STARTING FIVE: Basketball's Best...Both Real and Imagined

By Craig Messmer

Starting Five: Basketball’s Best…Both Real and Imagined chronicles the history of professional basketball like nothing ever has before. With a unique and creative format, it will take readers on a cover-to-cover journey of the sport’s best teams, players, and moments from the past seventy-five years. High school, college, and the ABA also get their fair share of exposure in addition to the most enjoyable and comprehensive analysis of the NBA and its superstars that you’ll find anywhere. Young fans will learn all about the history and evolution of the sport, while older readers will appreciate the author’s focus, recognizing so many of the great starting fives of all-time—both real and imagined. Filled with stories, statistics, and something for everyone, this book is the perfect gift and resource for anyone who loves the game of basketball.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638859895

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STARTING FIVE

Basketball's Best...Both Real and Imagined

Craig Messmer

ISBN 978-1-63885-988-8 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63885-989-5 (Digital)

Copyright © 2022 Craig Messmer

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Table of Contents

Introduction and Organization

The Five Positions

The Best on the Bench

Franchise Fives

The Best Starting Fives (Real)

The Best Starting Fives (Imagined)

Basketball’s Top 75 Players of All-Time

High School and College

Conclusion

Appendices

To Ryan, Ella, and Emily. I’ll always cherish our time on the court together.

1

Introduction and Organization

Basketball, in many ways, is the ultimate team game. Five players, working in unison on both offense and defense, who all dribble, pass, shoot, rebound, and defend. Baseball is a team sport of individual matchups and isolated positions. Football has specific units for offense, defense, and special teams; the roles and responsibilities of different players on the field at the same time range widely. In hockey, the goaltender is so unique and singularly impactful in ways that differentiate him from the other skaters.

But in basketball, all five players truly operate as one cohesive unit. The five players who take the floor together are as intertwined and connected to one another as athletes in any team sport. While, traditionally, there have always been different positions, the modern game is one of positionless basketball in many ways. Every NBA coach nowadays wants long, athletic players who can guard multiple positions, handle the ball, and shoot from deep. The sport evolves.

In Starting Five, I hope to inform and entertain. Basketball has a rich and fascinating history, but too many fans simply don’t know much about some of the great players and teams from long ago. Before there was Magic, there was Cousy. Elgin Baylor played above the rim before that phrase was ever coined, and Oscar Robertson was triple-doubling his way into the Hall of Fame before Russell Westbrook was born.

This book identifies and examines the game’s greatest at multiple levels (pro, college, and even some high school). It aims to answer some basic questions. Was Wilt better than Shaq? Is Kobe the greatest Laker of all-time? How do the ’86 Celtics compare to the ’96 Bulls? Jordan or LeBron? Who is the greatest basketball player in history?

We’re not solving any major world problems here, of course. I don’t pretend that this book is anything other than (hopefully) an entertaining, informative, intelligent, objective, and thought-provoking resource for fun and for knowledge. Young fans who want to know more about the history of basketball will find so much here, and I have presented it in a way that makes it enjoyable to read and use as a resource time and time again.

Throughout, the notion of the starting five will be extrapolated to both real and imaginary teams. In chapters 2 and 3, for example, the superstar players who both started and served as key sixth men off the bench will be put under the microscope. Taking each position separately, I provide biographical and career sketches of the game’s ten best at point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. In chapter 4, the creativity factor is increased; the greatest possible starting fives and bench players are created for each of the NBA’s top sixteen franchises, complete with rationales and explanations for roster construction and playing style. I even offer my ideas for how the ultimate NBA playoffs might turn out. Just imagine Russell, Bird, Cousy, Hondo, and Jayson Tatum all on the parquet floor of Boston Garden simultaneously.

