[TooNice4TVParticipant]

A list of possible players.

Chris Paul
Deron Williams
Lebron James
Kevin Durant
Carmelo Anthony
Derrick Rose
Dwight Howard
Chris Bosh
Amare Stoudemire
Chauncey Billups
Yao Ming
Kobe Bryant
Dwyane Wade
Rajon Rondo

[PlatypusParticipant]

is this as them as rookies or current age??? cuz if at rookie age Kobe all day

[apb540Participant]

Kevin Durant

[mgreener_34Participant]

Dwight. He can change the game in ways not even Kobe can. Give him a go to scorer and watch out.

[gregoden08Participant]

Pretty easy choice for me.

[TheWizardParticipant]

Lebron James. Can change the game in so many ways if when he is added onto a team. Score, Defend, Pass, etc.

[Snubs15Participant]

Right now id go with LBJ no questions.
But as rookies id take Kobe, he does it all and wins games in the clutch.

[Im Your FatherParticipant]

No questions asked.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Howard is overrated, he cant win a game for you, he can only help win. Kobe doesnt want to be “built around”, he has no “bulding” attitude. he wants his team to be built and competing for the Title or hes walking. LeBron is way to pre-madonna for me. If you want the best talent and proballly the best player go with Lebron, but he is taking over the whole orginization if he is being built around. Miami didn’t build around Lebron, they added him.

Durant is the perfect player to build around. He is a game changer and probally capable of averaging 35 ppg in the league. probally will one year like Kobe did. He is a team first person with a great attitude, and has natural leadership abillities. He is only gonna get betetr and while he may never be as good as Kobe or Lebron I think right now with his mindset he is a better player to build around.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

Next.

[McDunkin]

Current?
LBJ

If its from rookie year?
I would add Tim Duncan to your list and then pick him

[jeff416Participant]

If your talking about right now I would pick Durant.

If your talking about from there rookie year I would pick Kobe.

[JNixonParticipant]

Lebron James easily

[sammybuckeye13Participant]

Lebron.

[sc0rebuckets11Participant]

bron.

[VMAN25Participant]

IMO if i had to start a player right now it would be Kevin Durant

All players in that list during their rookie years it would be between Kobe or Duncan depends on the tempo of the game.

LeBron was put as a franchise player and could not win!

[Charlie SheenParticipant]

Rajon Rondo……..As a coach already I start at the point and he is a true PG then build from the inside out so I’d go Rondo

[Mr. 19134Participant]

B-Rabbit you gotta be joking right?

The guy I’m picking is only 26 still, can give you 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists a night along with 2 steals, and 1 block plus make his teammates better by giving them the ball in positions to score. The only other person I would consider is Durant.

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

I gave him a -1 just for even having Chauncey Billups.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

if i had to build a team around a player it’ll be lebron..

kobe would be 2nd..
3.dwight howard
4. wade
5. cp3
6.durant

but why are these folks saying they’ll take kobe as a rookie?

you guys must be about 15,16 or 17?

durant had a better year than kobe..
tyreke evans & brandon jennings had better rookie years..
even antoine walker had a better rookie year than kobe..
walker made the nba all rookie 1st team….
kobe made the 2nd team….

kobe averaged only 7 points his rookie year…

[omphalosParticipant]

I don’t see why everyone is still going with Lebron after Cleveland built their franchise around him and then failed to win a champioship. Pick James if you want the regular season record.

I’m going with Durant.

Keep in mind this isn’t just about the best player, its about loyalty, attitude and leadership. I honestly think Durant embodies these qualities the best, and being a freak physical specimen doesn’t hurt either.

[billykParticipant]

So you pick Durant who HASNT go out the 1st round.. Gemmie Lebron James.. Gotta pay your dues before you win a championship.. It took Jordan 7 years to win his 1st title..

[kingsfan1018Participant]

I’d go with Kobe because he is a proven winner … But if we’re talking current then I’d have to take Lebron .

