A pass-first guard and an artist in the post: My perfect roster

Every NBA fan has their favorite ‘types’ of players. I’m talking stuff like a passing point-guard, or a slasher, or a big guy who can shoot. A type of skillset which defines a type of player, and the things that entice fans to want to watch that player.

Take Damian Lillard, for example. I’d describe Lillard as a ‘score first point-guard’. Dame’s main weapon is being able to score the basketball, in particular from deep, and his scoring is why fans primarily enjoy watching him.

If you look at LeBron James, you’ll see a more unique example. LeBron has often been described as a ‘point forward’, a small forward who is the primary ball handler, and must distribute the ball as well as looking to score. There aren’t many great point forwards, and none of them come near LeBron. We watch LeBron not only for his scoring ability and insane athleticism, but his ability to pass the ball; this season, he’s been distributing the ball a lot more, leading the league in assists.

So I thought to myself, why not compile my ‘perfect roster’- 5 position types I’d want on my team. I’m going starting 5, and I’ll identify a few NBA comparisons for each position type.

Pass first point guard

First up, the point guard. In this scenario, I want a pass first point guard to lead my team, mainly because I absolutely LOVE the best passers of the game. When I first got into the NBA, I spent hours on end watching passing mixtapes of Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo and in particular, Jason Kidd.

Being able to pull off an elite pass is such an impressive skill to me, and guys who rack up 10,11,12 assists along with the points, are valued so high in my eyes. I could write a whole other article about how much more valuable the assist is compared to the rebound, and why this needs to be addressed when discussing MVP candidates (@Giannis and LeBron).

This sort of pass man, this was the norm for Kidd. A master of the fast break, with eyes in the back of his head.

Rondo was another favorite, especially in his Celtics days. He was absolutely electric, and in my opinion, does not get enough credit for the success of that Celtics team. Even nowadays, in his pretty washed self on the Lakers, I still get hyped when throws back the years.

This is the sort of guy I want as my point guard. I want them looking to set up their teammates first, and to score just enough to keep the defense honest. Don’t worry too much about the three-pointer, nail them if you’re open, but don’t feel the need to look for it. Look for your big man, find your shooters, and keep it fun. I want at least one SportsCenter play per game.

Something along these lines.

I’m going to end each section with my 5 favorite players from the player type in question, so here are the point guards.

1. Jason Kidd
2. Rajon Rondo
3. Jason Williams
4. Magic Johnson
5. Steve Nash

Oh, and a highlight reel from these types of guys, because why not.

3-point shooter at the 2

All I want from my shooting guard here is shooting and defense. The Warriors are the most recent team to use a player like this on a championship team; Klay Thompson is perhaps the best 3&D guy of all time, and a perfect example of the player type I want here.

If we’re talking pure catch and shoot, three-point snipers from the SG position, Ray Allen is probably the only one to be mentioned in the same breath as Klay. Before his Miami and Boston days, Ray Allen was a scorer from all levels, but as he aged, Allen took on a smaller role on better teams. He was the shooter, and he was the best. Allen hit countless clutch shots from deep in his time, and was a key factor on championship teams. Those Celtics or LeBron’s Heat don’t go all the way without Ray Allen; his Game 6 shot vs the Spurs is definitely the best.

Klay on the other hand, is probably slightly more limited as a scorer, but brings A+ defense to the table, and in my perfect roster, that’s what I prefer. In playoff battles, Klay has often been given the toughest defensive task in games, and has usually played it to perfection. The Warriors dynasty was a dynasty for a number of reasons, and team defense was right up there.

Alongside Draymond, Klay was the strongest pillar behind this fact, whether it was checking a top 10 player, getting steals or deflections, or even blocking shots at the rim.

Oh, and he also has stuff like this in his bag.

So my shooting guard is looking to hit threes and defend to a high level. Don’t shy away from the odd back-door cut or screen, but I’m looking to my two guard to hit big shots when it matters, and maybe play some time in a 3-guard line-up.