Twenty of the best teams throughout the NBA’s various eras are highlighted next before I cowrite chapter 6 with my son. We go back and forth with one another, as we have done so many times in the car on the way back from a game, choosing up sides to do battle with one another in a fantasy fight for the ages. Once you read it, you’ll want to do the same. I then offer my very definitive opinions on the seventy-five best players in history. Starting at #75 and going all the way to #1, I explain why each player deserves to be where I rank him.

Finally, the book wraps up with a chapter on the best teams and players from high school and college. The ultimate Final Four is picked, with eight elite programs doing battle in a collegiate roster creation for the ages. You will notice that some of the names carry forward at every level of basketball, beginning in ninth grade and ending in the Hall of Fame. Finally, there are a series of statistical appendices in chapter 10 that are useful. Let’s tip it off. Enjoy the book!

2

The Five Positions

This chapter looks at the very best players in the history of the NBA at each of the five positions on the basketball court. Beginning with the point guards and then continuing with shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards, and centers, there are a total of eighty-two players analyzed. Some played in the earliest days of the league while many are still active right now.

The process of selecting who would be included also meant, of course, that most would be excluded. Eighty-two is a lot…but not when you consider seventy-five years of NBA history. That’s only about one player per season. Of course, some of the choices were obvious. Others were important to include in order to help teach about the history and tradition of the sport.

Each section begins with a brief overview of the position itself and how its place in the game has evolved over time. Next, I provide summaries of six to seven players, depending on the position. Again, the purpose is not only to inform about the individual player, but also with regard to the development of the game through its top athletes across many decades. Finally, ten players will be analyzed in detail, with a full page devoted to each, including career highlights and key statistics, from both the regular season and the playoffs. That’s important in my opinion because basketball, at its heart, is a postseason sport.

When reading these sections, do not assume that the players are listed in any ranked order. Actually, they are organized alphabetically. Later on, in chapter 7, I will offer my very specific opinions about who are the best ever, in order from seventy-five to one, with explanations at every stop along the way. For this chapter and its five sections, just focus on learning about the various players without trying to predict my answers as to questions about the all-time top ten, the best point guard in history, Wilt vs. Kareem, etc. That will come in due time. The ballers selected here are eighty-two of the best ever, let’s leave it at that…for now.

Point Guard

The point guards featured in this section span the spectrum from traditional pass-first playmakers to oversized guards in PF bodies to high-level scorers who can drain the three-pointer as adeptly as they can drive and dish. I’ll start by highlighting a half dozen of the league’s terrific PGs from various eras before, then turning attention to the ten best that I think are truly deserving of additional analysis.

Point guards are their team’s floor leaders and often their coach’s most important player. They control the ball, the offense, the clock, and the game in many ways. Going as far back as Bob Cousy and continuing right up to the current day with Russell Westbrook (talk about opposites), I’ll analyze and rate the NBA’s best at the #1 spot on the floor. These are the PGs that every basketball fan needs to know.

Tiny Archibald. Nate Archibald was a one-man show in the early 1970s, much in the style of James Harden (featured in the SG section) before the Beard ever drained a step-back three. For the 1972–’73 Kansas City-Omaha Kings, Archibald led the league in both scoring (34.0 PPG) and assists (11.4) while sitting only two minutes per game on average. Archibald did it all, and his stats that year were the best in his career. Tiny finished third in the MVP ballot, eclipsed by a pair of big men, Cowens and Kareem.

Walt Frazier. The best thing that can be said about an athlete is that he saves his best for the biggest moments on the most important stage. No one exemplified that more so than Clyde Frazier, who cemented his reputation as a top player in the seventh game of the 1970 NBA Finals. Against Los Angeles and without Willis Reed for much of the game, Frazier dominated. He scored 36 points to go along with 7 rebounds, and 6 steals. Most impressive, however, was the fact that Walt dished out 19 assists in a Knick win.