[Im Your FatherParticipant]

They are picking him because he’s the obvious choice. They “built” a very mediocre team around him. Had he had a legit second option he would have a title by now. And he took his team pretty far by himself. Further than Durant has been able to take a team by himself so far. Stop downplaying his ability because you don’t like him. You NEED a solid 2nd all star option to win a Championship. Durant has that, Lebron never did. Lebron can score as many points as Durant and pass the ball extremely well and play defense.

LA “built their franchise around Kobe and surrounded him with excellent, all-star caliber talent in Gasol, Bynum and Odom. Durant all ready has a better supporting cast in Green and Westbrook than Lebron ever had. Are you suggesting that Lebron couldn’t have won a championship with Gasol, Bynum and Odom, not to mention Fischer who actually steps up in the playoffs unlike Mo Williams?

[yadskiiParticipant]

Lebron right now rookie year it don’t matter

[Toronto16Participant]

Dwight Howard.

[meisi4Participant]

okay guys first of all i get all the lebron arguments and i like most of em cause hes just the best player in league you cant argue that.
but i’m gonna give you my opinon here:
durant is right now my favorite player so from a fans perspective i would go with go with him but thats just me liking one guy better than the other.

but i think to build a franchise i would have to with dwight. before you start thinking hey Dwight isnt the best player on this list read on. He isnt the best ob your List but my argument would be that its much harder to find a good big than a good wing. because obviously you would want at least 5-7 good or at least decent players and there are more decent or good wings out there than Centers… if you sourround durant, James or Kobe with the same Level of talent they sure would be better than dwights team but i think to do so would be harder than around Dwight…

like to hear your opinions cause it aint the pick of my heart but i think the Argument makes some sence….

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

I don’t know if you guys realize this but Kobe sucked his rookie year trust me. Look at his all-time stats. He wasn’t even a household name when Shaq joined him! Shaq was, but not Kobe at least not yet.
So putting all that aside, I would build around Kevin Durant. l love this kid. He has heart. a team first player with a scorer’s mentality. He is so humble, it just amazes me. He is probably the NBA’s most beloved player. Ask anybody. He can do it all, Score, pass, play D, Block shots, grab rebounds play 2 positions maybe even 3. (2, 3 and the 4. Although he is best at the 3) And to top it all off, he is a team player. He cares more about his team then himself. When you think about it that pays huge dividends to build a team around someone and win not only games but Championships.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

LMAO! at these guys that have jumped on the Durant Bandwagon..

Durant is a major talent ..but he’s not as dominate as lebron right now..

Do you think Durant could’ve taken that 2007 Cavs team all the way to the Finals?

These folks that are raving about Durant…
remind me of the folks that a few years ago said McGrady was better than Kobe..

Becuz T-Mac was once doing the same things that Durant are doing now…

[omphalosParticipant]

This isn’t a debate about who is the best player, but who would be the best franchise player. As I said, that goes beyond simple “who is the best”. Lebron is the best player on the list barring Kobe, but Durant strikes me as the better franchise player.

Lebron’s attitude quite frankly sucks. He bought into his own hype, he lacks the killer instinct and his jumpshot isn’t the deadly weapon of either Durant or Kobe at this stage and he relies too much on his athleticism, which will fade with age. He jokes around and celebrates on the sidelines during the regular season but can’t deliver in the playoffs.

Durant isn’t just a great player, he’s a great person, and when I want a face of a franchise that is what I’m looking for. Someone people can relate to and who will give back and be loyal.

Basketball-wise, he already has a better jumpshot, his long arms give him potential to be a great defender, he isn’t so ball-dominant and he doesn’t rely so much on athleticism. Lebron’s quickness will fade, Durant is still going to have 7’5″ wingspan.

As far as not getting out of the first round yet, he’s in his third year and despite winning 50 games he had to face the defending champion Lakers. His Thunder also pushed them to 6 games. Give the kid a chance.

Yes, I don’t like Lebron, but doesn’t make my reasoning flawed.

