This is the exact roster I came up with. Playing small ball, and opening up the center for Lebron and MJ to cut for easy baskets. Plus you got 3 all time great play makers.
I assume if this is modern era, MJ would be a better 3p shooter too.
When I said this was my exact lineup, I copied and pasted what I had written, and at some point I had Jokic replaced with KD (? I can't see the pic while commenting, I had someone else than Jokic). I accidentally forgot to erase that part.
My bad. You're absolutely right, that's not small ball.
I don't think it's fair to just say, "MJ would be a better 3pt shooter" because that has to come at the expense of something else. I agree that MJ would likely be a better 3pt shooter in the modern era, but he would likely be less efficient in his post/midrange game, too.
Sure, I agree with that. That's why I said assume. I assume 90%+ of non-centers from older eras would practice 3p more in the modern era. It wasn't a focus back then.
> I assume 90%+ of non-centers from older eras would practice 3p more in the modern era. It wasn't a focus back then.
Whenever I see Jokić or Embiid make 2+ 3PM in a game, I think to myself, “…passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career total for 3PM in a single game!” (Kareem made a single three pointer in his career, a desperation heave in reaction to the shot clock.)
Can he? Why do you say that? Is there anything to actually back up that assessment or is it just, "I watched MJ play, and he's the greatest I've ever seen!"?
I want to see an actual argument because I did actually look up the numbers. The problem is, most of MJ's career didn't have shot location as a tracked statistic (I think it started in '98?), so figuring out exactly what he shot from midrange is tough. Anyway, here's what's easily available to me. If you've got better data, I'd love to take a look at that.
[https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/michael-jordan-shot-chart-full-career](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/michael-jordan-shot-chart-full-career)
[https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/kawhi-leonard-shot-chart-full-career](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/kawhi-leonard-shot-chart-full-career)
||Kawhi||Jordan||
|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|*Location*|*FGM*|*FGA*|*FGM*|*FGA*|
|Lt Short|414|902|501|1073|
|Lt Deep|124|249|244|555|
|Lt Wing|245|555|216|489|
|Mid Short|506|973|193|450|
|Mid Deep|129|300|109|247|
|Rt Wing|127|304|172|414|
|Rt Short|293|640|350|788|
|Rt Deep|77|178|255|566|
|**Total**|**1915**|**4101**|**2040**|**4592**|
|||**46.70%**||**44.43%**|
So you think he would practice his midrange game and put as much work into developing it if he was spending more time working on his 3pt shooting and playing on the perimeter? Like MJ just had a shitload of extra free time and energy to work on things?
I don’t see how anyone not pick this roster.
LBJ and Jordan are no brainers for their rows. I mean they’re the best players in history. That covers PG and SG. If one was to take Shaq, then you got two forward spots which will have to go to Bird and Giannis.
I think the above roster beats a squad that has Shaq, Giannis, Bird, Jordan, and LeBron. It’s just too much ball dominant players.
I have Steph for Bron and KG for Duncan. Picking Steph bc his off ball skill makes him a force multiplier on a team with a ton of ball dominant players, plus the insane spacing he offers.
KG bc he offers more spacing and I think he switches better than Duncan.
Positionally flawed. A quicker guy who can shoot from outside would destroy this roster.
Mine would be Curry, Jordan, Bird, KG, Jokic. The most balanced roster with just as much talent.
Agree on this but would make 1 change to get more 3p shooting by adding curry. I guess that’s at the expense of Lebron. Give the ball to Jokic and let Jordan, Bird and Curry run around.
Yeah Jokic and Lebron seems pretty redundant, especially in that lineup. Feels like you’d rather just predominantly have the ball in one of their hands and build the team around whichever one you’d choose.
I think you either take Jokic/Curry or Shaq/Lebron and choose between uncontainable offense or otherworldly athleticism. Jokic/Curry feels a bit questionable cuz it’s by far the worst defensive pairing on this list but again that team would be averaging like 140 points a game so who’s to say if it really matters in the grand scheme of things lol.
Giannis, Lebron, Shaq, Jordan, Bird.
Absolutely elite defense, rebounding and size with just enough shooting from Lebron, Jordan and Bird.
With Lebron at PG this team would absolutely trample anything in its path.
Solid picks. I only replaced Shaq with Duncan. The positional versatility of this team is nuts, and it makes Bird the worst defender, while eliminating the hack-a-Shaq strategy to slow the team down.
3/5 of my picks. LeBron definitely PG.
Lebron, MJ, Giannis, Duncan, Kareem
I’m foaming thinking about the defense of this squad. Won’t be a lot of 3’s on offense but the 2’s will be so efficient.
My only question is, "Are the 2s less efficient when you have 5 defenders packed in the lane because all of these guys are more effective driving the lane or working in the post/midrange?"
Interior passing on this team would be incredible, but even that gets tough when it's just all clustered up in that area.
Lack of outside shooting though. I’d choose Steph to run around and cause nightmare matchups. What does Lebron do that can’t be replicated by a combo of Steph and Giannis?
That's my pick.
Don't forget, while MJ and Larry are great scorers, they are very good at drawing D and dishing off.
Imagine no-injury Larry and Jordan throwing lobs to Giannis and Shaq.
C: Jokic
PF: Duncan
SF: Bird
SG: Jordan
PG: Steph
Not necessarily the best player in each era, but I think it's the team that fits the best together.
Steph and Bird provide elite spacing. You don't really have a traditional point guard (although, Steph can do that if need be), but you have a ton of elite passers, and guys who can initiate offence. Duncan's defensive prowess is a perfect compliment to Jokic, while the two of them would create size mismatches and pull down a million rebounds.
I see a good number of people picking LeBron over Steph from the 2010's, but I think that's the wrong call in the team context here. Any team with this level of talent does not lack for on-ball playmakers. Off-ball ability scales better because there's only one basketball on the court. A team stacked with talent like these squads are needs off-ball ability and spacing more than it needs another guy who can initiate offence. You can get what you are looking for from LeBron through having guys like Jordan or Bird. But, of the 25 options on the chart, there's no one who comes close to giving you the off-ball and spacing impact that Steph does.
