June 28, 201313 yr Wanted to post this here instead of the NBA room as thought it might get more views. Mods please move if deemed it should be. The GOAT conversation about Jordan got me to thinking. I believe Jordan is the GOAT, and being a Carolina fan that might make be a little biased. However, with that said, if I could create my own NBA team and I had the first pick and could pick from anyone in the history of the game...my first pick would NOT be MJ...it would be Magic Johnson. To me, Magic was/would be the biggest mismatch on the court and potentially the hardest to defend. There isn't another point guard in history that brought to the table what he did, with his size, strength, court awareness and passing skills. And to me, the NBA game in particular is all about creating the biggest mismatches on the court possible. He could also play/defend every spot on the floor if need be, and did so at times. I don't know if there was a more versatile player in the history of the game. He might not be the GOAT, but he would be my first pick and I would have the upper hand at that position EVERY game. Any in agreement?
June 28, 201313 yr Shaq or Wilt....A dominant big man makes the game so much easier on everyone else.
June 28, 201313 yr Shaq or Wilt....A dominant big man makes the game so much easier on everyone else. I agree, Wilt would be hard for any team to handle. See, I don't always disagree with you :lol2: Wilt vs Shaq would be awesome matchup...as would Hakeem vs Russell.
June 28, 201313 yr Author Shaq or Wilt....A dominant big man makes the game so much easier on everyone else. Ahhh, but here's the rub...Shaq negates Wilt, and or vice versa when they play each other. No one in my mind matches up with Magic at the point. With Magic I have the biggest potential mismatch most every time. In my scenario you just aren't picking your best 15 guys, you are drafting a team and have first pick. For most everyone picked I think you can find someone or even multiple someones to match up with them, or close to it. You pick Walt, somebody has Kareem; somebody has Barkley, somebody else has Malone; someone has Bird, the other team has Worthy. Name all the great point guards...Stockton, Thomas, Nash, Kidd...whoever you want to put there, and I think I take the matchup going into every game with Magic. I think he's the most "unique" player to have played the game.
June 28, 201313 yr 1 Wilt 2 Magic 3 Jordan 4 LeBron 5 Bird That would be my first 5 picks...Bird would end up leading scorer because he would just get in the gaps between everyone else and D would forget about him.
June 28, 201313 yr Ahhh, but here's the rub...Shaq negates Wilt, and or vice versa when they play each other. No one in my mind matches up with Magic at the point. With Magic I have the biggest potential mismatch most every time. In my scenario you just aren't picking your best 15 guys, you are drafting a team and have first pick. For most everyone picked I think you can find someone or even multiple someones to match up with them, or close to it. You pick Walt, somebody has Kareem; somebody has Barkley, somebody else has Malone; someone has Bird, the other team has Worthy. Name all the great point guards...Stockton, Thomas, Nash, Kidd...whoever you want to put there, and I think I take the matchup going into every game with Magic. I think he's the most "unique" player to have played the game. I agree with you about Magic, no other point really matches up with him. But in a game of All-Time greats LeBron picks up Magic at half court and has the speed and size to stay with him. Magic was often guarded by the other teams 2 or 3 and rarely matched straight up on other points.
June 28, 201313 yr LeBron would contain Magic....There's some others that could as well. Shaq and Wilt are unstoppable except against one another.
June 28, 201313 yr Author LeBron would contain Magic....There's some others that could as well. Shaq and Wilt are unstoppable except against one another. Got to disagree. There might be times he would do a better job against him in some games than others, no doubt, but no way to me he takes Magic out of his game most times. And remember, only one team can have Lebron. A Patrick Ewing or a Moses Malone come much closer to matching up with a Kareem or a Wilt...heck even players like a Bob Lanier or Artist Gilmore or Robert Parish or maybe even a NKY boy, Dave Cowens I'd take my chances with and not be outmatched as much as Magic would outmatch his matchups most nights.
June 28, 201313 yr Got to disagree. There might be times he would do a better job against him in some games than others, no doubt, but no way to me he takes Magic out of his game most times. And remember, only one team can have Lebron. A Patrick Ewing or a Moses Malone come much closer to matching up with a Kareem or a Wilt...heck even players like a Bob Lanier or Artist Gilmore or Robert Parish or maybe even a NKY boy, Dave Cowens I'd take my chances with and not be outmatched as much as Magic would outmatch his matchups most nights. Scottie Pippen contained Magic in the 91 Finals. Lebron is just as tall as Magic, more athletic than Magic, bigger than Magic and stronger than Magic. Lebron would handle Magic.
June 28, 201313 yr I'm taking Kobe first.MJ would just shut him down...or maybe just have Pippen guard him and take care of his light work for him.
June 28, 201313 yr MJ would just shut him down...or maybe just have Pippen guard him and take care of his light work for him. MJ isn't good enough to shut Kobe down.
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