[IKNOWEVERYTHING23Participant]

IF I COULD START A FRANCHISE RIGHT NOW I WOULD TAKE ARMON JOHNSON NO QUESTION!!!
THIS KID IS THE TOTAL PACKAGE:
HE PLAYS GREAT DEFENSE, HE GETS INTO THE PAINT WHENEVER YES I SAID WHENEVER HE WANTS!
MARK MY WORDS HE IS THE FUTURE!

[llperez]

dwilljazz, kobe did not suck his rookie year. Were you watching back then? He could have easily scored 18 a game if he went to bad team. He played behind 2 all-star gaurds in nick van exel and eddie jones. He had shaq as well as many other veterans like robert horry, byron scott and jerome kersey. He dropped 30 against jordan his rookie year and dominated the rookie game. He went to one of the better teams in the league was competing for a title and he wasnt given freedom from day one that most rookies that standout are. But anyone watching then could see how good he was.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

He isn’t the best player on the list and isn’t a great offensive player, but I’d choose Dwight Howard.

He’s a physical marvel, athletic freak of nature and he never gets hurt. His impact on the game is undeniable. Even with offensive limitations, he dominates the paint at both ends of the floor.

Surround him with a wing that can score and has a decent overall game, and the right role players… They’d be a dynasty.

[PureshooterParticipant]

I’d have to go with Lebron, despite the fact that he’s spoiled and arrogant. He’s the only guy on the list that I would consider an athletic freak, even by NBA standards, as well as extremely skilled all around.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

You don’t consider Dwight Howard an athletic freak, especially considering what he does at 6′ 11″?

[jdstormParticipant]

I think something to be taken into consideration is the systems and players that each of these stars need to play with in order to be successful. Im not just talking about big market teams with dollars, or the type of coach you might need. but finding players with skills that fit

While theres a lot of people hating on lebron right now. if the Cavs had played it smart last year, they could have had a much better team, as opposed to letting over 50 million come off the books in expiring contracts which would have gotten lebron almost his Ideal team mates. which consist of.
A Defensive Combo Guard who can play off the ball and shoot 3’s. A 2 guard who plays almost exclusively off the ball, can shoot 40% from 3. defense is a bonus. A PF with a good face up midrange game to avoid clogging the paintAn Athletic C who can run and block the occasional shot. These guys would be self motivated and not in awe of his star power. wouldn’t be afraid to carry the team on an off night.

the 09 cavs that could have been if they used their expirings wisely.
PG kirk Hinrich SG Kevin Martin SF Lebron PF Troy Murphy C Sam Dalembert

However if you were building around Kevin Durant. or Carmelo Anthony who are also small forwards you would need different types of players. You would have to have a PG as your number 2 guy, to make up for the difference in playmaking. With KD since he is probably closer to 6’11 you need to decide if or when he will move to PF. which will probably happen eventually. OKC has done a very good job of putting the right pieces in place.

now it becomes a question of Strategy. like do you take a QB first round in your fantasy draft. or Do you take the best RB availiable, because the next tier ofQB’s is better comparitively then the next tier of RBs.

personally i would choose KD, because he is the probably the best shooter, and at his height will always have an open shot. Also KD scores better in the flow of an offense then anyone else.

[PureshooterParticipant]

I definitely consider Dwight to be a freak athlete, but I don’t consider him to be a skilled player. As I said, Lebron is the only guy I consider to be both.

[gainsey15Participant]

If I can get Tim Duncan as a rookie give me him

[omphalosParticipant]

@jdstorm: I agree with most of what you said, but Lebron had almost his ideal team around him in Cleveland; an athletic C who runs and blocks in Varejao, a 2 guard who can shoot the three well and defend in Anthony Parker, a shooting PG who is more of a combo in Mo Williams.

The only thing that was missing was the PF which they acquired in Jamison midway through the season.

The Cavs actually did a great job of giving him all the tools to complement his particular style of play. Just another reason that Lebron isn’t the best franchise player available; he had far too much say in how the team was run, Mike Brown had no power. I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Byron Scott had been given the keys to that team.