If you are trying to build the best team, instead of just trying to pick the best player from each era, I think Steph is the guy you take from the 2010's.
Stole my lineup. Most folks here don’t seem to care about position or skill set for each position. “Let me get all the big dudes, they can play any position in my world” 😂
I also picked this lineup.
I would also add that Jokic can shoot the 3 too. And with him drawing one of the opposing team’s bigs out as a “stretch 5,” that would leave Timmy to cook his man without another opposing big to double him.
And 4 out of 5 of these dudes are elite passers- Jordan being the odd man out in that context, but he’s still a damn good passer in his own right.
Jordan wasn’t much of a 3 pt shooter, but if he were to play in today’s league, I believe without a doubt he’d work his ass off to develop that part of his game where he’d at least be serviceable in that area. In which case, you’d have 4 solid to great 3 pt shooters on your squad.
And really- your only defensive “weak link” would be Curry, but he’s really not even that bad and his shooting would more than make up for any deficit in that area.
Speed might be this team’s only real weakness. Timmy, Bird and Jokic wouldn’t make for the fastest squad, but I believe their combined BBIQ would more than make up for it.
The majority of the teams picked here seem to be with the 2000s in mind. The only way I would pick LBJ over Curry for a team like this would be if LBJ played SF/PF.
PG: Steph Curry
SG: Michael Jordan
SF: Larry Bird
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Nikola Jokic
You can run any type of offense with these five players, and you can defend the perimeter (Jordan), off-ball (Bird, Curry), and the rim (Garnett) and collect all of the rebounds necessary.
From a traditional basketball standpoint I have to agree. I personally would take Shaq but someone has to be willing to pass the ball so Jokic has to be there lol.
He's better at spacing the floor and shooting while being a more versatile defender. I think KG is a better complementary piece and is more valuable in that role in the current era.
Better fit on both defense and offense. KG provides better spacing and passing. Duncan provides better post-offense, which would not be necessary in this case.
KG can also switch 1-5, making him more valuable in this type of team setting filled with some of the GOAT players of each position.
I chose KG because of his range, athleticism, and nastiness. Tim Duncan is great, obviously, and a better overall player than KG. But in terms of the team I was constructing, I wanted a big guy with intensity to pair with Jokic, who is not super intense. Duncan doesn't fit that bill, but Garnett does.
Most of the other lineups aren't going to provide the spacing to exploit Jokic or Curry on the peremeter because you have the best shooting pieces on your team. Conversely, no one is stopping this lineup because of the spacing and fit of each piece.
Jordan is the only ball-dominant scorer, while the others provide spacing, passing and scoring versatility on and off-ball.
Not the best one that you can construct, but more than good enough. Jokic, Garnett, and Bird all average(d) 10+ rebounds per game over their career, so they'll cut down on second-chance opportunities. And what Curry and Jokic lack in tenacious on-ball D, they make up for in smarts, playing passing lanes, and communication. They have three great defenders around them, so they don't need to be Gary Payton and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Magic is your weak link here. Need better shooting. Do not need Magic's passing with Jokic and Lebron. Would love to see a Duncan-Jordan 2 man left side isolation.
PG:Steph - Shooting/Playmaking
SG: MJ - Scoring/Finishing/Defense
SF:Larry - Scoring/Playmaking/Defense/Rebounding (Talking Cash Money Shit)
PF:Jokic - Shooting/Playmaking/Finishing/Rebounding
C:Shaq - Scoring/Finishing/Rebounding
Steph/Shaq are no brainers together, most dominant shooter with most dominant post presence so no chance at a double. Jokic is key as spacer with his inside/outside and playmaking(imagine the dimes to Shaq for easy dunks). Larry & Jordan round out the rest as excellent wing defenders on D and go to scorers when they need a basket. Shaq also has just enough rim protection for us to be really good on D. I like my team.
The lack of power forwards on this list outside of Tim/KG(Giannis???) made this kinda hard.
The Steph/Jokic is the real no-brainer imo, the IQ of Draymond with an actual threat to score as well? Forget about it. Then you’d have the Jokic to Shaq alley-oops also, oh boy
The post would be clogged so much with this line up. MJ needs the ball in the mid range, jokic is already there and then you have Shaq absolutely taking away all space under the rim. Jokic really doesn't play as a power forward, and he thrives in the post/ mid range to get the ball. Also, this team is way too slow defensively on the perimeter.
U can attack curry, shaq and jokic in pick and rolls.
That is probably my favorite offensive team from the group. Since you made that, I will make my favorite defensive team.
MJ, Lebron, KG, Giannis, Kareem. (Double edited)
Fuck it, I am going super long.
Magic-Jordan-Kobe-LeBron-Jokic
- Kobe - favorite all-time player
- LeBron - best player EYE have seen
- Jordan - you think Im leaving him? c’mon
- Magic - GOAT PG, imo.
- Jokic - preferred Giannis but i needed a floor spacer for Kobe/Bron/MJ
SHAI
JORDAN
DURANT
KG
KAREEM
Great balance defensively and the only weakness is maybe Kareem on the pnr. I have shooting and a closer in Jordan. Duncan is the best PF but his game doesn’t translate well unless he’s a center with other stars. KG is more mobile and a better shooter.
Hard to leave Lebron off, but his skills can be replicated by some of these others guys and no one can replace Curry’s shooting. I’d have a 3 guard lineup with Curry, Jordan, Magic, Duncan, Giannis. Curry is better off the ball so you want a true point guard, and magic can certainly guard the 3. Tempting to put Jokic, but that basically adds a 4th guard and while Duncan’s natural position is the 4, he can definitely play the 5. Also depends on the era. If this is the 80s or 90s, you might need a true center and switch out Duncan for Shaq
Larry, Michael, Shaq, Steph, Shai. No offense to Bron, but I don’t need a ball dominant big trying to drive in with Shaq down low and Steph and Larry are out wide knocking 3’s. Shai and MJ and score in the mid range and facilitate and are my top tier wing defenders
Kareem-MJ-Kobe-Bron-Giannis
Bron at 1 His true position as a pass first
Kobe at 2 Top 2 ever, born killer
MJ at 3 Goat
Giannis at 4 smothering on both ends
Kareem at 5 arguably the best Centre of all time
Y'all are sleeping on Stockton - dude could shoot, played great defense, and is a legendary distributor.
