This brings pain and shame to my great name, but I would start with a healthy Shaq. If his toes and whatever don't heel, I deal him and go get Duncan.The Bulls proved you can win championships without a great big man. All you have to do is go get MJ, Pippen & Rodman. As a GM, I don't have time for all that nonsense.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Joey F:</div><div class="quote_post">This brings pain and shame to my great name, but I would start with a healthy Shaq. If his toes and whatever don't heel, I deal him and go get Duncan.The Bulls proved you can win championships without a great big man. All you have to do is go get MJ, Pippen & Rodman. As a GM, I don't have time for all that nonsense.</div>That is the thing with Shaq, he is constantly injured and, to make things worse, milks those injuries as long as possible. When teamates question your leadership you know there is something wrong. And the Bulls has Rodman, a VERY good Big Man.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Purple N Gold:</div><div class="quote_post">lol. LeBron isn't a leader who can single handedley carry a team YET. He's young and has all the time in the world to grow, but if you were going to pick a guy with the style of play like LeBron, you have to go to J-Kidd. I agree with Rudeezy on this one. TD is the perfect player to build around, I would say Kobe but I don't think he can carry a team like Duncan does. Same goes with players like VC and T-Mac. Shaq is cool, but he's getting old and injuries are killing him. It sounds like your just saying LeBron and cutting all the other great players out. About putting "finishers/shooters around him" statement, I don't think your getting the point of this. Think of it like a fantasy draft, stars just don't keep coming and coming. Next player you will would probably be a good player, but when we say build around it means a leader who can step up now and CARRY a team. LeBron cannot do that yet. I've seen all this about keeping it clean, don't take it as a "diss", just stating my opinion.</div> Valid points, but also it depends on what your definition of building a team is? If I wanna win a championship straight away, then sure - I'll take Kidd or Duncan or whatever. But if I wanna build a franchise from the groud up, hopefully create a dynasty, I take 'Bron cos he's only 18 and is already showing the tools of mega-stardom. He's shown nothing that would discourage me from picking him ahead of a lot of superstars, unless the rule is I have to be the best right away. I don't think that's what building a franchise is all about.
Depends, if you want your team to be an automatic playoff team, it would be Shaq. If you want your team set for the future, you would go with KG. Or if you want a guy that will make others around him better, you go with Duncan. Or if you want to start a franchise with a good point man, I would pick Jason Kidd. It all depends on what you want to do. Personally, I would pick Shaq, I would love a spot at the finals right off the bat.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting purehoops:</div><div class="quote_post">Kevin Garnett. Why? I am biasted to the best rounded player in EVERY SINGLE ASPECT of the game.</div> You know I love Garnett also, but he hasn't proven that he can get past the first round. This coming from one of the biggest Wolves fans, also. He would be my second choice, he is the best all around player in the league, and he will prove his worth later on, but as of right now, I will pick Shaq.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting twolvefan11:</div><div class="quote_post">You know I love Garnett also, but he hasn't proven that he can get past the first round. This coming from one of the biggest Wolves fans, also. He would be my second choice, he is the best all around player in the league, and he will prove his worth later on, but as of right now, I will pick Shaq.</div> Agreed. That's why Duncan gets the nod over KG, he would have been the next guy I picked. Though I think every year KG does all he can do to get them out of the 1st round, and they keep falling short.
I would either take KG or TD- for the simple fact that they're both a rare breed of big men who can do almost everything. The only knock on KG is that he hasn't taken his Wolves team deep into the playoffs, and if he fails to do so this season, he will be classified as a very good player who never quite made the transition into greatness because of his playoff failures.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting J-MAC:</div><div class="quote_post">Kevin Garnett or Baron Davis</div> Nice point out with Baron Davis, but I wouldn't take him over Duncan, KG, Shaq, players like that. B Diddy has shown whatever you need from him, that he will deliver. Mashburn gone, he knows he needs to score, he goes out and does it, and still gets it to his teammates.