My top 5:

1. Klay Thompson
2. Ray Allen
3. Dallas Mavs Jason Terry
4. Seth Curry (underrated defender)
5. JR Smith

Do it all Small Forward

Because of the way I’ve shaped my roster, this guy has to be able to do most things to a high level. Most importantly, he needs to be able to score at all levels, and because of my power forward (who we’ll get to), not be limited to post-play.

I want my small forward to be a slasher type, to cut and finish above the rim, but to shoot the three too, and space the floor well. For this reason, I can’t include Carmelo Anthony, one of my favorite ever players, let alone small forwards, as in his prime, he spent too much time in the post (for this team). If he’s my primary scorer, then sure Melo, go crazy, not many SF’s do it better than you, but for this team, he’s not the way forward.

Initially, Scottie Pippen fits a lot of my criteria’s here. One of the best defenders of all time, one of the best second guys on a championship team ever, an elite scorer, great athleticism. If I went with the Pippen comp, I wouldn’t go too far wrong. Another positive about Pippen is his trash talk, and his clear ‘want’ to disrespect people on a basketball court (see Patrick Ewing’s funeral below).

But for this team, I need spacing, I want more of a modern scorer. Pippen shot 32% from three for his career, and made just 0.8 threes a game. He’s elite sure, but I want a guy who’s a little comfier from deep. Think T-Mac, Paul Pierce, even Paul George. But there’s one guy ahead of the rest.

Step forward, Kevin Durant. Now, I played around with some other types before going with Durant, Larry Bird, for instance, but I don’t need a guy who needs too many touches. KD can give you 30 on 11 shots before you’ve blinked twice, and that’s just a regular night.

He is everything I want from my small forward- an elite shooter (from three and the mid-range), great ball control, elite rim finishing, athletic, can protect the rim, you name it. KD can do it all. He’ll hit shots when it matters, and here’s the thing, he doesn’t need the ball all that much. That’s the thing I love about him; if you want Kevin Durant to take over a ball game with the ball in his hands 24/7, he can do that, but he can take over a game and give you 40 barely touching it as well.

This game is the perfect example. 34 points, 13 shots, sharing the floor with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. KD will give you the business without even noticing, and that’s why he’s my small forward player type.

Top 5:

1. Kevin Durant
2. Tracy McGrady
3. Kawhi Leonard
4. Paul Pierce
5. Paul George

And finally, a Melo gif, because I refuse to write a section on my favorite small forwards and not include him.

Post-moves galore at PF

Here it is. My primary scorer. The player my team will be built around, a big, skilled and hungry power forward, who can live in the post and do as he pleases.

I mentioned earlier how I watched hours of passing point guards when I first got into the NBA. Well, who do you think they were passing to?? My other favorite type of player in the NBA, is a post-player, someone who’s got all the tricks in the book. I want my power forward fading away swishing jumpers, backing down his defender, maybe even a hook shot or two. My power forward is my go-to guy in the clutch (you can probably tell by now I’m a fan of the early 2000’s NBA, where each team had a passing point guard and a scorer down low).

So, which player am I looking at for this position? The options are endless, and the late 90’s/2000’s had an absolute ton to choose from. Kevin Garnett, whether in Minnesota or Boston, was an absolute force, and a big favorite of mine. Powerful, skillful and he got it done in the Finals.

Then there’s Karl Malone who, with John Stockton, fits the bill as a post-player who can effectively play with a pass first point guard. Malone was a true scorer, and one of the best to ever do it.

Charles Barkley never won a ring, but the numbers back him up as one of the best power forwards ever. From what I’ve seen, Chuck was one of the best bullies in NBA history, a double-double machine with an insanely long peak, and in theory, could barely be stopped (unlike his golf game).

But on this team, I want a power forward with a touch more finesse than the rest. My choice is simple: Dirk Nowitzki. One of my all-time favorites, Dirk highlights simply do not get old. His post-fade is probably the main reason I’m highlighting him as my example; I love a guy who has a famous go-to move, that just cannot be guarded. Dirk torched the NBA with his fadeaway for 20 years, and it earned him of the most valuable titles in NBA history.

