[HitsterParticipant]

With the Nets adding Griffin and Aldrige it reminded me of a random topic I ran a few years back. Looking at team rosters and imagine if the current rosters were all at their peak. This would give the Nets a franchise level starting 5 of Irving, Harden, KD, Griffin and LMA with DeAndre Jordan at all star level leading the bench.
Also Clippers would have peak/current PG13, Kawhi, DMC and Rondo to lead their line up.
The Lakers would have LBJ, AD, Drummond and Marc Gasol at their peaks so there you have 3 fun line ups.
Other great historic peak line ups which spring to mind is 2013 Heat title time – the LBJ, D-Wade, Bosh big 3 with a fantasy peak Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Shane Battier, Howard, Haslem etc
The Spurs team from that era with Duncan, Ginobli still at their peaks to compliment Tony Parker and Kawhi also looks competitive.

The 2011/12 Celtics with the Big 3 – KG, PP and Ray Allen at their peaks in fantasy along with Rondo and a fantasty peak Shaq and JO was the line up which started the original thread many years ago.

Also the 2005/06 Heat title winners throw in D-Wade with a peak Shaq, Mourning and Peyton alongside that supporting cast.
A peak Kareem with the Showtime Lakers was another suggestion from back in the day too.

Any more line ups under this criteria which spring to mind?

[OhCanada-Participant]

Whoa thats crazy to think about you bring up a good point.

Heres a question for that Brooklyn team. Who comes off the bench in their prime?

[BothTeamsPlayedHard-Participant]

It might be the 1997 Bulls. Imagine pre-knee injury Ron Harper, 1992 MJ (peak athleticism plus the strength and rounded out game), pre-back injury Pippen (1994-ish), Kukoc, Pistons era Rodman, and at center you would have the combination of prime Bison Dele and Robert Parish. Plus, Kerr’s and Buechler’s primes were directly correlated to whatever year allowed them to be wide open, and they would be open.

[2quick4uParticipant]

Definitely that’s THE TEAM.
A prime Rodman and a prime Parish instead of Longley would have just been too much..

[RUDEBOY-Participant]

Interesting topic….There will be some nights when guys like blake & aldridge on r their game…la has played well since arriving in brooklyn…

During my Lifetime here r a Couple of other Times former all stars joined teams;

Lakers adding Nash,Dwight & jamison in 2012-13..In his prime nash would’ve been the perfect backcourt mate for Kobe..Jamison would’ve made a great 6th man..Dwight and Kobe wouldnt have gotten along in their primes nor as kids on the playground….

boston adding former all stars bill walton & scott wedman to an already star studded lineup in 1985..in their prime walton wouldve been the starter over parish…or would they had mchale coming off the bench and walton at the 4?

[HitsterParticipant]

Great calls, the Bulls teams being even stronger is scary and the Lakers from 2012 is one I’d forgotten about. The 1999 or 2003 Spurs with the Big 3 all at their peaks and David Robinson at his peak too was another I’d forgotten.and the Suns in late 2000’s – Stat, Shaq, Nash, Grant Hill etc.

I’d figure Nets would start Harden, Irving, KD, Griffin, Aldridge with DeAndre Jordan as 6th man but the bigs would be rotated a fair bit. Also Jeff Green to factor in.

[2quick4uParticipant]

1. BULLS ’97: this Bulls team won 72 games the year before breaking the wins record and 69 that year, winning the following a consecutive 3 peat and absolutely changing the way the game of basketball was played for ever and giving birth to modern basketbal, as it was the Bulls not GSW, the ones that introduced the position-less basketball and the “small ball” with a “death line up” with Rodman as C (getting rid of traditional C position) while introducing the full-time Point-Forward figure with Pippen (getting rid of the traditional PG position) and also the figure of the 7′ footer shooting triples and spreadind the floor in Kukoc…
So now imagine this same team with a prime Rodman, a prime Harper and… a prime R.Parish instead of Longley… SICK

2. SPURS ’12: this Franchise lead by Duncan has the best winning % in the history of the game, both in RS and NBA Finals… Duncan is the only player in NBA history to win Titles in 3 different decades, wether defeating prime Shaq-Kobe in early ’00’s, the Bad Boys II in mid ’00’s or late in his career defeating the super big 3 of a prime Lebron while Duncan being 38yo…
So if a 38yo Duncan was able to sweep prime Lebron by the largest margin in Finals history, what would it look like those Spurs with not only a prime Duncan, but also a prime Kawhi, Manu, Parker, R.Jefferson, S.Jackson, D.Green, B.Diaw and P.Mills? NASTY

3. GSW ’16: if MJ and the Bulls changed the game of basketball forever, it was Curry and the Warriors whom re-shaped it, as S.Kerr (former Bulls) copied the same principles but adapted to the new rules and times, taking what the Bulls introduced to new highs thanks to the 3 point line and the fast Pace that added a new dimension to the game… thereby not only they broke the previous wins record with 73, but they also introduced the Point-Center position with D.Green, while spreading the floor to “half court” and sharpening the position-less basketball and the efficiency of the game to levels unseen…
Now imagine that same team with a prime Klay and Draymond (only 25 at that time), plus primes Bogut, Iggy, H.Barnes, Barbosa, and Varejao…WOW

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

People forget this but the 2013 spurs actually signed a very washed up Tracy McGrady for the playoffs. They could have theoretically thrown a five man group of Parker, manu, T-Mac, kawhi and Duncan on the floor.

The 2018-19 version of the warriors with steph, klay, Durant, draymond, cousins and igoudala definitely deserve a mention as well.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

I’m a little surprised the 72′ champion Lakers haven’t been mentioned. They had Elgin Baylor – the generic version. If he were prime that would be pretty crazy. But then you can do this with a lot of Lakers teams. Before the Bulls were champions, they had George Gervin’s old shell of himself play with super young Jordan. Yikes! Wonder how that could’ve worked out.

[2quick4uParticipant]

Well actually when that first big 3 of LA joined forces in 1969, Chamberlain and West were in their absolute primes and Baylor was 34 but averaged 25pts/10rb5ast and was Top 5 in MVP voting but still, they lost the NBA Finals again against a very old BOS team that barely made playoffs led by a 35yo Russell that was playing his last season in the league and whom by the way put an absolute defensive clinic in those Finals leaving Chamberlain with 11’7ppg…

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

good point, but then you would not quite have Gail Goodrich who was huge for that team.

[raybeasParticipant]

03-04 Lakers – Kobe Shaq Malone Payton
85-86 Celtics – Replace “old” Bill Walton with “peak” Bill Walton and they might go undefeated

[2quick4uParticipant]

Yes i really like those Celtics, but not sure about those Lakers..

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

The 99-00 blazers could be a sneaky pick here. The idea that they would have a peak pre-NBA version of arvydas sabonis is terrifying. Besides that their top 7 players would all be guys who were all-star level players and everyone in their 12 man rotation would be at least a quality nba starter.

PG Damon Stoudemire
SG Steve Smith
SF Scottie Pippen
PF Rasheed Wallace
C Arvydas Sabonis

Bench
F Jermaine O’Neal
F Detlef Schrempf
G Gary Grant
G Bonzi Wells
F Brian Grant
F Stacy Augmon
G Greg Anthony

[2quick4uParticipant]

yes that team would be interesting, especially because of a young Sabonis..
Another interesting team would be Houston ’97 with prime Hakeem, Barkley and Drexler plus K.Willis and E. Johnson..

[2quick4uParticipant]

Add Sixers ’86 with primes Dr.J, M.Malone, Barkley, B.McAdoo, B.Jones and M.Cheeks,.

[Author]

Posts