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Because a lot of the best players in NBA history were skilled enough to play multiple positions at the same time, having players who "fit" a particular position to me isn't that important.
First Unit (not necessarily the five best players):
PG/SG/SF: Michael Jordan
PG/SF/PF: Magic Johnson
SF/PF: Larry Bird
PF/C: Tim Duncan
C: Wilt Chamberlain
This unit would have two great passers (Magic and Bird) and two good passers for their position (Jordan and Duncan), two primary ballhandlers plus a third ballhandler in the half court offense (Magic, Jordan, Bird), five plus rebounders for their positions, and three great defenders (Jordan, Duncan, and Chamberlain). They'd also have no problems playing a post-up game on offense while not being tied to a post-up game on offense (assuming you're talking about a mid-career Wilt Chamberlain and not an early career version of the Big Dipper).
Second Unit:
PG/SG/SF: Oscar Robertson
PG/SG/SF: Scottie Pippen
PG/SG/SF/PF: LeBron James
PF/C: Bill Russell
C: Hakeem Olajuwon
This team might be among the greatest defensive teams of all-time in featuring all-time greats for their position in Pippen and Russell (who obviously was a center but could play in a power forward or dual center alignment in this lineup) and two other guys not far behind them in LeBron and Olajuwon. It also features three primary ballhandlers (Oscar, Pippen, and LeBron), great passers relative to their position in Robertson, Pippen, LeBron, and Russell, and excellent rebounders relative to position at every position. It would be a bit weak in the post-game offensively but otherwise would be one awesome team.
I should note I consider some guys on the second team (notably LeBron James and possibly Bill Russell) among the five greatest players of all-time, and I'd pick LeBron before I'd pick Bird or Magic (or Tim Duncan for that matter) when picking individual players. However, I'm trying to pick teams that would work well together, and having Magic and LeBron on the same unit would be redundant. Additionally, it would probably be better to pair Jordan with a somewhat lower scoring and more passing oriented guard like Magic than a guy like Robertson who controlled the ball a little more often or a guy like LeBron who does the same kind of things Magic does but scores more. Finally, it seems appropriate that Magic and Bird are on the same unit.
My apologies to guys like Kareem, Kobe Bryant, Dr. J, Jerry West, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Shaq, and maybe Isiah Thomas; they'd all be candidates for the Third Team (though I'd have to move one of the guys who can handle the ball and act as the PG to this team if Thomas wasn't included on the team).
What do I need Bryant for when I already have Jordan doing the same thing on a higher level? Bird gives you more length, assists, rebounds, and hussle.
Yeah, that's my thinking too, plus Kobe dominates the ball a little too much for a shooting guard/small forward. Besides, most of the guys on an all-time team are excellent defensive players, and they could cover up the average defense of someone like Larry Bird, or Magic Johnson for that matter.
Because a lot of the best players in NBA history were skilled enough to play multiple positions at the same time, having players who "fit" a particular position to me isn't that important.
First Unit (not necessarily the five best players):
PG/SG/SF: Michael Jordan
PG/SF/PF: Magic Johnson
SF/PF: Larry Bird
PF/C: Tim Duncan
C: Wilt Chamberlain
This unit would have two great passers (Magic and Bird) and two good passers for their position (Jordan and Duncan), two primary ballhandlers plus a third ballhandler in the half court offense (Magic, Jordan, Bird), five plus rebounders for their positions, and three great defenders (Jordan, Duncan, and Chamberlain). They'd also have no problems playing a post-up game on offense while not being tied to a post-up game on offense (assuming you're talking about a mid-career Wilt Chamberlain and not an early career version of the Big Dipper).
Second Unit:
PG/SG/SF: Oscar Robertson
PG/SG/SF: Scottie Pippen
PG/SG/SF/PF: LeBron James
PF/C: Bill Russell
C: Hakeem Olajuwon
This team might be among the greatest defensive teams of all-time in featuring all-time greats for their position in Pippen and Russell (who obviously was a center but could play in a power forward or dual center alignment in this lineup) and two other guys not far behind them in LeBron and Olajuwon. It also features three primary ballhandlers (Oscar, Pippen, and LeBron), great passers relative to their position in Robertson, Pippen, LeBron, and Russell, and excellent rebounders relative to position at every position. It would be a bit weak in the post-game offensively but otherwise would be one awesome team.