With a player of Dirk’s size, skill and prowess, I just have so many ways to go in the clutch. Pick and pop with my point guard, you know Dirk is knocking down the mid-range. Give him the ball and clear out the post, I’m confident he’s getting me the bucket. He can probably space the floor better than any elite post-player, and that’s a huge option to have as well.

A player like Dirk is who I’m building around at the PF position- they’ll be my primary scorer, and my guy to look to down the straight.

Top 5:

1. Dirk Nowitzki
2. Kevin Garnett
3. Karl Malone
4. HM Tim Duncan (not mentioned above as he played too many minutes at center)
5. Charles Barkley

A skilled big (preferably European)

I’m kidding on the Euro part, but it feels like most Europeans who make it in the NBA are just insanley skilled. You’ve got Jokic and Sabonis, my two pillars, who are both absurd, but even at the other end, Milos Teodosic played like 60 games in the league, and had enough elite assists for an entire highlight reel. I mean, look at the state of this!

You’ve probably guessed the player type for my center. I pondered the thought of an all power kind of player, a Shaq, who can break a few rims for me. And while this is fun, and could also be a lob threat for my point guard, I simply couldn’t ignore my love for a skilled big man. Plus, I’ve got a KD type at the 3. I think I’m set for lob threats.

So my center is going to be extremley skilled, and needs to be able to pass the ball. Ideally, he can shoot too- I’m rolling out the modern big. So player types? As mentioned previously, Nikola Jokic and Arvydas Sabonis immediately come to mind. Jokic is astonishing, and his three-ball could give him the edge in this player type. Despite clearly being out of shape, Jokic toys with NBA defenses on a nightly basis, and walks his way to his average of 7 assists a game.

Sabonis however, is known by many as a ‘what could have been’ type player. After being drafted by the Trail Blazers in 1986, the Lithuanian didn’t end up playing for them until 1995. So, his first NBA game arrived when he was 31 years of age, and in his short amount of time in the NBA (7 seasons), Sabonis enjoyed 2 WCF trips, and alongside Scottie Pippen, almost took down the Shaq and Kobe Lakers, losing a famous Game 7. I have a genuine belief that if Sabonis had played 15+ years in the league, he’d now be considered a top 5 center, and one of the best to ever play the game.

Sabonis could shoot it too- he didn’t need to as much as Jokic- but he had the skill and ability to do so. Bill Walton is a potential candidate here too, as his passing led to titles in Portland and Boston. Walton, like Sabonis, had his NBA career cut short, and would probably be viewed a lot higher nowadays if it wasn’t for injuries.

I’m going to throw one more name in there, because I feel like I need a guy who’s stuck it out, and been there at the top. If we’re talking skilled bigs, then it would be criminal to leave out Hakeem. I’ve got Hakeem at #9 on my all-time top 10 list, and I his profile would fit in pretty perfectly with this team. As a natural passer, he’s probably not on the same level as Sabonis or Walton, but if we’re talking natural skill, then Hakeem is probably #1 for bigs.

So, my top 5:

1. Arvydas Sabonis
2. Hakeem Olajuwon
3. Nikola Jokic
4. Bill Walton
5. Pau Gasol

And that’s it! At PG, I’ve got a human highlight reel, a pass-first guy who’s always looking to go no-look, especially when it’s not at all necessary. At SG, think Klay Thompson, a lights out three-point shooter who can lock up your best player. At the SF position, I want a do it all scorer, who can rack up the points without needing to dominate the ball handling. Oh, and a big-time athletic dunker, preferably with some trash-talk at the end. At the PF spot, we have our primary scorer, a guy who we can feed in the clutch, with an iconic, unstoppable post-move to boot. Then at C, I’ve gone the skillful route, a passing big who beats his man with finesse instead of power.

Guaranteed a ring.