SINCE we’re in the dregs of the NBA off-season, it felt like the right time to stir up some debate. We came up with the all-time line-up for every NBA franchise, but that wasn’t good enough. Then, we ranked them.
Here’s what you need to know about the methods we used. First, each player can appear only once. Shaq, for instance, can’t be on both the all-time Magic and Lakers squads. Each player is on the team we most associate him with. Sometimes, that simply came down to number of games played. Other times, it was just a general feeling. And every once in a while, it meant calling an audible if a player was overshadowed on his primary team (such as Mark Jackson, a Knick in our books, who appears on the Pacers squad).
Second, position matters, to an extent. We’re not rolling out a team of all centres. Yet with that said, there’s some margin for error to accommodate the most talent — especially with the No. 1 team on this list.
30. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Point guard: Baron Davis
Shooting guard: Eric Gordon
Small forward: Ryan Anderson
Power forward: David West
Centre: Anthony Davis
New Orleans gets the short end of the stick at point guard, since Chris Paul is a Clipper in our book. Coupled with the Pelicans’ brief history, there’s not a whole lot to work with for this franchise. But hey, at least they have Anthony Davis!
29. CHARLOTTE HORNETS
PG: Muggsy Bogues
SG: Dell Curry
SF: Anthony Mason
PF: Larry Johnson
C: Al Jefferson
Mason could theoretically be a member of the Knicks, but he wasn’t quite good enough to make that all-time team. So he slides down to the Hornets, who will gladly take his hard-nosed defence and screen-setting. There are two other Charlotte stars who were eligible for this team, Glen Rice and Alonzo Mourning; they show up on this list, just not with the Hornets.
28. BROOKLYN NETS
PG: Jason Kidd
SG: Kerry Kittles
SF: Richard Jefferson
PF: Buck Williams
C: Brook Lopez
The Hornets and Pelicans have an excuse for their lack of historical splendour, since they’re relatively recent expansion teams. The Nets have existed since the NBA-ABA merger, however. That this team has historically been so mediocre is just depressing.
27. DENVER NUGGETS
PG: Andre Miller
SG: David Thompson
SF: Alex English
PF: Dan Issel
C: Dikembe Mutombo
With 391 career regular-season games in Denver, plus the iconic shot of his lying prone on the court with the ball held over his head, Mutombo goes down as a member of the Nuggets historically. And with apologies to Fat Lever, Andre Miller is our choice for Denver’s starting point guard. You just can’t go wrong with the Professor.
26. TORONTO RAPTORS
PG: Kyle Lowry
SG: DeMar DeRozan
SF: Vince Carter
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Jonas Valanciunas
Toronto’s NBA existence has been kind of weird. On the wings and in the back-court, the Raptors have had quite a bit of talent through the years, including snubbed PG Damon Stoudamire. In the frontcourt, though, it’s been slim pickings for Toronto — outside of Chris Bosh, who ended up on the Heat in this exercise. Still, Amir Johnson is criminally underrated; he belongs on this list, if only because the Raptors don’t have many other choices.
25. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
PG: Chris Paul
SG: Ron Harper
SF: Blake Griffin
PF: Elton Brand
C: DeAndre Jordan
There’s an argument to be made that the Clippers’ best all-time line-up is four of the current starters (including J.J. Redick) plus Elton Brand. We’re rolling with Ron Harper here, though, for his defence and ball handling. If you insist on Redick, that’s fine. Either way, this team isn’t particularly great.
24. MILWAUKEE BUCKS
PG: Sidney Moncrief
SG: Ray Allen
SF: Bob Dandridge
PF: Glenn Robinson
C: Andrew Bogut
The Bucks were one of the teams that suffered most from the “only use each player once” rule. Milwaukee loses out on Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as a result — but the Bucks keep Ray Allen. As for point guard? Fans of the modern game might take Sam Cassell over Sidney Moncrief, but the five-time All-Star was one of the more underrated players of the ‘80s.
