Make An All-Star NBA Team To See If You Could Win The Finals
- by Chris Roberts
- – on
- in Sports
In today's National Basketball Association (NBA) landscape, building a championship-caliber team is rather simple - trade all your assets for two or three star players. OK, maybe doing that isn't exactly simple, but it's clear that's the new framework for building a contender. In the past, you had to make shrewd trades and draft and develop your own stars (see, San Antonio Spurs/Detroit Pistons/Dallas Mavericks). However, since LeBron James took his talents to South Beach along with Chris Bosh to join Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, teams - and players - have jumped on the bandwagon of trying to build their own All-Star teams. What has resulted is four or five teams that think they can win a title each year, 20 mediocre teams, and a few God-awful teams.
Put simply, being a general manager in the NBA is a tough task, especially if you're not with a big-budget team. Fortunately, you can build a championship-caliber team through this quiz with no pressure, limitations, or repercussions. Since actually building a capable team in the real NBA is a challenge for even some of the league's best general managers, they might also be better off trying to do so here. How are your management skills? Can you make all the right decisions in putting together the best team possible?
Who would be your starting point guard?
The point guard is the most important position on the floor. While the position has changed slightly in recent years with more of an importance placed upon shooting, the point guard is still the player who primarily handles and distributes the ball. It's his job to create his own shots and find his teammates open for easy buckets. What type of point guard would you prefer?
Who would be your starting shooting guard?
The shooting guard, in some cases, can be just as effective a distributor as the point guard, though his primary job is to find open space on the floor to knock down jumpers. In today's NBA, it's increasingly important for the shooting guard - and any player for that matter - to be able to hit open three-point shots, so keep that in mind when picking your player.
Who would be your starting small forward?
The small forward should be the most versatile player on your team in that he's big enough to play power forward in a pinch or in some rotations, but crafty and speedy enough to play shooting guard or, in some cases, point guard. They're often among the best defensive players on a given team because of their length and athleticism. And remember, it's not all about putting together the best scorers in the game.
Who would be your starting power forward?
At this point, you're probably wondering where's Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and other dominant players. But if we presented all the game's best players, of course you could put together a championship-caliber team. It's at the power forward position - and later the bench - when decisions become more difficult. You need a player who can score, but is also an adept rebounder and playmaker.
Who would be your starting center?
Your starting center, first and foremost, should be your team's leading rebounder; he should primarily play in the paint with his back to the basket in hopes of catching passes down low or grabbing offensive rebounds. However, in today's NBA where the three-point shot is becoming more prevalent, more big men are spotting up from outside and rounding out their game. Aim for a player with a good mix of both skills.
Who would be your backup point guard?
Of all backup positions, the point guard role is the most important. He's expected to carry the second unit in regard to ball movement and even scoring. Beyond that, the backup point guard is often the sixth man, meaning he plays the bulk of the available bench minutes, often as a combo guard capable of slotting in as the shooting guard in different lineups.
Who would be your backup shooting guard?
Ideally, you want someone with veteran experience to come off the bench in at least two or three primary roles. Championships are won by established players, not teams of young players and rookies. If you have a player coming off the bench at shooting guard who can not only score, but provide excellent defense, your team should be in great shape.
Who would be your backup small forward?
You're not going to have an All-Star coming off the bench, but the league is blessed with talented players at the small forward position, particularly those who are still young and finding their way. However, there are also a wealth of veterans who can provide quality minutes. Look for someone with decent length and shot-blocking ability who can provide energy in relatively limited minutes.
Who would be your backup power forward?
Like other backup positions, you want your backup power forward to provide energy. He should be an adept rebounder with the ability to run the floor at a high pace. A decent scoring touch is a nice bonus, but the bulk of a team's scoring comes from its starters and backup guards, so count on your backup power forward - and center - to excel in defensive situations.
Who would be your backup center?
A big man who can shoot the three is an incredibly valuable player in the NBA, but there's not many who fit the bill - and the ones who do are, for the most part, starters. Given that, you want your team's backup center to provide energy, physicality, and rebounding ability. Players like Bismack Biyombo have little to no jump shot but are paid substantially for the aforementioned skills.
Which bench player would you pick?
Now we get to the fun part. Most teams in the NBA only play between 8-12 players during the course of a game, depending on the score. In the playoffs, however, teams limit their rotation to eight, maybe nine, players. So the next five players might not see the floor much, while some won't play at all, but depth is important if you're going to win a championship.
Which bench player would you pick?
