hidayet Turkoglu
SG: Jason Richardson/ Emanuel Ginobili/ Raja Bell
PG: Tony Parker/ Damon Stoudamire
Since teams with big frontcourts seem to have the most success, that's the direction I've taken. I've created arguably the best one-two punch at C. The four position is loaded as well (Keon Clark is thriving in his backup role at Sacramento). My backcourt did have to suffer, but can compete. Giricek is thriving since coming to Orlando. Turkoglu was the sixth man on last year's Sacramento WCF team. Parker and Ginobili are the starting backcourt on a championship contending Spurs' team. Stoudamire, even though overpaid, can still be productive, and Richardson's 15 points per game help keep the Warriors' playoff hunt.
4. TrueLAFan
Kevin Garnett, SF ? Veteran, best all-around player in league, leader.
Yao Ming, C ? Already top 5 center; no place to go but up.
Baron Davis, PG ? Good passer, good range, leader.
Richard Hamilton, SG ? Young, good scorer, underrated overall skills.
Stromile Swift, PF ? Young, improving, 14.2 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 2.76 bpg as starter.
Malik Rose, PF ? Veteran, tough, great rebounding, sets good example.
Jon Barry, SG ? Veteran, great off the bench, great range.
Mehmet Okur, C ? Young, 6'11" 250, all around skills, range.
Marko Jaric, SG ? Improving, great defender, plays point, leader.
Jonathan Bender, SF ? Good, improving, only 21, great size.
Antonio Daniels, PG ? Veteran, been good backup on top teams.
Scot Pollard, C ? Veteran, great frontcourt backup, tough, effective.
Mix of youth and veterans, great passing and rebounding, physical bench,
plenty of scoring punch.
5. MSD
Group 1: Tim Duncan PF
Group 2: Ray Allen SG
Group 3: Richard Jefferson SF
Group 4: Tony Parker PG
Group 6: Malik Rose PF/C
Group 6: Morris Peterson SF
Group 7: Tyrone Hill PF
Group 8: Eddy Curry C
Group 9: Bruce Bowen SF
Group 10: Brevin Knight PG
Group 11: Jerome James C
Group 12: Deshaw Stevenson SG
Starters: Parker, Allen, Jefferson, Duncan, Curry
Key Contributors: Peterson, Knight, Rose, Stevenson, Bowen
A very well balanced team with good veteran leadership (Duncan, Allen, Hill, Knight, Rose) and nice young athleticism (Jefferson, Parker Stevenson, Curry). This will be a very good defensive team, that with Jefferson, and Bowen will be able to really pressure may of the good 2/3's in the league and still have a solid front line. Duncan and Allen will be able to play a two man game, while Peterson and Stevenson will provide scoring off of the bench. Hill, Rose, and Bowen are all good role players who will work to get boards and set picks. Parker and Knight are good compliments to each other with Parker working to push it up and Knight can slow it down when needed. Curry and Jones will be able to play without
the fear of double team as long as Duncan is in the game so I think they will be able to thrive both offensively and on the glass. I also feel that there are no real egos on the team and that they will be able to come together as a team and put up a lot of victories.
6. fatlever
Starters:
C: Kevin Garnett
PF: Amare Stoudemire
SF: Lamar Odom
SG: Emmanual Ginobili
PG: Gilbert Arenas
Bench:
Shane Battier
Quentin Richardson
Adonal Foyle
Marko Jaric
Mike Dunleavy
Kevin Willis
Pepe Sanchez
Comments: My goal was to create a team with these attributes: the ability to excel at fast break basketball, great passing, high basketball IQ and the ability to play multiple positions. The style of play I envision is a mix between the Sacramento Kings, the late 80s Denver Nuggets and Team Argentina.
It all starts with Kevin Garnett. While Minnesota has him running around half court sets playing small forward I have Kevin as my Center. He can't guard Shaq, but neither can anybody else. He Amare, and Odom are perfect compliments to each other. They can all rebound, push the ball up court, and handle the ball in the open. That creates mismatches at every position. In the backcourt I started with Arenas. For anyone who watches Golden State play you know Arenas is second to only Kidd at pushing the fast break.
Everyone else on the team fills a role. Ginobili and Battier are smart players who defend and pass. Foyle is the best pure shot blocker in the game and a great outlet passer. Richardson is a scoring machine. Dunleavy and Jaric are also smart and have great basketball instincts, while playing several positions. Willis adds tough veteran leadership and at 40 can still motor. Sanchez is one of the best passers I have ever watched. He and Ginobili have incredible chemistry.