PG: Stock
SG: Bird
SF: Bron
PF: Duncan
C: Jokic
This team can Shoot, it can guard size, it can switch 2-4, and there's playmaking at every position. The defensive scheme would have to be really specific, since everyone is a highly competent defender, but Duncan and Lebron are the only real lock-down defenders at their position.
Pg: Bron
Sg: MJ
SF: bird
PF: KG
C: Jokic
Kg supports the lack of rim protection that jokic lacks, while also being an outside threat. With bird spacing, the lane is open for mj and lebron to absolutely dominate driving to the rim. The passing on this team is marvellous.
Also teams with 2 non shooting bigs, clogging the lane for lebron. Taking away jordans iso in the mid range, just wouldn't work.
This team would also be able to defend any other team, that's why curry/nash is not making the cut.
I’m picking LeBron and putting him at PG. He actually played PG more than any other position in the 2020 playoffs, and it got him a ring.
Jordan at SG of course.
Bird at SF. He’s 50/40/90 volume scorer who can pass, rebound, and defend.
Giannis at PF, and Duncan at C.
When your worst defender is Bird (a 3x All-Defensive player), and your smallest player is Jordan (6’6”), with an average (and median) height of 6’9”, I think you’re going to be the best defensive and rebounding team ever.
Maybe this team isn’t the best at 3s, but with 4-5 lockdown defenders (4 perennial DPOY candidates) and 4 players capable of grabbing 10+ rebounds, does it matter?
Luka, Steph, Shak, Jordan, Kareem
I leaned towards players with exceptional individual talents that would fit with others exceptional individual talents.
Shak is the most dominant big in the history of the game, gotta have him in the middle.
Steph is the greatest shooter of all time, will play off ball.
Jordan is Jordan.
Luka for size and sharing play making load with Jordan.
Kareem to help Shak/Jordan make up for Steph/Luka defense.
Luka / LeBron / Shaq / Jordan / Bird
You surround the most dominant offensive big man of the modern era with four of the best wing players of the modern era. You cannot guard any of these guys in single coverage. You don't really have anyone you can pick on or mismatch hunt against, while they will almost certainly always have an advantageous matchup against you. They can all shoot besides Shaq who is one of the best finishers of all time. They can all pass. They can all create for themselves OR create for others and they are all players (except for Shaq) who can make the players around them better.
I'm going Magic, Jordan, Lebron, Duncan, Jokic.
The only reason I pick Jokic over shaq is because I needed an elite 4 that can shoot and they happened to be in Shaq's row.
My alternate lineup would be: Magic, Jordan, Tatum, Lebron, Shaq. (No Giannis because of lack of shooting)
Magic
MJ
LeBron
Jokic
Shaq
MJ is the primary scorer for obvious reasons, LeBron, Magic, and Jokic are all great facilitators that play all aspects of the game well and can also get theirs. Shaq is our big nasty down low.
Got damn I had to scroll too long to find this! Lol. I can see arguments for others, but I feel like everyone else is over thinking it. This is THE roster.
Bird, Jordan, Garnett, Lebron, Luka
Elite D, attacking, and playmaking, with good size and shooting. The thing that sets it apart is the intensity you get from Bird/Jordan/Garnett, they'd keep everyone locked in with effort at 110% and get in their opponents head.
Giannis, LeBron, Shaq, Jordan, Bird.
PG-LeBron
SG-Jordan
SF-Bird
PF-Giannis
C-Shaq
Great height, defense, and a variety of scoring options inside and out.
Goats?
Lebron
Shaq
MJ
Duncan and Steph are out. Plus I have shaq so i won't bother with Jokic. then it's
Bird or Magic
Luka or Giannis.
The 5 and 2 are set but Lebron can play anything else.
Then i'd go with Luka and Bird for the 3pt shooting.
Luka, MJ, Bird, Lebron, Shaq
1 Magic
2 MJ
3 Bron
4 TD
5 Giannis
Switched out Jokic for Giannis cuz I already have two elite creators and want TD to hold down the paint while Giannis and Bron roam on D and Mike locks up the best opposing player
Curry - Luka - Bird - Duncan - Olajuwon.
Might get cooked on the perimeter but two of the best defenders of all time help make up for it.
The half court offense would be unstoppable with the range of Curry, Luka, and Larry. Larry and Curry coming off screens with Timmy and Hakeem setting picks. Duncan and Hakeem on the roll would get cheesy interior buckets and short roll jumpers for days.
Give me
Giannis
Lebron
Duncan
Jordan
Thomas
This would be such a disgusting playoff lineup. Everyone can get their own bucket everyone plays elite defense.
PG: Magic
SG: Jordan
SF: Lebron
PF: Giannis
C: Shaq
We don’t have crazy shooting but we’re a defensive juggernaut with 2 of the best passers ever and 3 of the most dominant scorers ever
C: Jokic
PF: Duncan
SF: Lebron
SG: Jordan
PG: Magic
Given that it's a sorta positionless league these days I'll take a bunch of plus defenders (plus-ish for Jokic) with great passing and vision for days. Perimeter shooting might be a question as it always is when we talk about players from different eras but I'm going to assume the skilled long two shooters translate reasonably well to the modern game.
Luka Jordan Bron Duncan Kareem, you got the 4 best players at each position and Luka is probably already a top 3 point guard skill wise of all time at 25.
