Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook lead Team Mountain Dew

For as long as modern advertising has existed, professional athletes and soft drink companies have formed a great team. In the NBA, that combination has produced plenty of memorable campaigns like Grant Hill and Sprite in the 1990s and Uncle Drew and Pepsi more recently. Last week, Kyrie Irving looked to continue his domination of the soft drink world when he joined up with the formidable Team Mountain Dew.

While Russell Westbrook has been the captain and most visible member of Team Dew, it turns out the company has quite the roster of players already. Per a press release, the company’s roster of NBA partners is now as follows:

Russell Westbrook – NBA Point Guard (national partner)
Kyrie Irving – NBA Point Guard (national partner)
Justin Anderson – NBA Shooting Guard
Giannis Antetokuonmpo – NBA Small Forward
Bradley Beal – NBA Shooting Guard
Patrick Beverley – NBA Point Guard
Devin Booker – NBA Shooting Guard
Mike Conley – NBA Point Guard
Danny Green – NBA Shooting Guard/Small Forward
Elfrid Payton – NBA Point Guard
Rodney Hood – NBA Shooting Guard
Reggie Jackson – NBA Point Guard
CJ McCollum – NBA Shooting Guard
Emmanuel Mudiay – NBA Point Guard
Bobby Portis – NBA Power Forward
Julius Randle – NBA Power Forward
Isaiah Thomas – NBA Point Guard
Myles Turner – NBA Guard
Justise Winslow – NBA Small Forward

Of course, having 19 players on board means having enough to think about all the kind of fun lineups that the team could produce. It also means having to answer hard questions such as, “Reggie Jackson is really good but should he play on this team?” Clearly the right thing to do is hash out a 10-man rotation for Team Dew to see just how good they could be on paper.

Starting backcourt: Russell Westbook and Kyrie Irving

These were the easiest two choices to make. Russell Westbrook is a top five player in the NBA and undoubtedly the leader of this roster. Kyrie Irving is probably one of the 15 best players in basketball and undoubtedly the second best player on this roster. The duo has also played together before on past iterations of Team USA and are great compliments to each other.

Irving’s shooting around Westbrook’s drives would be wonderful and when Westbrook needs a rest from creating offense, Irving can take the reins. It won’t be ideal on defense but Westbrook is big enough to “guard” twos well enough to make the offensive fit work.

Starting forwards: Rodney Hood and Giannis Antetokuonmpo

This is where things start to get tough as Team Dew features a slew of really talented wings.

With Westbrook and Irving in the backcourt, the rest of the starting lineup needs to be complimentary pieces. Hood’s length and shooting would be a great fit on the wing, as he can handle tough defensive assignments and knock down the open threes he will undoubtedly get. Add in the ability to run pick-and-rolls and attack closeouts in emergencies and he should flourish. Size and defense are what ultimately puts Hood in the starting lineup over Danny Green, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Justise Winslow.

Antetokuonmpo is a bit tougher fit but, ultimately, his ability to play the four gives him the nod. With his length and athleticism, Giannis should thrive as the roll man in pick-and-rolls and as a secondary rim protector alongside our starting center. Add in some rebounding chops and my personal bias and Giannis gets the nod over Winslow, Julius Randle and Bobby Portis.

Starting center: Myles Turner

Turner is the only true center on the team, no matter what Mountain Dew says. His shot blocking and rebounding are a perfect fit for a not-ideal defensive backcourt and his shooting is a nice bonus. Add in his athleticism in running the floor, something this team clearly is built for, and he is a perfect center. Now if he could only play 48 minutes.

Bench backcourt: Mike Conley and Devin Booker

Conley was an easy choice here. Thanks to his shooting, defense and tiny ego, Conley fits with any of the starting guards or wings. Add in the fact that he can run a bench unit by himself and it becomes a no-brainer.

Booker is a bit more controversial with Isaiah Thomas still around, but ultimately we needed a bigger guard so he gets the nod. His sweet shooting should fit well for a team with plenty of ball handling options.

Backup forwards: Justise Winslow and Danny Green

Winslow’s ability to play power forward makes him an easy choice. With an uninspiring power forward group, Team Dew is better off going small and letting Winslow create havoc with his energy and athleticism. He also fits very well as a guy who doesn’t need the ball at all to be effective.

Green however, was a tough choice. It is his defense that earns him the nod. With Irving and Westbrook the team needed someone to credibly defend big guards and Green is more than capable at that.

Backup center: Julius Randle

Yuck. Choosing between Portis and Randle is brutal. But at the end of the day, at least we know Randle can rebound at an above-average level. Honestly, I wish there was a way to force Thomas into the rotation instead.

So there it is, the 10-man Team Mountain Dew rotation. It isn’t perfect but if the Dew General Manager can add another talented big, this team can win an NBA title. Or could. If they were an actual NBA team and the salary cap didn’t exist.