Maybe I am not seeing things clearly, but it seems like KG gets blamed a lot for the T Wolves not getting past the first round. If it were not for him single-handedley putting that team on his back every year and carrying them from coast to coast, they would never get to the first round of WEST playoffs. Maybe the guy is spent by then. If I can't get Shaq or Duncan, I take KG or Kidd then. I need a player with smarts, heart and is a competitor every night and KG is precisely that. No bust on you twolvefan11 or anyone else. I can imagine it's rough seeing them play so well, just to get eliminated before their time.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Purple N Gold:</div><div class="quote_post">Nice point out with Baron Davis, but I wouldn't take him over Duncan, KG, Shaq, players like that. B Diddy has shown whatever you need from him, that he will deliver. Mashburn gone, he knows he needs to score, he goes out and does it, and still gets it to his teammates.</div> I would take Baron Davis over shaq because of age.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting J-MAC:</div><div class="quote_post">Kevin Garnett or Baron Davis</div>Don't just post names...give us some reasons why. It adds to the discussion.
<u>Top 10 List</u> 10. Jermaine O'neal--Easily one of the top 10 players in league. 9.Dirk Nowitzki-- Who can guard him? Didn't think so. 8.Tracy Mcgrady--Phenomonal player, but has not carried his team this year nor has he passed the 1st round 7.Vince Carter--Has proven himself by carrying this Raptors team. 6.Jason Kidd-- He makes everybody else on the court better. 5.Shaq-- Most Dominant player in the game today. 4.Kevin Garnett-- Best all around game in the league.He can post up and hit the J 3.Kobe Bryant-- Makes comparisons to MJ, great all-around player and has the skills to carry a team to the playoffs. 2.Tim Duncan--League MVP, need i say more? 1.Lebron James--Is already a star in this league at 18 years old and is one of the most popular players in the NBA, will sell many seats and get you "W"s
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Joey F:</div><div class="quote_post"> No bust on you twolvefan11 or anyone else. I can imagine it's rough seeing them play so well, just to get eliminated before their time.</div> I know he hasn't had a supporting cast before, I've been through it, and I know without him the Wolves wouldn't even have a prayer for the playoffs, but he is not helping his cause by not being well above .500 WITH a supporting cast. If Garnett leads the Wolves past the first round this year, he will be my pick to start a franchise around.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting ObieCent:</div><div class="quote_post"><u>Top 10 List</u> 1.Lebron James--Is already a star in this league at 18 years old and is one of the most popular players in the NBA, will sell many seats and get you "W"s</div> While I agree he will put fans in your seats, he has yet to prove to me that he can lead a team to victory. Sure, he is putting up outstanding stats for a rookie, but I wouldn't pick him over Duncan, Garnett, Shaq, even Jermaine O'Neal.
Well that is the pick twolvefan11, for the future. To say at this point he has not proven he can lead a team is, well funny. To say he will never do it is also a laugher. Just because it has taken KG so long to get out of the first, but if he would do it this year then you would take him, which means that Bron has plenty of time which I would not be worried about. KG would be my 2nd pick, I feel this is his MVP season, he is playing better than anyone else in my opinion. So I came out and said it, KG is the best player in the NBA.
Y'all know I'm gonna stick with my man J-Kidd. He took a lottery team to the playoffs (back2back). Too bad they had to face powerhouses. He makes the whole team look better. Also, his triple doubles prove his overall greatness. If I have to choose for a big man, KG. Just like Kidd with his all around game.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting twolvefan11:</div><div class="quote_post">You know I love Garnett also, but he hasn't proven that he can get past the first round. This coming from one of the biggest Wolves fans, also. He would be my second choice, he is the best all around player in the league, and he will prove his worth later on, but as of right now, I will pick Shaq.</div> Got news for you... when has Shaq played a full season heathly. The guy is getting older and more injury prone each and every year. If you wear buliding a team you would have to judge on personal sucess and not team sucess. Shaq has obviously had more team sucess because he has had more to work with. Who is to say if Garnett had the same to work with he would have the same sucess.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting twolvefan11:</div><div class="quote_post">While I agree he will put fans in your seats, he has yet to prove to me that he can lead a team to victory. Sure, he is putting up outstanding stats for a rookie, but I wouldn't pick him over Duncan, Garnett, Shaq, even Jermaine O'Neal.</div>That is exactly the point I am trying to get across. Lebron has done good things but we are not even at the mid point yet. He hasn't shown he can lead a team yet, he hasn't proven much of anything besides the fact that he belongs in the NBA IMO. I'd let him prove himself before I start building a team around him.