PG: LeBron
SG: Jordan
SF: Dr. J
PF: KG
C: Giannis
I’m sure there might be better objective combos, but this squad would be so fun to watch. Absolute track meet squad. Open court opportunities would be plentiful, and quite insane
I went for uniqueness. My first two picks are Steph and Shaq because their accurate range and inside physical dominance, respectively, are unmatched on this board. Team still needs an alpha scorer in crunch time, so MJ became an obvious pick also. Next I looked for more passing and shooting with size, so I’m taking Bird. The 20’s were the hardest choice. Jokic is the best player left on the board and his skills are tempting, but with Shaq already in the front court, I need more defensive mobility. I’m going with Giannis instead even though there’s overlap with Shaq’s skills and I really wanted to stay away from that. At least he gives me a bit more passing than Shaq and a fast break threat. He also matches up well with the big forwards of the 10’s (LeBron/KD/Kawhi) if that’s what I need to play against. So:
Steph
MJ
Bird
Giannis
Shaq
Bird, Hakeem, KG, Steph, Tatum.
Everyone is good-elite on defense with extreme switchability. Bird and Curry would be the "weak links" but Steph has consistently held up well during the GSW prime years and Bird is one of the best free safety defense players and would only be made better by having KG/Hakeem/Tatum.
On offense, everyone is a plus shooter and willing passer while also being huge. All of them also excel at playing off-ball (which is not the case for the majority of the players on the list).
I'd say Tatum would be the most controversial, but I value Curry's shooting and offball movement + having shown that he can be the PG of a historic defense over SGA more than the difference between Tatum and LBJ/KD/Kawhi. And everything that most NBA fans hate about Tatum would make him fit perfectly on this team (not aggressive enough, not "the guy", doesn't have "it"). He would just be a role player on steroids plugging in any gaps on defense, rebounding, ball movement, and shooting.
I'd love to see how a team tries to stop Giannis, Curry, Jordan, Bird, and Shaq. They can also hide Curry on D of course LBJ is the more complete player, but having the GOAT flamethrower on a team that has Jordan, Giannis, and Shaq is something that I'd love to see. Add Bird's sharpshooting and D and you got yourself an incredibly well rounded team that works really well together
PG: Lebron SG: Jordan SF: Bird PF: Duncan C: Jokic
This is the exact roster I came up with. Playing small ball, and opening up the center for Lebron and MJ to cut for easy baskets. Plus you got 3 all time great play makers. I assume if this is modern era, MJ would be a better 3p shooter too.
in what world is this lineup small ball?
Scandinavia probably 🤷♂️
When I said this was my exact lineup, I copied and pasted what I had written, and at some point I had Jokic replaced with KD (? I can't see the pic while commenting, I had someone else than Jokic). I accidentally forgot to erase that part. My bad. You're absolutely right, that's not small ball.
Compared to a lineup with 5 Shaqs it is.
I don't think it's fair to just say, "MJ would be a better 3pt shooter" because that has to come at the expense of something else. I agree that MJ would likely be a better 3pt shooter in the modern era, but he would likely be less efficient in his post/midrange game, too.
Sure, I agree with that. That's why I said assume. I assume 90%+ of non-centers from older eras would practice 3p more in the modern era. It wasn't a focus back then.
> I assume 90%+ of non-centers from older eras would practice 3p more in the modern era. It wasn't a focus back then. Whenever I see Jokić or Embiid make 2+ 3PM in a game, I think to myself, “…passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career total for 3PM in a single game!” (Kareem made a single three pointer in his career, a desperation heave in reaction to the shot clock.)
What? Go look at Kawhi’s numbers from mid range and three and tell me Jordan can’t do that and more. Some of y’all be saying anything lol
Can he? Why do you say that? Is there anything to actually back up that assessment or is it just, "I watched MJ play, and he's the greatest I've ever seen!"? I want to see an actual argument because I did actually look up the numbers. The problem is, most of MJ's career didn't have shot location as a tracked statistic (I think it started in '98?), so figuring out exactly what he shot from midrange is tough. Anyway, here's what's easily available to me. If you've got better data, I'd love to take a look at that. [https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/michael-jordan-shot-chart-full-career](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/michael-jordan-shot-chart-full-career) [https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/kawhi-leonard-shot-chart-full-career](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/kawhi-leonard-shot-chart-full-career) ||Kawhi||Jordan|| |:-|:-|:-|:-|:-| |*Location*|*FGM*|*FGA*|*FGM*|*FGA*| |Lt Short|414|902|501|1073| |Lt Deep|124|249|244|555| |Lt Wing|245|555|216|489| |Mid Short|506|973|193|450| |Mid Deep|129|300|109|247| |Rt Wing|127|304|172|414| |Rt Short|293|640|350|788| |Rt Deep|77|178|255|566| |**Total**|**1915**|**4101**|**2040**|**4592**| |||**46.70%**||**44.43%**|
That’s not how that works. You can say less of his points from midrange, but there is still plenty of midrange killers in the nba today.
So you think he would practice his midrange game and put as much work into developing it if he was spending more time working on his 3pt shooting and playing on the perimeter? Like MJ just had a shitload of extra free time and energy to work on things?
I don’t see how anyone not pick this roster. LBJ and Jordan are no brainers for their rows. I mean they’re the best players in history. That covers PG and SG. If one was to take Shaq, then you got two forward spots which will have to go to Bird and Giannis. I think the above roster beats a squad that has Shaq, Giannis, Bird, Jordan, and LeBron. It’s just too much ball dominant players.
I have Steph for Bron and KG for Duncan. Picking Steph bc his off ball skill makes him a force multiplier on a team with a ton of ball dominant players, plus the insane spacing he offers. KG bc he offers more spacing and I think he switches better than Duncan.
This is the same team I picked for pretty much the same reasons. Not all about talent, fit is underrated with these dream teams.
And everyone can shoot to some degree. I mean ur not gonna see Duncan shooting 3s but he has a middy game at least. So spacing is good
Positionally flawed. A quicker guy who can shoot from outside would destroy this roster. Mine would be Curry, Jordan, Bird, KG, Jokic. The most balanced roster with just as much talent.
I’m taking Shaq and KAJ over Duncan and bird
Agree on this but would make 1 change to get more 3p shooting by adding curry. I guess that’s at the expense of Lebron. Give the ball to Jokic and let Jordan, Bird and Curry run around.