There it is. This team can average 120ppg but still be versatile enough to play tough half court ball at the end of games. Fast break basketball is a lost art and most players have no clue how to defend it.
PS: Long live the fast break!
7. SP
C ? Tim Duncan (C ? Spurs)
PF ? Drew Gooden (F ? Magic)
SF ? Ron Artest (F ? Pacers)
SG ? Ray Allen (G ? Supersonics)
PG ? Baron Davis (G ? Hornets)
6 ? Keon Clark (C ? Kings)
7 ? Quentin Richardson (G ? Clippers)
8 ? Mark Jackson (G ? Jazz)
9 ? Emmanuel Ginobili (G ? Spurs)
10 ? Jonathan Bender (F ? Pacers)
11 ? Rodney White (F ? Nuggets)
12 ? Juan Dixon (G ? Wizards)
Duncan is the best player in the game. The team revolves around his inside presence. He has the ability to dominate down low, or draw the double team, which is why I chose shooters like Allen and Baron. Artest provides solid defense, while Gooden has shown he can be a powerful rebounder and weak-side scorer. On the bench, I took Clark because he is the best backup big man in the league. QRich, Manu, Bender and White will create young, quick, athletic lineups. Jackson brings strong veteran leadership for the younger players, and Dixon provides extra energy off the bench.
I know there are questions (Can Baron stay healthy? Can Artest stay out of trouble? Will Gooden hit the rookie wall?), but I've put together a good, deep, dynamic team capable of winning the NBA Championship.
8. ChocolateCityJordanaires
Starters
1. Tim Duncan, PF
2. Yao Ming, C
3. Donyell Marshall, SF
4. Doug Christie, SG
5. Tony Parker, PG
Why those five?
1. I picked Duncan as the focal point because I think he's more versatile than Shaq and he impacts the game even more than Garnett. I could have made a case for McGrady or Kobe. Bottom line: I think San Antonio takes it all this year, and Duncan is the reason why.
2. I think Ming's intelligent and charismatic. He's also very tall, if you hadn't noticed. Duncan's a great passer, and so is Ming. Together, they'd dominate.
3. Donyell Marshall is a hell of an efficient player at SF. His rebounding and FG% and his unselfishness would make him a great fit. He can even stroke a three. He's the best player on Chicago, IMO.
4. Christie is a brick mason. Unlike Jerry Stackhouse, he won't shoot you out of games. I like the way he punched Fox. Very stiff, compact, jab sent Fox's head flying. Oh, and Doug's a very intense defender who isn't psychotic like Artest. (He just looks crazy, Ron Artest is crazy). I think Christie steals and smart play add possessions and make this team scrappy.
5. I absolutely love Tony Parker's game! He's better than Bibby, in my opinion. He embarrassed Kidd last time they played. The kid is as fast as Iverson and scores going to the hole on floaters, a la Sam Cassell. He plays well with Duncan.
The key to my top five is that all are team players. All are efficient. All five can handle and pass the ball. Marshall and Parker have outside games but can score in the paint. Parker and Christie score well in transition. Teams can't double Duncan with Ming around. My team will beat teams featuring ball hogs and jump shooters.
My bench:
6. Wes Person, SF - deadly three-point shooter, patient
7. Adonal Foyle, C - handles dirty work, selfless
8. Zach Randolph, PF - scores, rebounds, and is patient
9. Eddie Curry, C - scores, even on Shaq, high percentage shooter
10. Emanuel Ginobili, SG - energizer, takes it to the rack, like Christie
11. Gerald Wallace, SG - has serious hops, competes, has blocked Shaq
12. Brevin Knight - depth at PG, and AST/TO ratio, no offense needed.
I'm a proponent of team play and of everyone knowing their role. I like players who do one thing real well, off the bench. Person, threes. Foyle, blocks but boards, too. Curry converts points. Ginobili steals and jams. Wallace soars. Knight handles the basketball.
Overall, I value efficiency, points-per-shot, and basketball IQ. Team players make everyone better. Guys like MJ this season, in looking for their own numbers, can hurt a team. This would be Duncan's team, with guys who'd know and accept their role. Ming would be the brains of the team. Parker would be the heart of the team. Christie would be the irritant. Marshall, the quiet glue.
