What Do I Want if I’m Building a 10 Man Roster in the NBA?
Dean Fuchsia
3/18/2022
- Versatility- I want to be able to switch. It doesn’t make sense to have Rudy Gobert on your team in a playoff series because if Chris Paul or Lebron is on the other team- they’re going at them over and over until the defense cracks and puts him in isolation. Think Draymond Green or Scottie Barnes. I don’t want them to be able to pick out a player and attack them over and over. This is what the Raptors and Kawhi did to Brook Lopez in the 2019 Eastern Finals.
- Endurance- Might sound dumb but I need guys that will be all-in for 16 games or more- guys like Lebron and Chris Paul will not be able to play 40 minutes a night. I’m looking for the Giannis or Jokic-type player here.
- Offensive flexibility- I don’t want Trae Young, Trae Young is an on-ball creator. His utility drops without the ball in his hands. My team is going to be stacked and every player on the team needs to be okay with not taking 20 shots a game. You need to screen and go around screens, play help defense and engage off the ball- think Klay Thompson and Steph Curry.
- Shot creation- Any baller just knows what makes a good basketball player. Yes defense and playmaking, being a good teammate, shooting, ball handling, coachability, personality, athleticism, height, length, psychology, explosiveness- anything you want to include count- but what great players do is create shots for themselves and/or others.
- Let’s go through the best players in the NBA and see if they create shots for themselves and others:
- Jokic, Embiid, Giannis, Durant, Steph, Luka, Lebron, Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Ja, Mitchell, Derozan, Booker, CP3- which of those guys speciality isn’t creating shots for themselves or others?
- Anyone who has played pickup basketball in a semi-competitive atmosphere knows that the best guy on the court is usually the go who can create shots for himself or others. I rarely was that guy, I never had the explosiveness, quickness, athleticism, burst or IQ for that level of play- but being on the court with guys who do is almost spiritual. Especially if they like passing.
- My point is: the most valuable skill in basketball is shot creation and that’s what we are prioritizing first.
- Is this guy a douchebag?: Maybe the most important skill. Back to pickup basketball. Did you tend to play better with guys that you liked or didn’t like? Who did you have fun with? Who made you want to show up to the gym? It’s simple. Just like anything else in life, people want to go to work and hang out with people they can trust and be themselves with. Basketball players are the same way. There’s a reason Demarcus Cousins keeps bouncing around the league. He’s kind of a fucking asshole. Guys like Giannis, Steph and Jokic are just guys who are not that bad to be around. They show up to work, love hanging out with their boys and wake up everyday to do it again. Nobody wants to play with Kobe.
Here’s my 10 man roster
Rules:
- This isn’t an all-star team, the cut-off is when it looks like an all-star team. I’m going to stack my team, but it’s not going to be completely ridiculous.
- Contracts don’t matter
- Players play one season, starting tomorrow and finishing in 6 months.
- Assume all players are healthy right now.
- Players can get hurt during the year so durability is a concern. Michael Porter Jr. is probably not going to play 80 games, same with Zion, Chris Paul, etc.
- You can pick your coach and arena
First Round Pick:
Steph Curry
The most irreplaceable skill set in the history of the NBA. Creates spacing like no other. Can hold up his end on defense. If he has his worst season, he’s still a top 10 shooter in the league. If he has his best season he will finish 50% from three on 10 attempts a game. Elite off-ball player. Excellent dude and teammate, guys love playing with him. He fits on literally any roster in the history of basketball. Try and name a team ever, where Steph Curry wouldn’t fit. Think about it, what are you going to have? Too much shooting? How bout the 2017 Warriors? Yeah they had way too much shooting. Hurt the team.
Second Round Pick:
Giannis Antetokounmpo
GOD. Finals MVP. Only thing he can’t do is shoot. That won’t matter on this team. As a Bucks fan, I cum every time I think of this guy. Consummate pro, awesome teammate, surreal work ethic, commitment to craft, perhaps the most developed and ideal body for basketball in world history. Defensive player of the year who can literally clamp anyone 1–5, I don’t care if it’s Kyrie or Embiid. Scored 50 in a finals clincher, becoming an elite playmaker. Great in the pick n’ roll. Extremely smart player. Obviously not as portable as Steph but there’s still not a team in the league who wouldn’t give Giannis a supermax and the keys to the car.