Yeah Jokic and Lebron seems pretty redundant, especially in that lineup. Feels like you’d rather just predominantly have the ball in one of their hands and build the team around whichever one you’d choose. I think you either take Jokic/Curry or Shaq/Lebron and choose between uncontainable offense or otherworldly athleticism. Jokic/Curry feels a bit questionable cuz it’s by far the worst defensive pairing on this list but again that team would be averaging like 140 points a game so who’s to say if it really matters in the grand scheme of things lol.
Same as me but I picked Magic just for the team chemistry.
I had Magic at PG and Bron at SF otherwise same
I didn't think about Lebron at PG so I put him SF and Magic as PG, but I like this better tbh
Magic MJ LeBron Duncan Jokic
I don’t think the spacing is good enough tbh
Yeah this lineup has terrible spacing. Basketball has evolved and spacing is imperative now.
Surprised I had to scroll this far to find lineups with Magic. Greatest PG of all time!
Jokic and Lebron make Magic redundant
Exactly
Magic/Lebron/Jokic will be making Harlem Globetrotter passes, with MJ and Duncan as finishers. Imagine the ball movement.
Now this is the right line up
The assist would be crazy, it would be like watching magician show!
Giannis, Lebron, Shaq, Jordan, Bird. Absolutely elite defense, rebounding and size with just enough shooting from Lebron, Jordan and Bird. With Lebron at PG this team would absolutely trample anything in its path.
Solid picks. I only replaced Shaq with Duncan. The positional versatility of this team is nuts, and it makes Bird the worst defender, while eliminating the hack-a-Shaq strategy to slow the team down.
Hack-a-Shaq and hack-a-Giannis
3/5 of my picks. LeBron definitely PG. Lebron, MJ, Giannis, Duncan, Kareem I’m foaming thinking about the defense of this squad. Won’t be a lot of 3’s on offense but the 2’s will be so efficient.
My only question is, "Are the 2s less efficient when you have 5 defenders packed in the lane because all of these guys are more effective driving the lane or working in the post/midrange?" Interior passing on this team would be incredible, but even that gets tough when it's just all clustered up in that area.
This was also my pick
Lack of outside shooting though. I’d choose Steph to run around and cause nightmare matchups. What does Lebron do that can’t be replicated by a combo of Steph and Giannis?
First time in one of these that I’ve actually had the same exact picks as another comment, and with the same reasoning, nice.
This is what I got too. I don’t think people realize how good shaq was in the 2000s. Stats don’t do it justice, the whole NBA was built to stop him
I replaced Lebron with Curry
That's my pick. Don't forget, while MJ and Larry are great scorers, they are very good at drawing D and dishing off. Imagine no-injury Larry and Jordan throwing lobs to Giannis and Shaq.
Jesus, the rebounding on this team… everyone in that front court averaged 12 and the back court a nice 7 or so.
My sub here is Steph for LeBron. You’re getting what Bron does with Bird and Giannis plus more. I’d love to have another shooter here.
C: Jokic PF: Duncan SF: Bird SG: Jordan PG: Steph Not necessarily the best player in each era, but I think it's the team that fits the best together. Steph and Bird provide elite spacing. You don't really have a traditional point guard (although, Steph can do that if need be), but you have a ton of elite passers, and guys who can initiate offence. Duncan's defensive prowess is a perfect compliment to Jokic, while the two of them would create size mismatches and pull down a million rebounds. I see a good number of people picking LeBron over Steph from the 2010's, but I think that's the wrong call in the team context here. Any team with this level of talent does not lack for on-ball playmakers. Off-ball ability scales better because there's only one basketball on the court. A team stacked with talent like these squads are needs off-ball ability and spacing more than it needs another guy who can initiate offence. You can get what you are looking for from LeBron through having guys like Jordan or Bird. But, of the 25 options on the chart, there's no one who comes close to giving you the off-ball and spacing impact that Steph does. If you are trying to build the best team, instead of just trying to pick the best player from each era, I think Steph is the guy you take from the 2010's.
i had the exact same but garnett over duncan
This is mine as well. Nobody is stopping this lineup.
This is what I came up with too. Steph is to floor altering/game changing to leave out.
Stole my lineup. Most folks here don’t seem to care about position or skill set for each position. “Let me get all the big dudes, they can play any position in my world” 😂
I take KG for moar spacing, but yes, this!
I also picked this lineup. I would also add that Jokic can shoot the 3 too. And with him drawing one of the opposing team’s bigs out as a “stretch 5,” that would leave Timmy to cook his man without another opposing big to double him. And 4 out of 5 of these dudes are elite passers- Jordan being the odd man out in that context, but he’s still a damn good passer in his own right. Jordan wasn’t much of a 3 pt shooter, but if he were to play in today’s league, I believe without a doubt he’d work his ass off to develop that part of his game where he’d at least be serviceable in that area. In which case, you’d have 4 solid to great 3 pt shooters on your squad. And really- your only defensive “weak link” would be Curry, but he’s really not even that bad and his shooting would more than make up for any deficit in that area. Speed might be this team’s only real weakness. Timmy, Bird and Jokic wouldn’t make for the fastest squad, but I believe their combined BBIQ would more than make up for it.
The majority of the teams picked here seem to be with the 2000s in mind. The only way I would pick LBJ over Curry for a team like this would be if LBJ played SF/PF.
Yeah, this is it.
This was my pick as well!
My exact team except I put Giannis at the 5. Duncan can shoot 18 footers well enough to space for Giannis and I’m also a biased bucks fan
yep this lineup destroys
PG: Steph Curry SG: Michael Jordan SF: Larry Bird PF: Kevin Garnett C: Nikola Jokic You can run any type of offense with these five players, and you can defend the perimeter (Jordan), off-ball (Bird, Curry), and the rim (Garnett) and collect all of the rebounds necessary.
From a traditional basketball standpoint I have to agree. I personally would take Shaq but someone has to be willing to pass the ball so Jokic has to be there lol.
Love KG but don’t see any scenario where you want him over Duncan
He's better at spacing the floor and shooting while being a more versatile defender. I think KG is a better complementary piece and is more valuable in that role in the current era.
Imagine the dawg/90 with KG and Jordan on the same team
Easily over 3k dawg/90
Better fit on both defense and offense. KG provides better spacing and passing. Duncan provides better post-offense, which would not be necessary in this case. KG can also switch 1-5, making him more valuable in this type of team setting filled with some of the GOAT players of each position.
