When it comes to All-Time lineup for any particular team it give the fams a chance to truely fantasize with the eternal question "If only". It allows them to cross decades of players and put together a team from anyone who has played for your home team into a All-Time Greatest Line-up.
It will be interesting to see the various line-ups and I'm sure a few die hard fans can argue each of their teams merits until the "cows come home", "Pigs Fly" or the price of gas falls back to under $2.00. That being said here are a few lineups the Los Angeles Lakers could throw at you:
FIRST TEAM:
Point Gaurd - Magic Johnson
Shooting Gaurd- Kobe Bryant
Small Foward- Elgin Baylor
Power Foward- Bob McAdoo
Center- Wilt Chamberlain
Sixthman- George Miken
This lineup would dazzle most All-Time teams, it not only has the scorers but also would be able to distribute the ball around. With all players being to create their own shots, if needed. All have numberous triple doubles and Chamberlain once had a Quadriple Double with 12 Blocks! Miken as the sixth man because in todays game he could play at the 3 thur 5 positions, with the two gaurds we wouldn't need any backup!
SECOND TEAM:
Point Gaurd- Jim Polland
Shooting Gaurd- Jerry West
Small Foward- Vern Mikkelen
Power Foward- Slater Martin
Center- Kareem Adul-Jabbar
Sixthman- Connie Hawkins
This line-up would be more a half court set all shooters and set shooters. As quality as this Hall of Fame bunch is they would be in need of stronger rebounding. Martin and Jabbar would get there share, but Mikkelen, West and Polland would have to crash the boards as well making them susceptible to a fast-breaking team. Connie Hawkins is sixth man because of his flexibility. He could spell any of the starters he had excellent ball controll with his hugh hands and distributed the ball quite well throughout his career and was as atheletic a big man as their ever was, think Dr. J mixed with Walt Frazier.
THIRD TEAM-
Point Gaurd- Gail Goodrich
Shooting Gaurd- Clyde Lovellette
Small Foward- James Worthy
Strong Forward- Dennis Rodman
Center- Shaquille O'Niel
Sixthman- Micheal Cooper
This team would be able to compete with Any all-Time lineup from any team except perhaps thier own listed above. They would be able to fast break with Worthy on the wing or or power it inside to O'Niel. They also could spread the defense with Goodrich and Lovellette's shooting. Bringing in Cooper Would help fill the lanes and there are few finishers as able as Cooper and Worthy on the break. Far from One dimensional it would cause headaches and few second chance points with Rodman cleaning up the boards.
So here are just a few the Lakers could put together. Let's see some of your teams All-time Line up's. ABA affiliations are exceptable or course as well as teams moves.
Nice pics...but you gotta be kidding me with some of your selections!!!
I'd argue that Kareem > Chamberlain. Chamberlain couldn't win rings, and he dominated guys 6'7" to 6'9" that were his era's "centers".
Imagine Shaq in his prime being defended by guys like Joakim Noah, Zach Randolph, Carlos Boozer, or our favorite Robert Horry. He'd destroy 'em too.
Elgin was awesome, but he was like Kobe Bean minus the D, so I wouldn't put him First Team either.
I'd pick Shaq as our first-team center, and put Kareem at PF, since he was a great defender (and Mr. Sky Hook could probably sky hook 3's hehe). Worthy at the 3, KB at the 2, and Magic at point.
I'm SOOOOO glad you mentioned Connie Hawkins! He was part of the reason I became a Lakers fan way back in the day. He was a pioneer at his position. I loved how he could soar through the air. If not for his issues, he'd have been one of the all-time greats. He was a great player for a 3-4 year span.
C-Dan ISSEL ,SMALL FORWARD-ALEX ENGLISH,PF-CALVIN NATT,PT. GUARD-FAT LEVER S.G-DAVID THOMPSON that's 1st team. 2nd-KIKI VANDEWEGHE,BOBBY JONES at forwards C-Dikembe Mutombo-GUARDS-ALLEN IVERSON-T.R. DUNN,BILL HANZLIK,(defensive stoppers) and Michael Adams 3pt specialist. They'd give the lakers a pretty good run, used to have some great battles in the late 70s and 80s,nuggets used to love playing in the old fabulous forum.
socalf4n-He was a Laker prior to joining the Celtics with Bill Walton, But he helped us get a ring.
