FanNation - The Republic of Sport

G.O.A.T. said 09/15, 10:00 AM
Okay, here are some rules. These guys must have played AT LEAST eight seasons in the NBA. Your team will be composed of five starters. One at each position.

PG: Steve Nash (Years Pro: 11)- The perfect point guard to have. He seems to be getting better as he gets older. He's a great playmaker who can also score but the thing that is best about him is that he makes everyone around him better.

SG: Kobe Bryant (11)- The best all-around player in the NBA today. He can score (31.6 PPG last year), play defense (7-time All Defensive Team), pass (check the FIBA Americas), and, finally, he is clutch (check all the game-winners).

SF: Shawn Marion (8)- 17 points and 10 rebounds a game? I'll take that. He's very well-rounded, too. He came in second in voting for DPOY last year. He has also made the all-star team the last three years.

PF: Kevin Garnett (12)- His stats are great and will only get better with the Celtics. Last year he averaged 22.4 ppg and 12.8 rpg. He's a solidified double-double player.

C: Tim Duncan (10)- He is listed as a Forward-Center on NBA.com so don't say he isn't a center. Stat line from last year's playoffs? 22 ppg and 11.5 rpg. Also, he's a winner.

G.O.A.T. said 09/15, 10:58 AM
Pretty good team. I will argue Rashard vs. Marion though. Here goes:

Rashard has the edge in scoring but most of that is due to not being on a team with as many scorers as the Matrix is. Marion easily out-rebounds Lewis. Rashard has the edge in assists and Marion the edge in steals. Shawn blocks more shots per game however and has a better field goal percentage (52% to 46%). If you're keeping score at home, that would be 3 to 2 in Marion's favor.

Now I'll breakdown the frontcourts of our teams:
My Frontcourt: 42 ppg, 24 rpg, 4 bpg
Your Frontcourt: 31 ppg, 23 rpg, 5 bpg

You mentioned defense. Tim Duncan, Shawn Marion, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant are all very good defenders.

About the point guards. Nash averages 5 more ppg and 3 more apg than Kidd. He also has a much better FG% (53 to 40) and is a lot better from the line (90 to 78). Stevie is also a better 3-point shooter (46% to 34%). The only things Kidd has Nash in are rebounds and steals.

My team has 34 All-NBA Team selections. Yours has 25. I think that really shows the difference between my team and yours. Especially considering how late Nash has really reached his full potential.

G.O.A.T. said 09/15, 11:34 AM
KG is being moved to a veteran team with players like Pierce and Allen who are quite possibly past their prime. Lewis was on a team with Ray Allen and ??? There really was no one else. Marion had to share the scoring role with Stoudemire, Nash, Bell, Diaw, and Barbosa.

Kidd has Carter and Jefferson. He has a decent team around him. Also, why does no one else think that Nash makes the players around him better? He made Raja Bell. He made Boris Diaw. He made Leandro Barbosa. They wouldn't be the players they are today without the help of Steve Nash.

About Lewis taking more outside shots than Marion, who's fault is that? Maybe Marion has a better field goal percentage because he has a better shot selection. Just because Lewis doesn't have the teammates that the Matrix does doesn't mean he has to shoot threes all day.

In my opinion, Camby was underrated before he was named DPOY. Guys drove on him the bigger part of last year. His stats could have been somewhat inflated. Also, are you forgetting who the runner-up DPOY was last year? Shawn Marion. Back to the small forward position though, Lewis doesn't play very good D and you said a team needs good defense.