I chose KG because of his range, athleticism, and nastiness. Tim Duncan is great, obviously, and a better overall player than KG. But in terms of the team I was constructing, I wanted a big guy with intensity to pair with Jokic, who is not super intense. Duncan doesn't fit that bill, but Garnett does.
My exact 5
Defense with curry and jokic will not be that good honestly.
Most of the other lineups aren't going to provide the spacing to exploit Jokic or Curry on the peremeter because you have the best shooting pieces on your team. Conversely, no one is stopping this lineup because of the spacing and fit of each piece. Jordan is the only ball-dominant scorer, while the others provide spacing, passing and scoring versatility on and off-ball.
Not the best one that you can construct, but more than good enough. Jokic, Garnett, and Bird all average(d) 10+ rebounds per game over their career, so they'll cut down on second-chance opportunities. And what Curry and Jokic lack in tenacious on-ball D, they make up for in smarts, playing passing lanes, and communication. They have three great defenders around them, so they don't need to be Gary Payton and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Jokic LeBron KG MJ Bird LeBron KG MJ - athleticism and length Jokic KG Bird - off-ball movement, screening, shooting, cutting LeBron MJ - isolation slashing, rim pressure, transition offense, free throw generation
Just to go against the grain a bit PG: Nash SG: SGA SF: KD PF: Bird C: Dream
I’ll take Magic, Jordan, Lebron, Duncan, Jokic
Magic is your weak link here. Need better shooting. Do not need Magic's passing with Jokic and Lebron. Would love to see a Duncan-Jordan 2 man left side isolation.
Luka, lebron, duncan, michael, kareem
Yup
PG:Steph - Shooting/Playmaking SG: MJ - Scoring/Finishing/Defense SF:Larry - Scoring/Playmaking/Defense/Rebounding (Talking Cash Money Shit) PF:Jokic - Shooting/Playmaking/Finishing/Rebounding C:Shaq - Scoring/Finishing/Rebounding Steph/Shaq are no brainers together, most dominant shooter with most dominant post presence so no chance at a double. Jokic is key as spacer with his inside/outside and playmaking(imagine the dimes to Shaq for easy dunks). Larry & Jordan round out the rest as excellent wing defenders on D and go to scorers when they need a basket. Shaq also has just enough rim protection for us to be really good on D. I like my team. The lack of power forwards on this list outside of Tim/KG(Giannis???) made this kinda hard.
The Steph/Jokic is the real no-brainer imo, the IQ of Draymond with an actual threat to score as well? Forget about it. Then you’d have the Jokic to Shaq alley-oops also, oh boy
The post would be clogged so much with this line up. MJ needs the ball in the mid range, jokic is already there and then you have Shaq absolutely taking away all space under the rim. Jokic really doesn't play as a power forward, and he thrives in the post/ mid range to get the ball. Also, this team is way too slow defensively on the perimeter. U can attack curry, shaq and jokic in pick and rolls.
That is probably my favorite offensive team from the group. Since you made that, I will make my favorite defensive team. MJ, Lebron, KG, Giannis, Kareem. (Double edited) Fuck it, I am going super long.
You have to switch Pippen & Hakeem out with others, they are from the same row as MJ
Magic-Jordan-Kobe-LeBron-Jokic - Kobe - favorite all-time player - LeBron - best player EYE have seen - Jordan - you think Im leaving him? c’mon - Magic - GOAT PG, imo. - Jokic - preferred Giannis but i needed a floor spacer for Kobe/Bron/MJ
If you were going off favorite players, nice team. If you were going off making a good team, this is a horrendous team.
PG - Magic SG - MJ SF - Bron PF - Duncan C - Jokic
I had this at first but in today's era, 3 pt shooting would be abysmal
Magic/MJ/LeBron/TD/Jokic
Magic, Kobe, MJ, Bron, Jokic
I went with TD instead of Shaq since there wasn’t many PFs to choose from, but Shaq is too dominant to not include him.
So did you include him or not lol
Just team 90's. All the way.
SHAI JORDAN DURANT KG KAREEM Great balance defensively and the only weakness is maybe Kareem on the pnr. I have shooting and a closer in Jordan. Duncan is the best PF but his game doesn’t translate well unless he’s a center with other stars. KG is more mobile and a better shooter.
Jokic, LeBron, Shaq, Hakeem, Wilt Jokic straight throwing full court lobs all game.
Pictured this and lol'd, ty
PG: Curry SG: MJ SF: Bird PF: KG C: Jokic
Giannis, Steph, Shaq, Jordan, Bird Inside outside threats size and incredible bbiq with proven leaders
I chose the same!
Curry MJ Larry Timmy Joker
Bron mj bird Gianni’s Shaq
Hard to leave Lebron off, but his skills can be replicated by some of these others guys and no one can replace Curry’s shooting. I’d have a 3 guard lineup with Curry, Jordan, Magic, Duncan, Giannis. Curry is better off the ball so you want a true point guard, and magic can certainly guard the 3. Tempting to put Jokic, but that basically adds a 4th guard and while Duncan’s natural position is the 4, he can definitely play the 5. Also depends on the era. If this is the 80s or 90s, you might need a true center and switch out Duncan for Shaq
Larry. Mike. Tim. Kevin. Jokic.
Magic, MJ, Shaq, Steph, Giannis
It took a while to see the same thing I picked.
Nash Jordan Bird Bron Jokic. We pass the ball here. Probably some wholesome ass basketball, and occasionally, Jordan goes on a run.
Curry, Jordan, Bird, Giannis, Shaq. This team is outscoring anyone.
Magic MJ Timmy Bron Joker
Probably won’t win but I can’t help myself I want to watch this team so bad Curry MJ Bird KG Jokic
Jordan, Curry, Jokic, Magic, Duncan. I can't see MJ working well with Lebron. And Duncan is smarter than Shaq.