Kyrie Irving. Kyrie played great when the Cavs won their only championship. While the first credit goes to LeBron, of course, Irving’s contribution to that trophy can’t be overlooked. He averaged more than 25 points per game in that postseason, shooting 44 percent from behind the arc. The next year, he actually scored at a clip slightly higher, although Cleveland fell short in their bid for a repeat title. He has an amazing handle and an uncanny knack for getting to the rim and finishing.

Kevin Johnson. When healthy, Johnson was one of the best PGs in the game. From 1988 to ’92, he was in the lineup almost every night for Phoenix, averaging 21 points and 11 assists over that stretch. He was skilled in all aspects of the game, especially on offense. The only abilities he lacked were availability and durability. After his productive four-year run, he played fewer than fifty games in two of the next three seasons.

Jason Kidd. Jason Kidd was a highly recruited HS player who then went on to be a top draft pick out of Cal. He played for many teams but found his best success in New Jersey with the Nets. Kidd was tough on D and saw the floor and led the break as well as anyone. He rebounded like a big man, and he was able to use his muscle to back smaller opponents down into the low post. The only knock against him was his outside shooting. Kidd was very similar to Rajon Rondo but was an even better version.

Gary Payton. The Glove routinely shut down opponents on the perimeter. He was a Defensive Player of the Year and nine-time First Team All-Defensive selection. Payton always seemed to play with a scowl on his face and a chip on his shoulder. He played angry, and he played well that way. In 1996, he led the SuperSonics to the Finals, leading the league in steals and being recognized as the best defender in the NBA along the way. From 1994 to ’03, Payton averaged more than 21 points and 8 assists per game.

Bob Cousy

Led the NBA is assists for eight straight seasons (1952–’60)

10-time First Team All-NBA; 1956–’57 Most Valuable Player

6–1 in NBA Finals; led the playoffs in scoring three times and in assists eight times

It only makes sense to begin with Cousy. First alphabetically but, more importantly, first in terms of being the game’s maiden point guard. Cousy popularized the fast break, no-look passes, and deft ballhandling that no one had simply ever seen before. For ten straight seasons, he was selected as the best PG in the NBA.

The Houdini of the Hardwood made the All-Star Team every season he played in Boston and was twice selected as the game’s MVP (1954 and 1957). Cooz was a three-time All-American at Holy Cross and ended up with the Celtics after he refused to report to the Tri-Cities Blackhawks when they made him the third overall pick in the 1950 NBA Draft. From 1952 to ’62, he averaged exactly 19 points and 8 assists per game in a league where very few put up those numbers. In 1959–’60, for example, he led the league with 9.5 APG; the next best average was just above 7.

There were two marks (one major and one minor) against Cousy when ranking him with the other legendary points in this section. First, he was a poor shooter. That is a critical flaw. He made three out of every eight field goal attempts for his career, and his shooting percentage in the postseason was even worse. He was very good at the foul line, and no one shot for a high percentage in the 1950s. But it still has to count against him. Second, he tarnished his Celtic career a bit in my opinion by coming out of retirement to play seven games for the Cincinnati Royals in a publicity stunt. His career should have never ended that way.

Steph Curry

Back-to-back Most Valuable Player Awards in 2015 and 2016 (unanimous)

2-time scoring champion and 2-time leader in steals for a season

NBA’s career leader in free throw percentage; has led the NBA four times

I think it’s safe to say that Steph Curry is the greatest shooter in history. No offense to Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, or Ray Allen, but no one can touch him. He basically invented the notion of shooting it from the logo. Once across half court, Curry is in range and a threat to drain a three from just about anywhere. At the foul line, he is like a machine. He once made eighty in a row. Watching him is like watching a video game when a player gets a green circle on the release. In other words, it’s going in the hoop every single time.

At point guard, Curry is a maestro with the ball in his hands. He has tremendous handle to go along with shifty and sneaky moves that allow his diminutive frame to get open, even when it appears there are no openings to be had. He won the 2016 Most Valuable Player Award unanimously after securing the vast majority of first-place votes the year before as well. No one in history has ever won unanimously except for him.

