So as it turns out today is “Back to the Future Day.” To be very honest, I have no idea what that means as I have never seen the classic movie that has made the day such an event. That said, Ian dropped an idea in our email thread based on that day that seemed a lot of fun, deciding on an “All-Back to the Future” team of former NBA players that would fit into today’s game. Since he wasn’t around to make a team I took up the task and after careful consideration decided on a team with a few caveats.
- Don’t just list the guys that many people consider the best players of all time. Of course Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson and Larry Bird would fit perfectly into today’s game just like they would in any game. I wanted to be more creative than that. I still picked great players but tried to stay away from Magic and MJ and Kareem.
- Positions matter. I wanted to come up with an actual lineup with a point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center.
- This is my team. Everyone will have one a bit different. Feel free to leave yours in the comments. Everyone’s will be a bit different.
Now onto the team.
Point guard: John Stockton
With the importance of the pick-and-roll in today’s NBA, Stockton would be a wonderful pick. During his time in Utah, Stockton became famous for running the play with Karl Malone but with the increased in elite three-point shooters since his time, he would have more options to pass to. Considering that he also was a great defender and a pretty good shooter for his time, Stockton would fit right in.
Shooting guard: Pete Maravich
One of the great things about today’s NBA is the personalities of the players and how that blends into on court action. Russell Westbrook is so much fun because it doesn’t seem like the angry, crazy, super intense player version of Westbrook that we see on the court is much different from the guy he is off the court. Now imagine an elite scorer with a flair for crazy playing in all the space that we have today. Maravich would be a joy to watch and would challenge the likes of Kobe Bryant and Nick Young for biggest gunner in the league status. It would be so fun.
Small forward: Dominique Wilkins
A super athletic forward who would fly up and down the court in transition and throw down monster dunks? That fits in any generation but especially today’s.
Power forward: Shawn Kemp
Dunkers are fun and Kemp was a great one. He also was so athletic that he would probably fit right along with the way the position is changing right now to quicker, faster players that can shoot and dribble instead of just bang in the post. His jump shooting would have to improve a bit, but with his athleticism and power imagining Kemp dueling with Blake Griffin is a ton of fun.
Center: Bill Walton
This was perhaps the easiest choice to make. During his time in the league, Walton was known for being more than just a great scorer. He would defend, block shots and most importantly for this exercise throw some great passes all around the floor. Now imagine him taking on the role that Marc Gasol has in Memphis in a much more open game. It would be a thing of beauty. Plus, with today’s medical improvements, maybe foot injuries wouldn’t have ended things too early.