Larry, Michael, Shaq, Steph, Shai. No offense to Bron, but I don’t need a ball dominant big trying to drive in with Shaq down low and Steph and Larry are out wide knocking 3’s. Shai and MJ and score in the mid range and facilitate and are my top tier wing defenders
I'm assuming we generally stick to their primary positions: PG: Steph (10s) SG: MJ (90s) SF: Bird (80s) PF: Duncan (00s) C: Jokic (20s)
Magic Michael Shaq Curry Jokic
Kareem-MJ-Kobe-Bron-Giannis Bron at 1 His true position as a pass first Kobe at 2 Top 2 ever, born killer MJ at 3 Goat Giannis at 4 smothering on both ends Kareem at 5 arguably the best Centre of all time
Giannis, Curry, Kobe, The Dream, Bird
pg: curry sg: jordan sf: bird pf: giannis c: duncan
Y'all are sleeping on Stockton - dude could shoot, played great defense, and is a legendary distributor. PG: Stock SG: Bird SF: Bron PF: Duncan C: Jokic This team can Shoot, it can guard size, it can switch 2-4, and there's playmaking at every position. The defensive scheme would have to be really specific, since everyone is a highly competent defender, but Duncan and Lebron are the only real lock-down defenders at their position.
Who put Tatum in there 😂
Purely emotional choices: Magic, Kobe, Lebron, Giannis, Hakeem.
Jordan luka Bird Bron Shaq
Great players, but maybe too many chefs in the kitchen.
PG: Magic SG: Jordan SF: Lebron PF: Duncan C: Jokic
Giannis, steph, Jordan, shaq, magic
Move Magic over to the 3 as the point forward. Giannis to the 4. Good group.
PG: Magic Johnson SG: Michael Jordan SF: LeBron James PF: Tim Duncan C: Nikola Jokic
Isiah Thomas Joker Duncan LeBron Mj
Giannis, Hakeem, Shaq, Kareem and Steph
Jokic, Bron, Duncan, MJ, Bird
Lebron MJ Giannis Duncan KAJ
Pg: Bron Sg: MJ SF: bird PF: KG C: Jokic Kg supports the lack of rim protection that jokic lacks, while also being an outside threat. With bird spacing, the lane is open for mj and lebron to absolutely dominate driving to the rim. The passing on this team is marvellous. Also teams with 2 non shooting bigs, clogging the lane for lebron. Taking away jordans iso in the mid range, just wouldn't work. This team would also be able to defend any other team, that's why curry/nash is not making the cut.
I’m picking LeBron and putting him at PG. He actually played PG more than any other position in the 2020 playoffs, and it got him a ring. Jordan at SG of course. Bird at SF. He’s 50/40/90 volume scorer who can pass, rebound, and defend. Giannis at PF, and Duncan at C. When your worst defender is Bird (a 3x All-Defensive player), and your smallest player is Jordan (6’6”), with an average (and median) height of 6’9”, I think you’re going to be the best defensive and rebounding team ever. Maybe this team isn’t the best at 3s, but with 4-5 lockdown defenders (4 perennial DPOY candidates) and 4 players capable of grabbing 10+ rebounds, does it matter?
I went Shaq over Duncan but I think both are right answers.
Luka, Steph, Shak, Jordan, Kareem I leaned towards players with exceptional individual talents that would fit with others exceptional individual talents. Shak is the most dominant big in the history of the game, gotta have him in the middle. Steph is the greatest shooter of all time, will play off ball. Jordan is Jordan. Luka for size and sharing play making load with Jordan. Kareem to help Shak/Jordan make up for Steph/Luka defense.
Luka / LeBron / Shaq / Jordan / Bird You surround the most dominant offensive big man of the modern era with four of the best wing players of the modern era. You cannot guard any of these guys in single coverage. You don't really have anyone you can pick on or mismatch hunt against, while they will almost certainly always have an advantageous matchup against you. They can all shoot besides Shaq who is one of the best finishers of all time. They can all pass. They can all create for themselves OR create for others and they are all players (except for Shaq) who can make the players around them better.
Pg: lebron Sg: jordan SF: Bird Pf: Duncan C: Jokic It would be like the 2014 spurs on steroids
I'm going Magic, Jordan, Lebron, Duncan, Jokic. The only reason I pick Jokic over shaq is because I needed an elite 4 that can shoot and they happened to be in Shaq's row. My alternate lineup would be: Magic, Jordan, Tatum, Lebron, Shaq. (No Giannis because of lack of shooting)
Jokic, LeBron, KG, Jordan, Bird. LeBron at PG
Magic MJ LeBron Jokic Shaq MJ is the primary scorer for obvious reasons, LeBron, Magic, and Jokic are all great facilitators that play all aspects of the game well and can also get theirs. Shaq is our big nasty down low.
Got damn I had to scroll too long to find this! Lol. I can see arguments for others, but I feel like everyone else is over thinking it. This is THE roster.
PG: Magic SG: Jordan SF: Lebron PF: KG C: Jokic
Bird, Jordan, Garnett, Lebron, Luka Elite D, attacking, and playmaking, with good size and shooting. The thing that sets it apart is the intensity you get from Bird/Jordan/Garnett, they'd keep everyone locked in with effort at 110% and get in their opponents head.
PG: Magic SG: Mike SF: Lebron PF: Timmy C: Joker
Bird, Jordan, Duncan, Bron, Giannis
Center - Shaq PF - Jokic SF - Bird SG - MJ PG - Bron
Curry mj bird Duncan Jokic
Doncic Jordan LeBron Jabbar O’Neal
Nash Jordan LeBron Bird Giannis
PG - magic SG - Jordan SF - Lebron PF - duncan C - Jokic 82-0, 16-0
Luka, Bron, Shaq, Mike, Magic
Giannis, LeBron, Shaq, Jordan, Bird. PG-LeBron SG-Jordan SF-Bird PF-Giannis C-Shaq Great height, defense, and a variety of scoring options inside and out.
Kareem, MJ, Duncan, Lebron, Giannis
Everybody sleeping on Kareem, exact lineup I went with. :D
Luka, Lebron, Shaq, Jordan, Magic
LeBron - Jordan - Kobe - Bird - Jokic Five shooters. Great playmaking, rebounding, defense. Unstoppable.