GOTO- NICE JOB
Danfan- The lineup with Rodman needed more rebounding and hey he did suit up for us after all.
jtbatahk- There were 7+ footers he played against-Kareem for one, Zelmo Beaty, Spencer Haywood, Elmo Smith to name a few, but yeah most were smaller-Willis Reed, Issel, Russell, Jones ect, ect.
jon 454- He was a classic along with cazzie russel
Luke Cage- Great Line up, but I'm supprised you didn't include some of the ABA greats.
Jdizzle-To know the Hall of famers mentioned you only had to see them check out NBA CLASSIC sometime.
Luke-cage Good Team I was wondering when someone would bring up McGinnis.
Sgs1564- I would of love to place Harrison or McMillen on the lists. I chose those who may not of been at their prime with the lakers, but played for them and if in their prime would of been great on these diffrent teams. Harrison if you recall was a great rebounder in the way Rodman was in the '90's, but had trouble even with layups and put-backs. Eddie Jordan for that matter should of been on the list if for nothing else his defense.
Scott was a pure shooter but not as good as the other shooters.
Your right about slater,but needed to get him on one of the list. He was small but did play shooting forward at times. I'd have Elmore Smith over Zelmo Beaty though. And the others weren't Lakers
Last edited by lakotasioux on May 12th at 11:33 AM.
Lakatasioux,watching Kobe this year,seems like he's having more fun than he did playing with Shaq. What do you think? Another 5 for all-time nuggets George Mcginnis,Byron Williams,Laphonso Ellis,for the front line. Backcourt,Andre Miller and Byron Stith. Did'nt become a nuggets fan until the 1st year in the NBA.
J-DIZZLE, Connie Hawkins, Michael Cooper, and Bob McAdoo do NOT belong on this list. They were all great players, but Hawkins only averaged 11.0 a game in his parts of two seasons with the Lakers, and those were nowhere near championship seasons. McAdoo and Cooper over Jamaal Wilkes? I don't think so. Where are Happy Hairston, Jim McMillain, Norman Nixon? These guys were bigger contributors to Laker success. And they were ALL starters on Laker Championship teams, unlike McAdoo, Cooper and Hawkins. McAdoo and Cooper won Championships, but were not starters.
Lakotasioux, Zelmo Beaty and Spencer Haywood were BOTH 6'-9". Try Nate Thurmond and Walt Bellamy who were both 6'-11" but were prime time centers in the 60's. Both are in the Hall of Fame!!
Lakotasioux, Slater Martin is a 5'-10" guard. Not a good fit at power forward. Zelmo Beaty and Spencer Haywood were BOTH 6'-9". How about Nate Thurmond and Walt Bellamy. Both were prime time centers in their careers. They are both 6'-11" AND in the Hall of Fame.
In reality, you may be able to make two five man Laker teams that would be better than anyone else's five. For example:
C - Kareem Abdul-Jabar
PF - Wilt Chamberlain
SF - Elgin Baylor
SG - Jerry West
PG - Gail Goodrich
C - Shaquille O'Neal
PF - George Mikan
SF - Jamaal Wilkes
SG - Kobe Bryant
PG - Earvin Johnson
Now, you may substitute a player here or there, but you would be hard pressed to find another team with five players to match either of these five man units. Well,... maybe in Boston you might be able to put some crazy combo together. But of course, everything on this team would start with #6. Bill Russell.
I am a graduate of UCLA, though I attended AU for one year on a baseball scholarship. Served my active duty time in the Air Force mainly overseas in Turkey and the Philippines. Upon my honorable discharge I remained in the Areospace field as a sub-contracto r in Fixture Stuct., which allowed me to travel and work on projects such as the Stealth and the C-17. After losing most our aerospace contracts to oversea's competitor Aerobus, I returned to California (Orange County) and now oversee my remodeling company.
I'm a avid fan of all Los Angeles Sport teams and have knowledge through my father of the teams history from his moving From South Dakota, to Cleveland, to New York and Finally to Los Angeles. Brings the Clev. Rams, Minn. Lakers, and Dodgers with him, to hear him tell it.