KD will never move to PF, he’s a stick and has shown little interest in significantly bulking up.

@IndianaBasketball: Only reason I wouldn’t pick Dwight is because if he’s my franchise player, I want him on the court at the end of games contributing ala Ewing. Not the case with Dwight because he’s such a free throw liability. He can apparently shoot very well in training, but lacks the mindset for free throw shooting late in game.

[Snubs15Participant]

When we take kobe as a rookie were not taking him for that season.
You take him for what he eventually becomes which is the best player in the league lol.

[Im Your FatherParticipant]

You have to be joking about Cleveland being the ideal team for Lebron. I assure you that those were not the players that he would have chosen to play with. That’s the reasons he left Clevland. You don’t think that maybe he might have wanted to play with another superstar?

[joecheck88Participant]

im basing this off of having a fantasy draft and my team had the first pick. i would want an established player but not too old(26 or younger). there is a small list of players to consider, that list imo is(in no particular order)

lebron james
kevin durant
dwight howard
tyreke evans
deron williams
chris paul
derrick rose

most likely pick for me- kevin durant- just turned 22 established superstar, and humble yet killer attitude. he gets the nod over lebron for being about 5 years younger.

lebron is number 2 on my list because lets face it, he is the best all around player right now. if he had won a ring, it could be different.

3 would be dwight howard, i know people think he cant win games but he is a rock and that team will always be a contender with him. always.

and 4th would be derrick rose, young dynamic point guard with the scoring ability to win a game in the 4th quarter.

[OhCanada-Participant]

“He isn’t the best player on the list and isn’t a great offensive player, but I’d choose Dwight Howard.

He’s a physical marvel, athletic freak of nature and he never gets hurt. His impact on the game is undeniable. Even with offensive limitations, he dominates the paint at both ends of the floor.

Surround him with a wing that can score and has a decent overall game, and the right role players… They’d be a dynasty.”

Technically, I’m just saying technically…Isnt Vince Carter still able to score, and didnt Lewis play the wing at Seattle. I think in fact he played it so well Orlando gave him a max contract. Those are 2 scoring wings, who score…I mean V.C. and Rashard arent the type of guys you typically put on the floor to stop Kobe and Lebron…they are scorers, thats what they do, they score.

[omphalosParticipant]

Okay, should learn to elaborate. While they weren’t the ideal players, they were the type of players suggested by jdstorm as a recipe for Bron success. Just thought I’d point out that he had the right type of role players around him. I’m not sure someone like Lebron can co-exist with another legitimate superstar and still be the same player he was. Going to be interesting to see what happens to say the least.

[Jlv2010]

Durant.

[Jlv2010]

Durant.

[HotSnotParticipant]

I always thought the 2 hardest positions to fill on any team is Center and PG.

If I had to choose between the 2 positions I would likely start with the Center because genetically speaking they are much harder to find. If I was afforded all of the top centers over the last 15 years or so too choose from I’m sure I could come up with a prospect I liked enough to start my franchise off with. As for current or more recent players go, I’m still a big believer in Greg Oden. He’s still very young and I bet after a couple of healthy seasons all this injury talk will be a thing of the past. Freak injuries don’t make a player injury prone, they’re just bad luck. I truely believe a Healthy and well conditioned Greg Oden would demolish Dwight Howard. Yao Ming might have been worth considering but he really is injury prone. This is not a case of freak accidents hurting a career… his body just breaks under the stress of the NBA game.

As far as Center Prospects are concerned those are the top togs I’d likely select from for a #1 center pick. Things I’d look for in my Center… Defense, Offensive repetoire and one on one ability to score in isolation. FG and FT%. The ability to recogise a double team. Conditioning. Hustle. Play within the offense.

I’m left with comparing the top centers available to the top PG’s available to run my team.