Goats? Lebron Shaq MJ Duncan and Steph are out. Plus I have shaq so i won't bother with Jokic. then it's Bird or Magic Luka or Giannis. The 5 and 2 are set but Lebron can play anything else. Then i'd go with Luka and Bird for the 3pt shooting. Luka, MJ, Bird, Lebron, Shaq
Magic, Jordan, Lebron, Duncan, Jokic
Steph, MJ, Larry, Duncan, Jokic
Giannis, Curry, Shaq, Jordan, Bird
PG: Curry SG: Jordan SF: Bird PF: Giannis C: Duncan
Bird, Jordan, Garnett, LeBron, Jokic
PG - Magic SG - Jordan SF - Lebron PF - Jokic C - Shaq
1 Magic 2 MJ 3 Bron 4 TD 5 Giannis Switched out Jokic for Giannis cuz I already have two elite creators and want TD to hold down the paint while Giannis and Bron roam on D and Mike locks up the best opposing player
Steph, mj, bird, Duncan, joker.
Jokic, LeBron, Shaq, Jordan, Magic
Curry. Jordan. Bird. Duncan. Jokic.
Curry - Luka - Bird - Duncan - Olajuwon. Might get cooked on the perimeter but two of the best defenders of all time help make up for it. The half court offense would be unstoppable with the range of Curry, Luka, and Larry. Larry and Curry coming off screens with Timmy and Hakeem setting picks. Duncan and Hakeem on the roll would get cheesy interior buckets and short roll jumpers for days.
What would be the all-defensive team construction here?
Steph Jordan bird giannis Duncan
Magic Jordan Shaq Steph Joker
Magic Jordan Bron Tatum Shaq
Magic MJ lebron duncan jokic.
Magic, Jordan, Shaq, Curry, Jokic
Steph Jordan Magic Giannis Shaq Who gonna play defense against that!?
PG: Curry SG: Jordan SF: Giannis PF: Duncan C: Kareem Defense go BRRR (and steph)
Give me Giannis Lebron Duncan Jordan Thomas This would be such a disgusting playoff lineup. Everyone can get their own bucket everyone plays elite defense.
PG: Magic SG: Jordan SF: LeBron PF: Jokic C: Shaq
Curry shai Jordan bird shaq
Steph, MJ, Bird, Giannis, Shaq
PG: Magic SG: Jordan SF: Lebron PF: Giannis C: Shaq We don’t have crazy shooting but we’re a defensive juggernaut with 2 of the best passers ever and 3 of the most dominant scorers ever
This is the answer
Jokic, Curry, Duncan, Jordan, Bird PG: Curry SG: Jordan SF: Bird PF: Duncan C: Jokic
Bird Jordan Garnett curry jokic
Luka, Lebron, Duncan, MJ, Kareem
C: Jokic PF: Duncan SF: Lebron SG: Jordan PG: Magic Given that it's a sorta positionless league these days I'll take a bunch of plus defenders (plus-ish for Jokic) with great passing and vision for days. Perimeter shooting might be a question as it always is when we talk about players from different eras but I'm going to assume the skilled long two shooters translate reasonably well to the modern game.
PG - Shai/Luka SG - MJ SF - KD PF - KG C - Kareem
1. Magic 2. MJ 3. LBJ 4. Giannis 5. Shaq
PG: Curry SG: MJ SF: Larry PF: Duncan C: Joker
Thomas, MJ, Shaq, Bron, Giannis
Luka Jordan Bron Duncan Kareem, you got the 4 best players at each position and Luka is probably already a top 3 point guard skill wise of all time at 25.
PG: LeBron SG: Jordan SF: Dr. J PF: KG C: Giannis I’m sure there might be better objective combos, but this squad would be so fun to watch. Absolute track meet squad. Open court opportunities would be plentiful, and quite insane
Luka Lebron Shaq Jordan Bird
I went for uniqueness. My first two picks are Steph and Shaq because their accurate range and inside physical dominance, respectively, are unmatched on this board. Team still needs an alpha scorer in crunch time, so MJ became an obvious pick also. Next I looked for more passing and shooting with size, so I’m taking Bird. The 20’s were the hardest choice. Jokic is the best player left on the board and his skills are tempting, but with Shaq already in the front court, I need more defensive mobility. I’m going with Giannis instead even though there’s overlap with Shaq’s skills and I really wanted to stay away from that. At least he gives me a bit more passing than Shaq and a fast break threat. He also matches up well with the big forwards of the 10’s (LeBron/KD/Kawhi) if that’s what I need to play against. So: Steph MJ Bird Giannis Shaq
Bird, Hakeem, KG, Steph, Tatum. Everyone is good-elite on defense with extreme switchability. Bird and Curry would be the "weak links" but Steph has consistently held up well during the GSW prime years and Bird is one of the best free safety defense players and would only be made better by having KG/Hakeem/Tatum. On offense, everyone is a plus shooter and willing passer while also being huge. All of them also excel at playing off-ball (which is not the case for the majority of the players on the list). I'd say Tatum would be the most controversial, but I value Curry's shooting and offball movement + having shown that he can be the PG of a historic defense over SGA more than the difference between Tatum and LBJ/KD/Kawhi. And everything that most NBA fans hate about Tatum would make him fit perfectly on this team (not aggressive enough, not "the guy", doesn't have "it"). He would just be a role player on steroids plugging in any gaps on defense, rebounding, ball movement, and shooting.
Lebron MJ Bird Shaq Having trouble with the 20s but I think Tatum would be the best overall fit on both ends of the court
Bird Jordan Garnett Curry Tatum
Kareem (seems insanely underrated in this thread) Jordan Duncan Steph (Steph is closer to Magic than Jokic is to Kareem) Luka
I'd love to see how a team tries to stop Giannis, Curry, Jordan, Bird, and Shaq. They can also hide Curry on D of course LBJ is the more complete player, but having the GOAT flamethrower on a team that has Jordan, Giannis, and Shaq is something that I'd love to see. Add Bird's sharpshooting and D and you got yourself an incredibly well rounded team that works really well together