A Different Dream Team

This is the final installment in what feels like 30 blog entries related to white NBA players in the past month. If you haven't been reading, I did one about the top ten white NBA free agents, then did an all-time NBA Dream Team with the promise of one with white players, then last did one about the best layup line ever. Not sure why, just seemed like a fun theme. If you are at all offended by the theme, allow me to apologize for you taking things too seriously. There's no hidden agenda, nobody meant to be offended. Just poking fun at the dearth in NBA White Players, and feeding off a running email theme between myself and two friends, Dan Ekonen and Dru Fairliss. But seriously, if you're offended and think that we shouldn't look at things by color, just as athletes, I'll save you the time (as I did in the free agent list)... you win the argument. Just having fun. I love you all, regardless of color. Ok, let's move on to the list.

Not as much math went into this as the All-Time Dream Team. (If you want to read the old blogs, see the tabs on the right side... I'm feeling too lazy to link to anything here tonight). The rules? THERE ARE NO RULES! I emailed my two friends with really no rules. I went with a top 15, they went with 5, a separate 5, and 8. To save time, I'll copy their emails into here, then list the correct list, which is my 15. Here we go:

DAN 'Serge Zwikker' EKONEN

All White All The Time
G- Stockton
G- pistol
F- bird
F - Dirk
C - Rik Smits
Bench - Oh Thunderous One

Please note the scoring comes at the 2-4 Stockton is the greatest PG ever. I guess i left off drazen, in all realisticness it makes more sense to bring him off the bench. However, who could guard MJ on this team. only Majerle. Since Serge Zwikker never made it to the league i have to go with my guy and my playground legend nickname, (no really that is my nickname on the playground i'll tell you about it on Friday).

All White (Team US)
G - stockton
G - pistol
F - havlicek
F - bird
C - Mark Eaton

This team is a toughie, I went with Eaton over Walton because we need a defensive presence and some interior rebounding. My first person off the bench would have to be a hard nosed big man, lambier david lee, bill bradley?
---
Drew 'These Rules Aren't' Fairless

I had a hard time figuring out who to pick... Do I base it on career statistics when George Mikan was slapping up 20-10 seasons against the opposing team's center who was 6-3 and couldn't jump over the free throw line? Do foreign players count? I'm going to say no. And I'll base it on numbers, not just pure ability, because I think I could argue Chris Mihm was better than any player before 1970.

Larry Bird, Pistol Pete, John Stockton, Rick Barry, Kevin McHale, George Mikan, Bill Walton, The Logo and Bob Cousy

C- Bill Walton (Portland Bill)
PF- Kevin McHale (I'll take him with a broken foot)
SF- Larry Bird (With the mustache)
SG- Jerry West
PG- John Stockton

Sixth Man: Pistol Pete (highest career ppg average in college hoops history at about 44/game... if he got 35 one night, he'd have to go back out the next game and put up 53, all while not having a 3 pt line)
Role players: Bobby Sura( he won a dunk contest and cheated his way to a triple double that was later VETOED by David Stern) , George Mikan, and Rick Barry (Rick Barry is a prick, per Bill Simmons)
Head Coach: Lenny Wilkens

We may be a little undersized, and perhaps a bit limited defensively, but we'd be "disciplined", "tough", and a bunch of "gym rats." We'd also box out, set hard screens, and wear mouth guards.
---
The inclusion of Bobby Sura is just absurd, there's clearly a man-crush going on there. I digress. Let's get to my list. Had to get it to 15, with a depth chart and all. Rather than give you the starting 5, we'll list by position and depth..

PG
1- John Stockton
2- Bob Cousy
3- Mark Price

Gotta have Stockton here. Cooz definitely gets in, and having Price may be generational bias. Also worth noting here that I went with only white Americans. MERICA!

SG
1- Jerry West
2- Pete Maravich
3- Jeff Hornacek

Shredding my usual generational bias and the urge to include Wally Szczerbiak here. West is an all-time great. Maravich maybe could be a PG, but we'll put him here and call him a combo guard. And any time you can include a guy who could be nicknamed 'Horny', he deserves to be on the list.

SF
1- Larry Bird
2- Chris Mullin
3- Dan Majerle

Love this position. Bird is obvious. Mullin was a Dream Teamer and had one of the top flat tops of all time. Thunder Dan makes it to bring some breakaway excitement and Chippewa pride.

PF
1- Kevin McHale
2- Kevin Love
3- Tom Chambers

The generational bias definitely puts Love over Chambers. Nothing interesting to say here really. Fundamentals.

C
1- Bill Walton
2- George Mikan
3- Chris Kaman

Not crazy at this position. But it would be fun to have Walton and Love in the lineup together grabbing boards and gunning the ball for fast breaks. Have to have Mikan just because. Kaman helps boost the Chippewa pride.

Nice little team. The starting 5 of Stockton, West, Bird, McHale and Walton is nasty. They'd win an NBA title if they were in the league together right now. And have the best layup line in the league. That's it for now. Sorry for not much more detail on this one.
---
We have these energy strips at the Rec called 'Sheets'. They're terrible. Taste like NyQuil and didn't give me any energy. The only positive thing I can see from them is their marketing. See the vid here. Worth watching.



---

This will probably be the last blog for a week. I leave in the morning to head to Michigan for a week. Sorry kids. Gotta enjoy the break a little bit. But maybe, just maybe, I'll check in from the Mitten to keep this big blogging month going.

If not, have a great weekend.

Slainte,
Gary