As the NBA is starting to hit its stride midway through the season, we have teams like the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers looking like the lead contenders to come out of the Western Conference. The bottom of the playoff standings features some .500 teams that are hoping to qualify for the postseason and challenge one of these three teams.
There are quite a few teams that are contending for those final spots. From seeds 9-12, it could be anybody’s game right now. However, there seem to be five clear teams that are just flat out not good enough. Those include the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Each team has a piece but that’s the problem. It’s just one piece. What if these five teams disbanded and formed one team? Would the best player on each team form a formidable lineup that contends for an NBA championship? Let’s take a look.
Guard – Ja Morant (Grizzlies)
The reigning Rookie of the Year is just 21 years old and maybe one or two more offseasons away from fully becoming a true NBA star in the league. Morant is averaging 18.2 points and 7.7 assists per game. What is impressive is his assists are higher than last season despite not having much offensive talent around him. Jaren Jackson Jr. is hurt, again, while Dillon Brooks and Jonas Valunchunias are not exactly sexy offensive names.
However, Morant nearly willed the Grizzlies to the first round last season but Memphis has played pretty mediocrely all year. Morant’s three-point shooting percentage (28.2%) is very concerning for a team’s starting guard. Morant would likely need to run the offense and wouldn’t have to worry about being the primary scoring option.
Guard – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
Since both Chris, Paul, and Dennis Schroder have left, and George Hill is injured, it has forced Gilgeous-Alexander to run the point for Oklahoma City. What’s impressive is that his points per game (22.6), field goal percentage (50.6), and three-point field goal percentage (38.2%) have all gone up. While his assists have increased by three, naturally since he is running the point, his rebounds have stayed the same, averaging close to five per game.
Gilgeous-Alexander could run the team with Morant and maybe even set him at times. Gilgeous-Alexander is just 22 years old, so this would be one of the most talented, young backcourts in the game.
Guard – Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
The 6-foot-7 small forward is nearly the same size as Carmelo Anthony (6-foot-8), who has played the power forward position at times in his career. Doncic has more muscle on his bones and could be a more prolific shooter. He is already the franchise leader in double-doubles and could battle with anybody down below.
Besides, if this team was going to go small, Doncic wouldn’t need to be in the paint at all times anyways. The 21-year old thrives all over the court. He is in the midst of a season that could see him average 27 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists. He would provide “Russell Westbrook” stats to this team but would have real talent around him.
Forward – Kristaps Porzingis (Mavericks)
Adding a 7-foot-3 forward that can shoot 35.7% from three-point range is certainly a nice addition to the team. With a small lineup, Porzingis would need to do more on the rebounding front; however, his offensive ability will help spread the floor. With Porzingis out on the wing, that will draw any big out and allow for Morant and Doncic to make explosive plays to the basket. If his defender doesn’t come out, that would give Porzingis the green light to pull up and drain the shot.
Porzingis is a matchup nightmare and hasn’t ever had multiple explosive pieces surrounding him, with the exception of his current teammate in Doncic. With this many pieces, we could see an even better player.
Center – Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves)
Everybody needs a big man in the middle and that would be Towns. The Timberwolves own the worst record in the Western Conference but that’s not completely to the fault of Towns. Ever since being taken with the No. 1 overall pick in 2015, Towns owns a career average of 22.6 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. He needs a change of scenery, so why not join this team?
For this squad, Towns would give this “smaller” team a true rebounding force. Since there are some explosive players on here, Towns wouldn’t have to be the primary scorer. He could play more naturally, not force as much, and thrive as a defensive presence. Not to mention, his passing has gotten better, having averaged more than four assists per game last season.
Conclusion
It all comes down to success, so would this team have enough to take the title?
There are quite a few glowing negative concerns with this assembled team. For starters, age and experience are a factor. There are not very many teams that own young pieces that make it all the way. The only exception was the OKC team of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden in 2012. Only one of those players (Durant) has played in the NBA Finals since. Morant, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Doncic are all 22 years old or younger, so that is a concern.
Next, the outside shooting on this team is nearly obsolete. Morant is shooting less than 30% from the three-point range and his teammates don’t look all that better. Doncic (32%), Towns (34.8%), and Porzingis (35.7%) are all underwhelming. What happens when this team has to play offense in the half-court? Opposing defenses could just clog the lane and let them try and beat them from outside, which isn’t going to happen.
There are a few cornerstone pieces that could build into something great in a few years. However, this team is too inexperienced to do that much damage in the playoffs. Their ceiling would likely be the second round.
