Recently, I had the privilege of participating in the #AllTimeNBADraft with 19 other basketball historians, the details of which can be found here. To recap, every player in NBA and ABA history was eligible to be drafted, and once selected, that individual was ineligible to be selected by any other team. We were also assessing peak value, so we had to select one season of that player’s career, with a maximum of four seasons per decade. Here are my selections:
My starting point guard was the team’s first selection (pick 15), ‘The Big O’ Oscar Robertson. While many identify him with the ’61-62 season, when he averaged a triple-double, I selected his sole MVP season, ’63-64, when he led the league in assists per game, free throw percentage, and offensive win shares, and carried the Royals to 55 wins. Oscar was able to punish the smaller guards of the 60s with his physicality (standing at 6’5” and weighing 205 pounds), but his skillset would translate to any era, and he’s as good as any lead guard in this draft. He’s joined in the starting backcourt by the 1982-83 Defensive Player of the Year, Sidney Moncrief. As heralded as Moncrief was on defense, he actually led the league in Offensive Box Plus/Minus that year, and is one of six players on the team with a 60 percent true shooting percentage in their selected year. Both starters can handle the ball, post up, and Moncrief’s athleticism will allow him to guard the opposing team’s best perimeter player. Chauncey Billups, the team’s first selection off the bench, is another do-it-all guard who can play with either of the starters. In 2007-08, Billups shot 40.1 percent from three on 4.4 attempts per game, and his great shooting, low usage, and high efficiency make him an essential part of the lineup. Michael Redd, who shot 39.5 percent from three on 5.2 attempts per game in ’05-06, will be tasked with standing in the corner and creating space for all of this team’s great mid-range and low-post options. While he’s the team’s most natural shooting guard, he’ll play sparingly due to the versatility of the other guards. Derek Harper, the team’s fifth guard, is another all-around gem can play both guard positions and shoot from long-range, while also serving as an ace defender (selected to the All-NBA Defensive 2nd team in ’89-90 when he averaged 2.3 steals per game).
The starting forwards are two unstoppable forces who should provide great balance to the guard rotation. James Worthy, who can play either forward position, will start off at small forward. His athleticism made him one of the game’s greatest finishers, and in his selected season, ’85-86, it translated to a 57.9 percent shooting percentage and a 61.3 percent true shooting percentage, all while maintaining a low usage percentage for a player of his caliber (22.6 percent). Dirk Nowitzki, the starting power forward, achieved the shooter’s Holy Grail (50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three point range, 90 percent from the foul line) in his ’06-07 campaign, when he won the league’s MVP award and led the Mavericks to 67 wins. Unfortunately, that season is best known for his team’s first-round flameout against the Golden State Warriors, but his remarkable efficiency and shooting prowess will perfectly complement Worthy and the other starters. While Worthy received the starting nod, this team will also have the option of starting all-around stud Bob Dandridge when facing high-scoring wings. Dandridge was a premier defender, who helped lead the Bullets to the NBA Finals in his selected season, when he made the All-NBA Defensive 1st team, while averaging 20.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 4.7 APG. Bernard King is the bench’s best scorer, with remarkable efficiency (57.2 percent shooting percentage and 61.9 percent true shooting percentage) and a proven ability to score under pressure (a league-leading 34.8 PPG and 27.6 PER in the ’84 playoffs). Dan Roundfield, the backup power forward, was another first-team All-NBA defender who also averaged a double-double and made the All-NBA 2nd team in his selected season (’79-80). The deep forward roster allows this team to play small (with Worthy at power forward), play for offense (with King and Nowitzki), play for defense (with Dandridge and Roundfield) or mix and match depending on the opponents’ strengths and weaknesses.
The great Willis Reed will man the middle as the team’s starting center. In his standout ’69-70 season, he won every MVP award (regular season, finals, and all-star game), while earning All-NBA Defensive 1st team honors and leading the league in defensive win shares. He also provided one of the greatest highlights in sports history that year, and gives this team toughness, physicality, and leadership. The backup big men provide a mix of rim protection (Jermaine O’Neal) and offensive efficiency (Brad Daugherty), depending on the matchup. Daugherty, a remarkably efficient offensive force, led the league with a .635 true shooting percentage in the ’92-93 season, and did not dominate the ball to achieve this mark (21.1 usage percentage). O’Neal is the team’s best rim protector, who can complement Nowitzki or partner with Roundfield to provide maximum defensive resistance to opponents.
A team with this much talent needs a coach who can alter the rotation based on matchups, keep players engaged, and command respect in the locker room. Rick Carlisle is a remarkably adaptable coach who always finds a way to put his teams in the best position to succeed. He’s aided by the fact that this team is full of high-character individuals who weren’t known for creating problems. On a team where the talent discrepancy between many starters and bench players is negligible, he’s an ideal coach who will help them compete against any opponent.