23. WASHINGTON WIZARDS
PG: John Wall
SG: Gilbert Arenas
SF: Antawn Jamison
PF: Elvin Hayes
C: Wes Unseld
The Wizards trot out our first dual big-man line-up, with both Hayes and Unseld dominating the boards and starting Washington’s transition offence as John Wall sprints down the court. As long as we can keep Gilbert Arenas out of trouble, this is a pretty solid squad.
22. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
PG: Ricky Rubio
SG: Kevin Martin
SF: Kevin Love
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Karl-Anthony Towns
That’s right — we’re putting KAT on this list after just one year. That’s how much faith we have in Towns, especially with Kevin Garnett serving as his mentor. Since we have those two patrolling on defence, we can slot Kevin Love in at small forward and not worry about giving up too much on that end of the floor. As for point guard? Stephon Marbury is an obvious choice, but we don’t want a repeat of the drama that unfolded last time Starbury was alongside KG. With that in mind, Ricky Rubio is the pick.
21. DALLAS MAVERICKS
PG: Derek Harper
SG: Jason Terry
SF: Michael Finley
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Tyson Chandler
Grooooooosssssssssssssssss. This team leaves you shaking your head and remembering just how bad the Mavericks have been during the franchise’s history. Dirk Nowitzki, on the other hand, is so spectacular that he buoys the Mavs’ ranking on his own. In Dirk we trust.
20. INDIANAPOLIS PACERS
PG: Mark Jackson
SG: Reggie Miller
SF: Paul George
PF: Dale Davis
C: Rik Smits
Mark Jackson slides into point guard for the Pacers despite arguably being more of a Knick during his career. As for power forward, Jermaine O’Neal deserves mention here for his six All-Star appearances with Indiana. He was an outstanding scorer but an uneven defender; for that reason, we’re taking Dale Davis’ stout defence and rebounding at power forward, with Rik Smits holding down the middle. Reggie Miller and Paul George are no-brainers, of course.
19. ORLANDO MAGIC
PG: Penny Hardaway
SG: Nick Anderson
SF: Dennis Scott
PF: Rashard Lewis
C: Dwight Howard
The Magic barely lose out on Tracy McGrady, whom we went back and forth on for days before deciding that he was a Rocket, not a Magic. It was an incredibly tough decision. An easier choice? Dwight Howard at centre, since that Shaq guy abandoned Orlando and sealed his fate as a Laker. Of course, Stan Van Gundy would love this team. So there’s that.
18. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
PG: Damian Lillard
SG: Clyde Drexler
SF: Jerome Kersey
PF: Rasheed Wallace
C: Bill Walton
We’ll ignore Rasheed Wallace’s role in the “Jail Blazers” era and focus on how Sheed was one of the smartest players in basketball history instead. And yes, LaMarcus Aldridge isn’t on this list — because he’s overrated. @ me over it if you feel so inclined.
17. PHOENIX SUNS
PG: Steve Nash
SG: Dan Majerle
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Connie Hawkins
C: Amar’e Stoudemire
This is the quintessential Suns team — incredibly entertaining, capable of winning a lot of games and too porous on defence to come anywhere close to a championship.
16. ATLANTA HAWKS
PG: Lenny Wilkens
SG: Joe Johnson
SF: Dominique Wilkins
PF: Al Horford
C: Bob Pettit
The Hawks low-key have a fantastic starting five, albeit one that depends on some old-school players. There are no weaknesses on this squad, even though the star power isn’t exactly there, either.
15. NEW YORK KNICKS
PG: Earl Monroe
SG: John Starks
SF: Carmelo Anthony
PF: Charles Oakley
C: Patrick Ewing
Apologies to Clyde Frazier, Willis Reed and Allan Houston, but this squad defines the Knicks’ history and the recent Carmelo Anthony era. Starks might be the “weak link,” in a basketball vacuum — if you ignore the fact that he was the heart and soul of those infamous Knicks teams of the 90s.
14. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Mark Price
SF: Craig Ehlo
PF: LeBron James
C: Brady Daugherty
The Cavs have to go small with their all-time team, starting two shooting guards next to Kyrie Irving. When you have LeBron James, who single-handedly lifts Cleveland’s all-time squad in these rankings, such positional flexibility becomes a lot easier.
13. DETROIT PISTONS
PG: Isiah Thomas
SG: Joe Dumars
SF: Grant Hill
PF: Dennis Rodman
C: Bill Laimbeer
Dennis Rodman’s presence at power forward means we don’t need Ben Wallace at centre; that’s too much offensive ineptitude to overcome, no matter how good a hypothetical team with both big men would be. We just hope that this time-travelling version of Grant Hill can stay healthy.
12. SACRAMENTO KINGS
PG: Oscar Robertson
SG: Mitch Richmond
SF: Peja Stojakovic
PF: Chris Webber
C: DeMarcus Cousins
The all-time Kings would have all of the passing you ever need, steady outside shooting, one of the greatest point guards of all-time and DeMarcus Cousins in the middle to dominate opponents. What’s not to love?
11. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
PG: Mike Conley
SG: Mike Miller
SF: Shane Battier
PF: Pau Gasol
C: Marc Gasol
Are we overrating the Grizzlies? It’s certainly possible. But this Memphis team has a perfect blend of defence, playmaking and perimeter shooting — not to mention both Gasol brothers blocking Zach Randolph from the frontcourt. This might be our favourite team on the entire list. Deal with it.
10. MIAMI HEAT
PG: Tim Hardaway
SG: Dwyane Wade
SF: Glen Rice
PF: Chris Bosh
C: Alonzo Mourning
Chris Bosh and Alonzo Mourning are the backbone of this all-time Heat squad. Zo’s rim protection and Bosh’s versatility would create nightmares for opposing offences, while Tim Hardaway and Dwyane Wade would carve up defences and create tons of open looks for Glen Rice.
9. HOUSTON ROCKETS
PG: Kenny Smith
SG: James Harden
SF: Tracy McGrady
PF: Robert Horry
C: Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon, Tracy McGrady and James Harden combine to form an outstanding Big Three, Robert Horry is here for all of the clutch buckets, and Kenny Smith runs the offence. At first glance, Houston might seem kind of high on this list. In modern basketball, though, it’s hard to beat Hakeem Olajuwon surrounded by shooters.
8. UTAH JAZZ
PG: John Stockton
SG: Pete Maravich
SF: Andrei Kirilenko
PF: Karl Malone
C: Mark Eaton
In a time of isolation and hero-ball, the Jazz stood as a beacon in the darkness, running pick-and-roll before it was in fashion. Give John Stockton and Karl Malone the modern rules, and they’d destroy the opposition. Pistol Pete gives this Utah team a little more scoring kick, and Andrei Kirilenko and Mark Eaton provide all the defence the Jazz need.
7. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
PG: Gary Payton
SG: Russell Westbrook
SF: Kevin Durant
PF: Shawn Kemp
C: Jack Sikma
We miss the Sonics, truly. But if moving Seattle’s NBA team to Oklahoma City means that Gary Payton, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Shawn Kemp all get to play on the same (theoretical) team, then who are we to judge this relocation?
6. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
PG: Allen Iverson
SG: Andre Iguodala
SF: Julius Erving
PF: Charles Barkley
C: Moses Malone
If you search for “all-time Sixers teams,” most will have Allen Iverson at shooting guard and Mo Cheeks at point guard. That’s a sucker’s bet, though, based on nostalgia for Cheeks. He was an outstanding PG, sure. If you want to put together the best basketball team, however, you start AI at point guard and have Andre Iguodala ply his versatile skills at shooting guard. The Sixers have a ton of guys who need the ball in their hands; Iguodala serves as the glue that keeps this team together.
5. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Klay Thompson
SF: Chris Mullin
PF: Draymond Green
C: Wilt Chamberlain
Rick Barry? Pffffft. Paul Arizin? Yawn. Nate Thurmond? Meh.
Forget about the Warriors blowing a 3-1 lead in the Finals. Last season’s Golden State squad was the greatest regular-season team ever, which means Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green make the cut as the best at their positions in franchise history. And they get to replace Harrison Barnes with Chris Mullin — oh, and add Wilt Chamberlain to the squad, just for good measure. The only reason the Warriors aren’t higher on this list is that we need to see the young Golden State stars keep it up for a few more years.
4. BOSTON CELTICS
PG: Bob Cousy
SG: Paul Pierce
SF: Larry Bird
PF: Kevin McHale
C: Bill Russell
The Celtics are one of the NBA’s greatest franchises, but so much of their glory came in the pre-modern era. We assume that guys like Bob Cousy and Bill Russell would be superstars these days, yet we’ll never really know. That uncertainty bumps Boston’s all-time team down this list by a couple of spots.
3. CHICAGO BULLS
PG: Derrick Rose
SG: Michael Jordan
SF: Scottie Pippen
PF: Toni Kukoc
C: Artis Gilmore
It’s terrifying to think how good Michael Jordan’s Bulls could have been with a star centre like Artis Gilmore on the team. Gilmore was one of the only players to give Kareem Abdul-Jabbar fits during Cap’s prime; he’d fit perfectly with the greatest Chicago squads. Derrick Rose is a bit of an outcast, since Jordan would have the ball in his hands so much, but we’re not passing on Rose for someone like B.J. Armstrong. Sorry.
2. SAN ANTONIO SPURS
PG: Tony Parker
SG: George Gervin
SF: Kawhi Leonard
PF: Tim Duncan
C: David Robinson
Leave it to the Spurs to have the most complete all-time starting line-up — a squad that’s so good, we have to leave Manu Ginobili on the bench. The only argument against San Antonio is that the rule changes of the past 10 years might make the combination of Tim Duncan and David Robinson slightly less effective. Anyone making that point, though, forgets just how amazing Robinson was at his peak. He, Duncan and Kawhi Leonard would suffocate opponents on defence, and the Spurs’ unstoppable motion-based offence would leave defences wondering what just happened.
1. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
PG: Magic Johnson
SG: Jerry West
SF: Kobe Bryant
PF: Shaquille O’Neal
C: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
No other team can top this list. Frankly, no other team has the embarrassment of riches boasted by the Lakers. Of all 30 teams, coming up with the starting five for Los Angeles was easily the most difficult decision.
You could easily go Magic/Kobe/Elgin Baylor/James Worthy/centre of your choice, if you wanted to stick to tried and true positions — and that squad would still be at the top of this list. But we’re trying to get the best five players on the floor at once, and that means playing Kobe up a position and Shaq down one.
Kobe could play small forward; we’re not worried about that. The concern most people will have is with Shaq at power forward. Won’t the Laker surrender too much on defence with two centres on the floor?
It would be a valid point if we completely ignored the player Shaq was with the Magic and in his first few seasons in Los Angeles. He was a gazelle in the body of a rhinoceros, able to go coast-to-coast on his own or face up and blow past opposing defenders on the perimeter. He bulked up with the Lakers because of a lack of foul calls; if opponents were going to beat him up, Shaq decided to impose his will through sheer physical dominance.
The 1996-97 version of Shaq, though? That superstar could play next to Abdul-Jabbar. After all, what does James Worthy bring to the table that young Shaq couldn’t do?
We’re not leaving either Abdul-Jabbar or Jerry West off this list. Instead, we’ll embrace positionless basketball for the greatest NBA team of all-time. Tim Duncan and David Robinson better look out. Once again, the Lakers stand in their way.