9. bishnykfan
PG:Mike Bibby/Erick Strickland
SG:Jason Richardson/Jimmy Jackson/Courtney Alexander
SF:Kevin Garnett/Jonathon Bender
PF:Amare Stoudamire/Zach Randolph
C:Yao Ming/Keon Clark/Nazr Mohammed
I think that this team is well balanced in the starting five. They would be very young, athletic and would pose huge matchup problems up front with KG, Amare and Yao. The team has a good mix of veterans and youth on the bench. Bibby is a great point guard who would be amazing considering all the attention that his frontcourt would receive. Jackson, Alexander, Garnett, and Bender can all extend the defense to open up the inside for dominating rookies Ming and Amare.
10. MM
pg Mike Bibby/ Mark Jackson
sg Kobe Bryant/Ron Mercer/Brian Shaw
sf Bruce Bowen/Hedo Turkoglu
pf Drew Gooden/Robert Horry/
c Yao Ming/Keon Clark/Scot Pollard
And for what it's worth ? I?d sign Charles Oakley and have him on the injured list in case I need him to bang with Shaq.
With this roster, I?d have a team for the future with Bibby, Bryant, Gooden, and Ming. Bibby is arguably the best young point guard in the league. Bryant is the best at any position. Bowen is a great perimeter defender alongside Bryant. Gooden has averaged 17 and 11 for the Magic since playing an up-tempo game, which is what this team could/would do. You have a great veteran back up in Jackson, some scoring off the bench with Mercer and Turkoglu, clutch play and great defense from Horry. Clark is starter quality and Pollard is there to defend and bang with the bigger bigs. You have a post game with Gooden, Ming, and Clark. You have three-point shooting in Bowen, Bibby, Turkoglu, Horry and Bryant. Great defensive lineup in Bibby, Bryant, Bowen, Horry, and Clark. Very versatile.
11. Kwikfix
Starters
C Shaquille O'Neil (range 1-25)
PF Amare Stoudemire (range 76-100)
SF Bruce Bowen (range 201-225)
SG Ray Allen (range 26-50)
PG Andre Miller (range 51-75)
Reserves
C Scott Pollard (range 401-420)
C/PF Nene Hilario (range 126-150)
PF Tyson Chandler (range 101-125)
SF Mike Dunleavy Jnr (range 251-275)
SF/SG Chris Mills (range 276-300)
SG Dajuan Wagner (range 175-200)
PG Marko Jaric (range 175-200) *
* 2 in the 176-200 range, as did not choose between 151-175
Team Makeup
Setup to win now, prospects for the future. Mix of youth, experience and roll players in nearly every position, with raw talent ready to step in when the experience look to retirement. Bulk of scoring coming from Shaq and Allen, with instant offence off the bench in Wagner, future 20+ per game scorers Chandler and Dunleavy playing limited minutes until they mature. Solid defensive presence at every position with Shaq and Pollard covering
Center, Hilario and Stoudemire at PF, Bowen to stop opposition?s best offensive small man, Mills, Jaric and Miller covering the guards and small forwards.
12. NT
Group 1 - K Garnett (Starter-SF)
Group 2 - Y Ming (S-C)
Group 3 - M Bibby (S-PG)
Group 4 - A Stoudemire (S-PF)
Group 5 - N Van Exel
Group 6 - K Clark
Group 7 - Q Richardson
Group 8 - H Turkoglu
Group 9 - E Ginobilli (S-SG)
Group 13 - A Johnson
Group 14 - M Curry
Group 17 - S Pollard
Amongst my starters, the big debate was whether to go with Shaq at centre, forfeiting all the other great players in Group 1. In the end, I decided that his increasing injury worries, combined with the fact that Yao is a smart and multitalented option who may actually redefine the position, meant that I would pass on Shaq and take the impossible-to-match-up-with KG instead. Amongst the reserves, I wanted explosive-scoring (Van Exel, Turkoglu and Richardson), two big men in case of foul trouble (Clark and Pollard), at least one defensive specialist (Curry) cover at PG (Van Exel and Johnson). I also wanted some leadership (Johnson), particularly from a player that was likely to sit a lot with a 9/10 man rotation. I like the fact that my squad contains plenty of basketball IQ, and strong one-on-one defenders, with the length to play a mean zone.