He led his Warriors to the best regular season record (73–9) in history, but he wasn’t able to win the games that counted most against LeBron and the Cavs in the NBA Finals. Twice, Curry has brought Golden State there and lost. He’s also won three rings, but critics will point to the fact that he’s never won a Finals MVP, something that most legendary players have.

Whether or not he will end up in the company of the all-time greatest may be decided over the next few years as his career winds down. Right now, he’s showing no signs of stopping.

Magic Johnson

5-time NBA Champion with three Finals MVP honors

#1 all-time in terms of assists per game; led the league four times in that category

Led the NBA in triple-doubles for ten seasons and is third all-time (138)

Earvin Johnson first became a star while leading Michigan State to the NCAA Championship over Larry Bird’s undefeated Indiana State squad. That matchup would end up foreshadowing an entire decade of professional basketball, a decade in which Magic became a household name and the greatest player in the NBA.

In the late-’70s, it was completely unheard of to have someone with his size (6'9") at the point. He was built like a power forward yet had the ballhandling skills and the court vision and awareness of a little guy. When Kareem went down in the NBA Finals, Magic stepped up and stepped into the center position, lifting LA to the title over Philadelphia as a twenty-year-old rookie.

His battles with Bird became legendary and literally saved the league. Celtics vs. Lakers in the mid-’80s was professional basketball; anything else was just not on the same level. Including the title game in college, Magic got the better of Larry Legend three out of four times in head-to-head matchups for ultimate bragging rights.

His best season ever was most likely 1986–’87. Magic set a career-scoring mark (23.9 PPG) while again leading the league with more than a dozen dimes per night. He won the MVP Award in both the regular season and in the Finals, where his Lakers toppled Boston in the final act of Bird vs. Magic. He was forced into early retirement (although he did return in the 1995–’96 season) after an HIV diagnosis, cutting short an already remarkable career with years still left.

Steve Nash

NBA Most Valuable Player in 2005 and 2006

5-time NBA assists leader; averaged at least 10.5 assists in a season seven times

Led the league in FT% twice and is #2 all-time in that category

Just looking at Nash’s career shooting percentages gives a quick and accurate glimpse into the ultraefficient player that he was. With a career trio of numbers that approaches/exceeds (depending on the category) 50 percent from the floor, 90 percent from the line, and 40 percent from behind the arc, Steve Nash was truly one of the game’s great shooters.

Along with great touch, he was also a tremendous playmaker, always looking to set up his teammates first. Usually, Nash would find them in just the right spot and with a perfect bounce pass or lob over the outstretched arms of a defender suddenly caught out of position. He led the league in assists five times in a seven-year span in Phoenix. That was actually his second stint as a Sun. After being drafted there, Phoenix traded him to Dallas but got him back just in time for his career to blossom; he averaged 10.9 APG in his second go-around in the desert.

In three straight playoffs (2005–’07), Nash led the Suns to five series victories and twice brought them to the Western Conferences Finals. Over that trio of postseason runs, he averaged more than 21 points and 11 assists per game while shooting .500/.910/.400 from the field/foul line/three-point line.

Unfortunately for Phoenix, they were never able to advance to the NBA Finals with their do-it-all point guard. He remains one of the game’s best players to never make it onto the biggest stage, with a record of 0–4 in the Western Conference Finals.

Chris Paul

11-time All-Star and MVP of the 2013 AS Game

Led the league in steals per game six times in seven seasons (2007–’14)

Selected as First Team All-Defensive 7 times and as First Team All-NBA 4 times

Chris Paul has been directing teams from the PG position since 2005, when he arrived in the NBA as the #4 overall pick of the draft for the Hornets. He won Rookie of the Year honors after posting more than 16 points and almost 8 assists per game. Those numbers jumped to 17.3 and 8.9 the next year…and then his career really took off.

