Interesting, ash.  Kind of an old-school backcourt, with either guard able to do pretty much anything.  Strong defense, explosive scoring, and decent playmaking between them.  No one to really stretch the floor yet, which you'll need to give Kareem room to operate unless you're planning to run constantly.

By the way, hoss, up yours for taking someone I was secretly hoping would drop another round.

Pick is coming up in a moment.

Okay, there are plenty of different directions to go in here, and some of the players I'm looking hard at will no doubt be gone by the next round, but I'm opting to give Shaq a high-level utility player who's a superstar in his own right, who can take over a game offensively, help push the ball on the break and finish, and add rebounds and passing from the SG spot...

Clyde Drexler

This gives me two very active, long-limbed defenders to roam the perimeter and disrupt passing lanes.  The Glide was always a good defender, and playing alongside Scottie should motivate him to new heights.  He can concentrate on helping and rotating, playing opportunistic D since he won't have to guard opposing teams' best wing scorer. 

In future rounds this team will need a banger to play along Shaq while staying out of his way, and some outside shooting to help space the floor (although Pippen and Drexler can both stroke it depending on which editions I end up going with).  I've got lots of flexibility at this point since I'm getting good help with rebounds and assists from the 2 and 3 spots.

The leader of one of the best defensive teams ever.   This guy takes 40% of his shots from behind the arc, yet can get to the line more often than the best scorers in history.  Took good care of the ball.
Champion.  Finals MVP.  #5 all time 3 pointers, #4 all time FT%. 

Chauncey Billups.

Yet another guy I figured would drop another round.  I may end up with Donald Duck at PG at this rate.

To keep with my theme of not picking SIM favorites of mine (actually picking guys that I almost have never used), I will pick another one.  More explanation of the pick to come later, but for now I will take the BIG E to go with the BIG O.

                                                                     ELVIN HAYES

I toyed with Elvin Hayes.. but his reputation as a choker and selfish shot chucker.. scared me away. I already have a selfish shot-chucker!

Anyway, I think it’s time to take a guy that might have been on his way to being a top 10 NBA player if not for too many injuries to count.. that I imagine modern medicine would have done a much better job of handling.. I’m counting on him being somewhat healthy and playing at his MVP level.

I love listening to this guy ramble for 20 minutes in random radio interviews.

 

The only guy to win a Finals MVP, Regular Season MVP, and 6^th man award.

 

One of the best passing big-men ever.

One of the best rebounders and shot-blockers ever.

Made 2 NBA All-defensive teams.

Two time NBA Champion.

 

Bill Walton

moved my draft updates to another thread

Posted by longtallbrad on 8/15/2011 7:11:00 AM (view original):
Okay, there are plenty of different directions to go in here, and some of the players I'm looking hard at will no doubt be gone by the next round, but I'm opting to give Shaq a high-level utility player who's a superstar in his own right, who can take over a game offensively, help push the ball on the break and finish, and add rebounds and passing from the SG spot...

Clyde Drexler

This gives me two very active, long-limbed defenders to roam the perimeter and disrupt passing lanes.  The Glide was always a good defender, and playing alongside Scottie should motivate him to new heights.  He can concentrate on helping and rotating, playing opportunistic D since he won't have to guard opposing teams' best wing scorer. 

In future rounds this team will need a banger to play along Shaq while staying out of his way, and some outside shooting to help space the floor (although Pippen and Drexler can both stroke it depending on which editions I end up going with).  I've got lots of flexibility at this point since I'm getting good help with rebounds and assists from the 2 and 3 spots.

Nice pick

I like the Walton pick. If we are going with one year, he was a real force for that year (league MVP).

Posted by sweg on 8/15/2011 4:18:00 PM (view original):
I like the Walton pick. If we are going with one year, he was a real force for that year (league MVP).

But the draft was based on prime and career and Walton doesn't really have a leg to stand on in this draft either! I feared the draft would begin to sway towards players who were great for a few seasons but didn't have a great career due to injury or any other reasons . I was pretty specific when I set the standards but it should be noted that short career players must get big reductions for injuries or shortened careers for whatever reasons. Players like Paul & Walton in your starting line-ups when we are evaluating players with longevity being a big part of this draft is going to have to be considered. We are looking at a 5-10 year window of greatness leaning towards 10 cuz longevity is huge when you talk about the greatest players being made into a  team that can dominate for years. The longevity has to be considered.

The Stockton pick was only questioned cuz of the round but he was definately one of the all-time greats due to not only his abilities on the court but his longevity. When eveluating each team you must take each players longevity into consideration along with how great that player was in his prime along with how your team was built.

despite his injury plagued career Walton is still listed as a top 10 center on just about any list you find. He's also one of the 50 greatest NBA players list. He was amazing in the short time he played. I'm looking at the pick in 2 ways. 1. He played about a 10 year career, I get something out of him every year. His couple of healthy years he might be enough to put my team over the top for the title. Sure, I need to get him a good backup but that shouldn't be a big issue.

One of the hardest parts of this is translating how all of these guys would do in the modern game vs. all the new studs. Part of that is giving old-school guys access to todays training regimens and medical care. Sure Bill would have been injured but I have to think he would miss alot less games playing today than in the 70s. Even without that part, I think his career as it was justifies the pick in this position. I looked at alot of centers in that spot and decided on Bill's part-time dominance over 15 years of being the 4th or 5th best center in the league.

If we're allowed to change history, maybe I should take Len Bias (God rest his soul), since he would have been a once-in-a-lifetime player had it not been for drugs, and Arvydas Sabonis, since he would have dominated like a Wilt-Russell combo had he played in the NBA in his prime.

Posted by all3 on 8/15/2011 5:54:00 PM (view original):
If we're allowed to change history, maybe I should take Len Bias (God rest his soul), since he would have been a once-in-a-lifetime player had it not been for drugs, and Arvydas Sabonis, since he would have dominated like a Wilt-Russell combo had he played in the NBA in his prime.

For that matter Bernard King too.

I'm not sure I understand, clearly we are all changing history trying to figure out how guys would play together and play against all these other guys. Noone has take George Mikan - why? Well, clearly noone believed he would put up numbers against wilt/shaq/hakeem/kareem etc.  I stand by the Walton pick even if he plays exactly 44% of his games. In a 5-10 year window he is going to possibly be the best player on my team 2 of those years and can be a valuable bench guy in several of the others (hi 6th man award).

Bernard King is definitely draftable in this league regardless. Probably a bench guy but he should be drafted. Len Bias.. never showed a thing in the league obviously and his statistical projections workout to something like Jerome Kersey

Anyway, everyone is free to judge each team on their own but for my little fantasy world I like Bill.