Obviously Deron Williams and Chris Paul start off the conversation. There are quite a few quality PG’s too choose from and I’d be looking for one with no holes in his game. My criteria would be 3pt shooting, free throw shooting and FG%. Assists of a productive nature (not those cheapo stat padding dump offs where very little creativity took place). Rebounding, steals, defensive on the ball preasure, leadership, offensive creativity, shot selection.

Westbrook, Rondo, Nash, Billups, Rose all appear to be slightly inferior to Williams and Paul in one or more categories… thats not to say they are not fantastic players I wouldn’t be interested in having on my team but the criteria is who would I want to start my team with….

When comparing a peak Deron Williams against a peak Chris Paul… I’d have to take Chris Paul. Williams is getting better and better but Paul just has this Savy nature with which he plays the game. The cat is just different. Its evident in nearly everything he does and he manages to pickup quite a few tripple doubles along the way at only 6ft1. He is deceptively quick, changes speed well and is built with a sturdy frame. His shooting is certainly excellent but its not in Steve Nash territory… then again thats what my SG would be for.

The one player who I’d have to see more of to make this PG selection final would be Stephen Curry. I love his game. He is another Chris Paul type who plays the game differently then other players on the floor and makes his teammates better. I know contemplating Curry over Paul sounds ludicris right now but maybe after another season or 2 the comparison might not sound so outlandish.

As it stands my grouping to start my franchise with would be Paul, Williams, Curry and Oden… with Howard close by.

I could go for the proven commodity which would be Paul or Williams or go based on potential like every GM in the league seems to do…

I think I’d take a flyer on Curry… Its the shooting, passing, play making ability, creativity etc etc, Go big or go home.

PS

Can you believe PHX could have had Curry and Randolph plus change for Stoudamire? PHX should have pulled the trigger but they’re stubborn… much like N.O.’s and Den are and T.O was. (Obviously Cle. was never gonna trade Lebron with the best record in basketball and being a native son of the city). Here’s hoping N.O.’s and Den. have learned that painful lesson from PHX and T.O. and get something for their stats.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

@OhCanada-

I don’t understand your post… Vince Carter is old and washed up.

IF I’m starting my franchise with Dwight Howard as a rookie, I obviously wouldn’t pair him up with this current version of Carter. IF we’re talking about building a franchise, I’d obviously surround Howard with other young players he could grow with, etc.

[PlatypusParticipant]

Kobe might have sucked but look at what he’s done in his career stats dont lie

5× NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010)
2× NBA Finals MVP (2009–2010)
NBA Most Valuable Player (2008)
12× NBA All-Star (1998, 2000–2010)
2× NBA scoring champion (2006–2007)
8× All-NBA First Team (2002–2004, 2006–2010)
2× All-NBA Second Team (2000–2001)
2× All-NBA Third Team (1999, 2005)
8× All-Defensive First Team (2000, 2003–2004, 2006–2010)
2× All-Defensive Second Team (2001–2002)
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1997)
3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009)
NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner (1997)
Naismith Prep Player of the Year (1996)

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

^^^ That’s probably my favorite highlight reel right there.

Green, Durant, Prince, Hamilton, LeBron, Wade, Brook Lopez, Hinrich, Iguodala, Okafor, Artest, Battier, Yao, Kidd, Deron Williams, Kenyon Martin, Dahntay Jones, Gay, JR Smith, Billups, Shaq, Mayo, AK47, Baron Davis, Jermaine O’Neal … He embarrased damn every rellivant name in the league in 10:42.

[HitsterParticipant]

If you take age into it then I’d go:-

1. LeBron
2. Dwight Howard
3. Devin Durant
4. Chris Paul
5. Derrick Rose

Disregarding age then Kobe would be number 1.

[Demarcus OnealParticipant]

Lmao Kobe didnt suck his rookie year, he didnt play he put 7 points in 15 minutes, while backing up an all star in Eddie Jones. He also missed the training camp that year with a broken wrist so he was already behind the learning curve. As well as his coach Del Harris not being very fond of Bryant and his one one type of game play.

[Author]

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