I should note I consider some guys on the second team (notably LeBron James and possibly Bill Russell) among the five greatest players of all-time, and I'd pick LeBron before I'd pick Bird or Magic (or Tim Duncan for that matter) when picking individual players. However, I'm trying to pick teams that would work well together, and having Magic and LeBron on the same unit would be redundant. Additionally, it would probably be better to pair Jordan with a somewhat lower scoring and more passing oriented guard like Magic than a guy like Robertson who controlled the ball a little more often or a guy like LeBron who does the same kind of things Magic does but scores more. Finally, it seems appropriate that Magic and Bird are on the same unit.
My apologies to guys like Kareem, Kobe Bryant, Dr. J, Jerry West, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Shaq, and maybe Isiah Thomas; they'd all be candidates for the Third Team (though I'd have to move one of the guys who can handle the ball and act as the PG to this team if Thomas wasn't included on the team).
Alcindor and Stilt are just as good (if not better) at defense than Olajuwon, and with them ultimately being much better players, it boggles my mind as to how you'd put him over them in any instance
Alcindor and Stilt are just as good (if not better) at defense than Olajuwon, and with them ultimately being much better players, it boggles my mind as to how you'd put him over them in any instance
Uh, look at the first team for Chamberlain. As for Jabbar, he was a little too passive on the boards and not quite as good of a defender as Olajuwon IMO. Kareem was a better offensive player (both as a scorer and a passer) than Olajuwon. For the unit I put Olajuwon on, you need a center who can run the floor, and IMO Olajuwon could do that a little better than Kareem.
If it makes you feel any better, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was definitely the guy I felt worst about leaving off the two teams. If one of the teams could have three centers, I would have replaced Pippen with Kareem, but such a team wouldn't be as effective IMO.
Uh, look at the first team for Chamberlain. As for Jabbar, he was a little too passive on the boards and not quite as good of a defender as Olajuwon IMO. Kareem was a better offensive player (both as a scorer and a passer) than Olajuwon. For the unit I put Olajuwon on, you need a center who can run the floor, and IMO Olajuwon could do that a little better than Kareem.
If it makes you feel any better, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was definitely the guy I felt worst about leaving off the two teams. If one of the teams could have three centers, I would have replaced Pippen with Kareem, but such a team wouldn't be as effective IMO.
I missed peak Alcindor (pre-'73), but I saw him from 75 on, and I tell you he was every bit the defender "Dream" was, probably even better. And he was as quick as any center I've ever seen, you're off base on this one
Kareem won one NBA title pre-Magic (with a past his prime but still very good Oscar Robertson), while Olajuwon won two titles, one without playing with any other superstars, the other with an aging but still highly effective Clyde Drexler. (Both players, Kareem pre-Magic and Olajuwon, also played in one other NBA finals series they lost - 1974 in Kareem's case, 1986 in Olajuwon's case.) To be fair to Kareem, he was probably a better and more important player for the Lakers in 1980, 1982, and 1985 than Magic was, but he also probably doesn't win any of those titles without Magic.
Kareem won one NBA title pre-Magic (with a past his prime but still very good Oscar Robertson), while Olajuwon won two titles, one without playing with any other superstars, the other with an aging but still highly effective Clyde Drexler. (Both players, Kareem pre-Magic and Olajuwon, also played in one other NBA finals series they lost - 1974 in Kareem's case, 1986 in Olajuwon's case.) To be fair to Kareem, he was probably a better and more important player for the Lakers in 1980, 1982, and 1985 than Magic was, but he also probably doesn't win any of those titles without Magic.
Ok, so Alcindor wins titles when he gets help. And Earvin won a title without Alcindor. Olajuwon wins titles with weak rosters, yet played for 18 seasons, and missed the playoffs/first round exit TWELVE times, in other words, you had a 67% chance of not making it past the first round with "Dream" as your lead guy. Yet at the SAME time, won a title (virtually) without any help
Uh, the 1980s Lakers weren't just Kareem and Magic - they had guys like Jamaal Wilkes, Norm Nixon, Bob McAdoo, Michael Cooper, James Worthy, and Byron Scott helping out at different times (or in Cooper's case, all of those years) too. Having that kind of supporting cast tends to help a team. I bet Hakeem Olajuwon's teams are more successful if he has the quality of secondary players to play with that Kareem did with the Lakers.
Additionally, the NBA Western Conference had a much deeper pool of good teams in the 1990s than it did in the 1980s.
C: Wilt Chamberlain, Hakeem Olajuwon
PF: Tim Duncan, Karl Malone
SF: Larry Bird, Julius "Dr. J" Erving
SG: Michael Jordan, Jerry West
PG: Magic Johnson, John Stockton
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