Beginning in 2007 and continuing until the end of the 2015–’16 season, CP3 had a run of nine years that included All-Star nominations for each one and per-game averages of 19.2 points, 10.3 assists, and 2.4 steals. Those numbers included four years of leading the NBA in setting up his teammates (APG) and six years of taking it away from his opponents (SPG).

In 2020, he joined a talented young team in Phoenix in need of some veteran leadership. Teaming in the backcourt with Devin Booker, Paul guided the Suns to a 51–21 record in the regular season and series wins in the postseason against the Lakers (4–2), the Nuggets (4–0), and the Clippers (4–2). With home-court advantage for the NBA Finals, the Suns got off to a 2–0 lead over Milwaukee and looked poised to win their first title.

Unfortunately for CP3 and his fans in the desert, Giannis and the Bucks proved to be too much to handle; they won four straight to snatch the trophy and bring it home to the Deer District for the first time in fifty years. For Paul, it meant another year of coming up a bit short. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer will look for redemption before his career fades into the sunset.

Oscar Robertson

1961 Rookie of the Year (averaged 30.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 9.7 assists)

Averaged more than 30 points per game over his first eight seasons combined

6-time NBA assists leader; averaged 11 or more APG in a season four times

The Big O would have most likely been the first pick of any draft in the 1960s if people had played fantasy basketball back then. Every season, Robertson filled up the stat sheet in multiple columns While he is often credited with averaging a triple-double for an entire season, which he certainly did, he is rarely ever credited with his more impressive accomplishment. He actually averaged a triple-double over five straight seasons at the start of his career. From 1960 to ’65, he averaged 30.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 10.6 assists each game. Averaging a triple-double for a season is incredibly rare and special. Averaging a triple-double for half of a decade? Only Oscar and one other player have ever accomplished that feat.

Robertson had his Cincinnati Royals in the playoffs year in and year out. The problem was that they always seemed to run into either the Celtics or the Sixers, and they were never able to make it into the Finals. But his luck changed in April of 1970 when he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. Teaming with a young and dominant Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Robertson finally went to the NBA Finals in 1971 after his first season as a Buck. They swept the overmatched Bullets, with Milwaukee getting 70-plus points per game from their big three of Jabbar, Bob Dandridge, and Oscar.

He played three more years in Milwaukee after that title. Finally slowing down in his midthirties, Robertson averaged just over 15 PPG and made only one more All-Star appearance.

John Stockton

Nine consecutive assists titles; averaged 13.1 APG over that span

Played all eighty-two games in twelve of first thirteen seasons as well as his final four seasons

NBA’s career leader in assists (15,806) and steals (3,265) by wide margins

If you wanted to build a starting five around a prototypical, pass-first point guard with the ability to assist teammates and swipe opponents, then John Stockton would be the perfect choice. Over 1,500 games played in the regular season and another 182 in the playoffs, all with the Utah Jazz, he was able to put up some incredible numbers. No one in NBA history has dished out more assists or stolen the ball more than him…and it’s not even close.

It’s likely that Stockton’s career mark of assists will last a very long time. Jason Kidd, #2 in that category and an all-time pass master himself, fell more than 3,700 assists shy of the record. With Karl Malone usually on the receiving end, Stockton amassed more than 1,000 dimes in a year seven times.

While the Jazz were never able to win a title, they did make it to the Finals twice and were in the postseason tournament every season with him at point guard. He was at his best during a five-year run from 1988 to ’92. Over forty-four playoff games, he averaged more than 14 assists per game.

Stockton will never be confused with the ultra-athletic players who can ignite a crowd instantly with a thunderous dunk or an electrifying block at the rim. He wasn’t that type of player. But he was intelligent and consistent and tough, and he ended his career with more assists and more steals (two of the most important statistics for PGs especially) than any player ever.

Isiah Thomas

1990 NBA Finals MVP (28 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists)

Team leader of back-to-back championship squads that went 30–7 in the playoffs

Selected First Team All-NBA for three straight years (1984–’86)

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