What would the NBA look like if every team had their best player of all time? Part 2/3 (20–11).
The league is full of superstars and some teams have more than one. However, what would happen if every team gained the best player to ever lace up for them in their prime. Here are the 20–11 rankings and a breakdown of those teams.
20-Charlotte Hornets
PG-LaMelo Ball
SG-Gordon Hayward
SF-Larry Johnson
PF-Miles Bridges
C-Mason Plumlee
The Hornets are currently 9th making this one of the biggest drops and probably the most shocking but this Hornets team is fairly inexperienced, they lack a solid big and they struggle a lot on defense. Larry Johnson only really fixes one of these problems by slightly improving the defense. When Johnson was in his prime, he was only 2 or 3 years into his career and he doesn't bring much height to the team. Especially because of their current form, I wouldn't be surprised if this team ended up finishing higher.
19-Indiana Pacers
PG-Malcolm Brogdon
SG-Reggie Miller
SF-Caris LeVert
PF-Domantas Sabonis
C-Myles Turner
The Pacers are currently 23rd but this team has so much potential. There are absolutely no downsides to the addition of Miller as he brings help on both sides of the court and improves their spacing. The only thing preventing this team from being higher is the sheer quality of the teams above.
18-Portland Trail Blazers
PG-Damian Lillard
SG-CJ McCollum
SF-Clyde Drexler
PF-Robert Covington
C-Jusuf Nurkić
The Blazers are currently 20th but after the last few years, we all know that they can be higher when things get going. Their main problem is their defense and Drexler averages 2 career steals per game and 0.7 blocks. He could also bring the championship DNA to the team and try to inspire the Blazers. He is maybe the player they need to sort their problems out but with the current situation, I don't think it would be enough.
17-New York Knicks
PG-Kemba Walker
SG-Evan Fournier
SF-RJ Barrett
PF-Julius Randle
C-Patrick Ewing
The Knicks are 19th and I believe they would only gain these 2 places with the addition of Ewing at the center. The Knicks aren’t in great form right now and Ewing is not quite the addition they need. Not to say he wouldn’t improve the team but right now they need an elite 2-way player who can bring some life to the team.
16-Denver Nuggets
PG-Monte Morris
SG-Will Barton
SF-Alex English
PF-Michael Porter Jr.
C-Nikola Jokić
The Nuggets are currently 21st, struggling without Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. probably not going to get back for this season. Their defense is not struggling but their offense needs a lot of help. If you add 25,613 career points, that problem could be fixed. However, without Jamal Murray, they will still struggle so that is why they struggle to get higher.
15-Atlanta Hawks
PG-Trae Young
SG-Bogdan Bogdanović
SF-Dominique Wilkins
PF-John Collins
C-Clint Capela
The Hawks are currently 11th and are one of the better teams in the East. They only drop these places because the teams below gain places because of their new legends. Wilkins was a very strong defender in important games, so when it matters, he will be able to sort out the Hawks’ defense problems. Unlike the Hornets, I don't think they will be able to gain many places on this list.
14-Washington Wizards
PG-Spencer Dinwiddie
SG-Bradley Beal
SF-Kyle Kuzma
PF-Montrezl Harrell
C-Wes Unseld
The Wizards are currently high flying in 8th place but they are struggling on offense more than defense coming 21st in points per game. Unseld is a defensive-centered player whose main job is to crash the boards. He also doesn't add much height to the team coming in at 6–7 but that doesn't disadvantage his rebound stats as he has a career average of 14 rebounds.
13-Dallas Mavericks
PG-Luka Dončić
SG-Tim Hardaway Jr.
SF-Dorian Finney-Smith
PF-Kristaps Porziņģis
C-Dirk Nowitzki
The Mavs are currently not in their usual form in 17th place. They are struggling on both sides of the floor but this season they have had problems scoring the ball. Dirk’s height and scoring abilities could start to help them out of this bad form. He could start to lift the pressure off Porziņģis on the rebounds, allowing Porziņģis to focus more on his offense and get back into form once he returns from injury.
12-Minnesota Timberwolves
PG-Patrick Beverley
SG-D’Angelo Russell
SF-Anthony Edwards
PF-Kevin Garnett
C-Karl-Anthony Towns
The Wolves have been one of the bigger shocks of these seasons currently occupying a play-in spot in the West whilst holding the 18th spot in the league. They are currently struggling on defense but Garnett is one of the most dominant defenders of all time. He also averaged 24 in his prime, which would certainly help.
11-Philadelphia 76ers
PG-Tyrese Maxey
SG-Seth Curry
SF-Julius Erving
PF-Tobias Harris
C-Joel Embiid
The Sixers finished 3rd last year but have not continued their form into this season currently sitting in 16th place. Their main problem has been the lack of Ben Simmons even though fans wouldn't want to admit it. He’s one of the best playmakers in the league and usually kickstarts every play. You can tell the Sixers are missing this as they are currently 20th in the league for points per game. However, the addition of, 3-time scoring champ, Julius Erving would surely guarantee their rise up the table.