13. IM
Starters:
Tracy McGrady - Guard
Chauncey Billups - Guard
Jamaal Magloire - Center
Rasheed Wallace - Forward
Shane Battier - Forward
Bench:
Adonal Foyle - Center
Jon Barry - Guard
Kenny Anderson - Guard
Emanuel Ginobili - Forward
Maurice Taylor - Forward
Mike Dunleavy - Forward
Narz Mohammed - Center
Explanation:
Tracy McGrady provides a go-to scorer on the perimeter while Wallace can provide 20 points in the post. He and McGrady can provide the inside-outside game needed to win in the NBA. Shane Battier is a great defensive player and can guard the other teams best perimeter player, taking the defensive load off McGrady. Magliore is a tough center who can provide shot blocking and rebounding, while Billups can hit the three and make good decisions at the point. The bench is made up of shooters, Ginobili and Jon Barry, as well as a decent all around player in Dunleavy. Foyle is tough and defensive minded and so is Mohammed. Taylor can provide inside scoring and Kenny Anderson can run a team as a well as anyone can.
14. I love heinson
Shaq
Ray Allen
Mike Bibby
Scottie Pippen
Derrick Coleman
Keon Clark
Zach Randolph
Bruce Bowen
Walter McCarty (skipped the last section)
Damon Stoudamire
Antonio Daniels
Jared Jeffries
My starting lineup would be Bibby, Allen, Scottie, Keon Clark, and Shaq. Logic: Bibby or Pippen are capable of bringing the ball up the court. Everyone in this offense can get out on the fast break except Shaq, who hopefully will be grabbing rebounds and looking up the court to start the break. Once in the half court, Shaq will demand the ball about as much as he does now with the Lakers. Ray Allen should see plenty of good looks on kick outs and Bibby should be able to work for pull up jumpers. Pippen and Keon Clark won't demand
a ton of shots which is important, because the other starters will. Those two guys will do the dirty work: grabbing boards and playing defense. Bibby and Allen are only adequate defenders, but Allen will only have to cover the weaker of the 2/3 on any opposing team as Pippen can lock down on the other man. Shaq and Keon Clark will pick up a ton of blocks inside allowing Bibby and Allen not to worry so much about getting beat off the dribble. I would use Mighty Mouse as my starting point and the guy taking the most shots in half court sets. Then I would have DC and Zach Randolph as my starting PF combo. Each of these guys can hold their own inside, grab boards, and DC can hit open jumpers. Bruce Bowen and Walter McCarty would be my swing defenders at 2/3. Each of these guys can play great defense and allow Stoudamire to take the weakest defensive option. Bowen and McCarty are also each shooting very high percentages from the 3 point stripe and this second unit would be much more perimeter oriented than the first team. Jared Jeffries and Antonio
Daniels offer some versatility from the end of the bench as AD can play the 1 or the 2 and Jeffries is capable of playing anywhere from the 2 to the 4. If all my big men were to get into foul trouble (I only have 4), then Walter McCarty (6'10") would step in and play PF or Center (depending on matchups). For the Celtics this year, McCarty has actually played well at times at center. The other component of my bench that I like is that each player can step in for a first teamer if they have an injury or get into foul trouble. Obviously Shaq
is the hardest player to replace, but if I put Zach Randolph and Keon Clark on the floor together I get an even more athletic team that still has plenty of options for offense and would be able to play good D against any team that didn't have Shaq at center (which my team does). If Keon Clark went out, Randolph would step right in. If Pippen went out Bowen or McCarty could come in, without worrying about losing Pippen's ballhandling since Bibby is still on the floor. If Ray Allen went out, I'd probably still bring in Bowen or McCarty and lose a lot of offense, but actually gain quite a bit on defense. Lastly, if Bibby went out, the first man I'd bring in is Antonio Daniels (I think Stoudamire would disrupt the offense) and let Pippen and Daniels share the ball handling responsibilities.
15. lacemaker
PG Baron Davis/Kenny Anderson/Chucky Atkins
SG Ron Artest/Q Richardson
C Yao Ming/Elden Campbell/Scott Pollard
PF Drew Gooden/Maurice Taylor/Scott Pollard
SF Kevin Garnett/Al Harrington
Garnet, Baron and Yao provide a diverse mix of scoring, and can all pass ? the team also includes top notch frontcourt (Garnett) and backcourt (Artest) defenders and a shotblocker (Yao) ? they could play some zone. The starting 5 are all big and above average rebounders for their positions.
The bench is deep and versatile ? Q and Harrington are 6th man of the year candidates and are capable of playing multiple positions. If Taylor comes back strong he provides major scoring, and Campbell provides a veteran post presence. Harrington and Pollard are above average defenders.
This team can score, handle the ball, rebound and defend and is built around the game?s most versatile superstar. Its young starters should all improve next season, and Yao should dominate next to Garnett/Davis.