Your bench can be constructed however you wish. Given you've already selected backups at each position, it's vital now to select players who can perhaps play multiple positions and step in and provide quality minutes in the event of injuries. The 12th player on your roster will, at the very least, play in a handful of games throughout the year and be counted on often in the second half of back-to-back games.
Which bench player would you pick?
The 13th player on your roster might not see the floor much throughout the year, but he could be valuable if your team suffers several injuries. Look at past championship teams like the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. While they were star-heavy, they also had veteran players take limited roles in pursuit of a championship. That's what you're looking for here.
Which bench player would you pick?
If your team stays healthy throughout the course of the season, your 14th man likely won't even see the court, except perhaps in the second half of a back-to-back or, if he's young, the coach might opt to give him valuable experience against lesser teams. The final two bench players really don't have that much of an impact on the team, but who you pick will tell a lot about your player evaluation skills.
Which bench player would you pick?
Your 15th bench player will probably spend the year in the G-League (previously the D-League) developing his skills and sitting at the end of the bench during each NBA game. If it isn't a young player you choose, it's best to have a specialist - either someone who can rebound the ball or someone who can come in and score in bunches. You definitely won't find a complete player with the 15th roster spot.
Which offensive style would you play?
Obviously, the offensive style your team plays will be tailored to its skills and abilities, but it's become clear there are certain offensive strategies that work best in today's NBA. The Golden State Warriors, for instance, employ a run and gun style similar to that of the early 2000s Phoenix Suns. There's a lot of passing, whereas some teams utilize zone offenses with heavy pick-and-roll usage.
What defense would you play?
There are two primary defensive styles used by coaches in the NBA and one is used far more extensively than the other. Man-to-man defense is self-explanatory in that players are responsible for covering the player at their respective position on the opposing team, while sliding to cover others in screens. Zone defenses typically involve players staying in a particular spot and moving in response to where the ball goes on offense.
Would one of your players date a Kardashian?
Now we get to the real fun part. It's no secret that the Kardashians like dating NBA players. Whether it's Kim, Khloe, or Kendall, NBA players such as Kris Humphries, Tristan Thompson, James Harden, and several others have been linked to members of the reality TV family. While the potential relationship can bring about publicity for your team, there's a reason people talk about the Kardashian Curse.
Would you prefer to play in Eastern or Western Conference?
If you regularly follow the NBA, you know which conference to pick here to make for an easier route to the NBA Finals. We won't give it away, but there's clearly a stronger conference and that has seemingly been the case for well over a decade. If your team played in that conference, it might make reaching the Finals a more difficult task; instead, take the shortcut and join what's regarded as the much easier conference.
What percentage of your shots would be three-pointers?
It's incredible how long it took NBA teams to realize the value of three-point shots. They're worth more than two-point field goals, naturally, so it stands to reason that the more three-point shots a team takes, the more successful they will be. However, it's not quite that simple. You need players that can knock down open three pointers, as well as a decent balance to keep opposing teams guessing.
Who would be your head coach?
While the players and offensive and defensive styles are important to winning a championship, it's the coach who brings everything together and keeps the players in line. The coaches below are all among the best in the league, but there at at least two with proven track records of leading teams to championships. If you regularly follow the NFL, it shouldn't be that difficult of a decision.
Who would be your assistant coach?
There are over one hundred assistant coaches in the NBA as some teams employ as many as four or five, so it's hard to know who is truly better than others. Some teams give their assistants more duties than others, such as running the offense or managing the defense, while others just use their assistants in support of the head coach's message. There are, however, several who are highly regarded among league executives.
Who would be your assistant coach?
We don't expect you to know all of the league's hundred-plus assistant coaches, but, as previously mentioned, there are several that are highly regarded throughout the league. And if you aren't aware of the coach or his accolades, go with the one who is part of a successful staff. For instance, one of the coaches on this list is a member of Greg Popovich's staff with the San Antonio Spurs. He also happens to be regarded as one of the best assistants in the league.
Who would be your assistant coach?
While a lot of teams do have more than three assistant coaches, we'll limit it to three, which is quite rare. For instance, the Denver Nuggets employ seven assistants, while others commonly employ five or six. As mentioned, it's hard to gauge exactly who does what, but some of the best assistants are those who have previous head coaching experience. There's a former head coach in this group. Can you spot him?
Which general manager would you pick?
We understand that by selecting all of your team's players, you are, in essence, the general manager, but let's pretend for a minute that you're instead the president and you're tasked with hiring a general manager to make player transactions throughout the regular season. Which current NBA executive would you trust to make the right decisions to improve your team?