Third Round Pick:
Kevin Durant
Yes this team is stacked- that’s the point. Not a huge fan of the personality. Of course, can get jaded at times, but after watching interviews with him and Draymond- I honestly feel like he’s a good teammate. He doesn’t give a shit about life outside of basketball. He’s not clubbing, he’s not going out after games. Dude is a born hooper. Most unguardable scorer in the HISTORY of basketball. Can literally make any shot in the game. Great defensively when he locks in. Plus playmaker. Can space and hit catch and shoot J’s on the kick from Giannis. Plays off-ball at an elite level (as we saw in Golden State). Another guy who fits on any roster in the history of the NBA. Can Guard 2–4 with decent consistency, can switch screens, what else can you ask for? Maybe he won’t like not being “the guy” on this team as was the case in Golden State, but if he accepts his role as our leading scorer and go-to in crunch time on a team full of all-timers, I think he fits in seamlessly no matter who we throw out on the court.
Fourth Round Pick:
Klay Thompson
Yes he’s old. Yes he’s been injured. Yes, he hasn’t been as good this season. When push comes to shove, I still think Klay can hold his own against elite wings we might face in the postseason (Lebron, Tatum, Kawhi). And is still the best spot-up three point shooter in NBA history. That’s all we will need him to do: hit open threes. Not fucking else much to it. If he can defend that will be a plus too. He doesn’t have to be in our closing lineup.
Fifth Round Pick:
Draymond Green
Yes this is the 2017–18 Warriors with Giannis instead of Igoudala. Okay- come up with a better lineup. I don’t think Draymond will close since we don’t want him and Giannis on the floor at the same time, but when they’re surrounded by the three best three-point shooters in the league, the spacing might be enough. I wanted to take Draymond here in an earlier round, but that doesn’t mean he’ll start. If we can make him and Giannis work, I’m all for it, but I don’t see that being effective. Draymond is the league’s best team defender, still an elite playmaker and will be the heart and soul of our team. Draymond is a dog, dude is a fucking dog, man. I like watching him play, and teammates want to play with him. He will probably average 4 PPG but he won’t care. He will handle all non-Giannis minutes and we can see if they can fit together when nuts start crunchin.
Sixth Round Pick:
Mikal Bridges
I’m a Bucks fan, and I love Mikal Bridges. Watching him last year in the Finals was a first for me. I don’t watch much live basketball, but seeing him was like, I don’t know, transformatic. It was nuts, he’s so fluid, such length, his offensive game is surprising, he can hit the catch and shoot three. He’s got an off the dribble game. I don’t know, something about the way he plays is just beautiful. I want him on my team no matter who else is with him. Good passer, hits open shots, but what I want is his defense. His arms are so long, his feet are fluid; this might be the guy we close with instead of Draymond or maybe instead of Klay. I just fucking love this guy. Can’t get enough of him. I want him this year and I want him for the next 10. From what I can see, he looks like a great teammate. I think the guys in Phoenix love him. I want him on my team.
Seventh Round Pick:
Lonzo Ball
Maybe you can tell what type of players I like. He fits everything we need. Great teammate, looks like he would be a fucking blast to play with if I were 6’ 8”, black and had a 40” vertical. I would love to catch a fucking lob and throw down on some dude and then flex toward a crowd of 20,000 people. Imagine that. That’s your average Tuesday. You also probably have a 10 inch penis. Playmaking is fucking fluid and gorgeous. Is actually a good three point shooter now. He shot 37% the past two seasons and is shooting 42% in this one. He will have tons of open space. Elite defender, long arms. God, just everything I want in a player. Doesn’t need the ball. Doesn’t need the spotlight. We could even close with him if Steph is getting torched in the pick n’ roll. I would love to have him close. I think he once again fits on any roster in the league. I think the Pelicans were idiots for letting him go. Idiots.
Eighth Round Pick:
Alex Caruso
Not a meme. Lonzo’s backcourt teammate is my favorite player in the NBA. Defensively, he could be the best guard in the league. Shooting is an issue, but with all the players surrounding him on this team, it won’t matter. Can playmake, great cutter, good screener- winning player. There’s a reason he closed on a lot of those Lakers teams when they won the Bubble Yes it’s funny because he’s bald. No, I’m not taking him because it’s funny.
Alex Caruso Highlight Mix! (Vol. 1 • 2021–22 Season)
Ninth Round:
Isaiah Hartenstein
Haven’t watched him much, but analytics wise, this dude looks like a monster!
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/harteis01.html
Nearly averaging a double-double this season, with a net rating of +18! I could be wrong, he just looks good. We need a big.
Tenth Round:
Joe Ingles
Seems like a guy I would want to hang out with. From what I read, most people in Utah loved him. Hits open threes and can playmake if he does play (which he won’t, outside of crunch time) Locker room presence as a vet. Australian accent. Locker room Joe.
Coach:
Steve Kerr
Looks like fun to play for. Sticks up for his players. Can handle egos. Genius defensive scheming. I love his offensive strategy, it’ll fit great with this team. Lots of off-ball movement, team play, smart guys.
GM:
James Jones
Respected around the league
Owner:
Steve Ballmer
