We all have our favorite players in sports. Patrick Mahomes in football. Kobe Bryant in basketball. J.P Sears in baseball (WHO?). I’m kidding. From the three I listed, I truthfully have Kobe as my favorite. The other two? Not on top of my list, but maybe top 10-15. That’s not the point. When it comes to the NBA, most of us have five players that we would want in our dream lineup. Let me know who you guys would have in the comment section. For now, here is my dream starting five for an NBA team (call them the Nate Seed Squad, I don’t know). Here we go.
PG: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
This is no debate. Curry has been the most dangerous shooter in the NBA for quite some time. Averaging almost 27 points a game, he’s hitting almost five threes per game out of an average of 12 attempts.
His ability to drive and hit the easy layup shows he’s not just a deep threat. But, having someone who can hit a shot from beyond the arc with ease is useful and fun to have. I don’t need him to pass (although he’s averaging almost five assists a game). Just shoot the ball and let it fly. Regardless of how far it may be, I trust Curry to lead my team as the point guard.
Stephen Curry caps a 10-0 Warriors' run to cut the deficit!
— NBA (@NBA) March 19, 2024
NYK-GSW Live on ESPN pic.twitter.com/jX6Exlmde1
SG: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Do you think I would forget about this man? Forget about having exact positions and “OH WELL, HE CAN’T PLAY THE TWO GUARD”. Stop it, this is about having fun.
Anyways, where were we? Oh, right. Doncic has taken the NBA by storm since his arrival in 2018. He currently leads the NBA with 34 points per game and is so close to averaging a triple-double on the year (9.0 and 9.8 rebounds and assists, respectively).
Doncic’s shooting numbers have increased each season. But, his skillset and making things look effortless stand out despite not being one of the fastest players in the league.
Kyrie Irving with the Alley-Oop from Luka Doncic(!)
— Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) March 22, 2024
That's Kyrie's 4th dunk of the season, his most since 2014-15 pic.twitter.com/yy2L38ft2M
Mavs Chronicle Film Sessions | @dallasmavs @nuggets
— Jerico (@kyriemavs) March 18, 2024
Clip #16
"Luka Doncic's usage is too high, he takes too many bad shots, and he dribbles too much"
The looks Luka gets when he dribbles for 10 seconds.
I call out zero pass possessions more than anyone in this fanbase, but… pic.twitter.com/djCLQIXBMc
Whether it’s hitting the clutch shot or just making winning plays, I want this guy on my team any day of the week. Two ball-handlers in Curry and Doncic? Yes, please.
SF: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
Can’t forget about the G.O.A.T. The man speaks for himself, standing alone as the only player with 40,000 career points to go along with his four championships.
James can do it all. Score, assist, rebound, make outstanding blocks; he’s just a machine that refuses to slow down. He has remained relatively healthy this year, surpassing the 60-game mark for the first time in three seasons. Not only is he currently shooting over 50% for the fourth season in a row, but he’s also shooting 40% from beyond the arc.
The King has always been a playmaker, and that’s been clear this year. Averaging about eight assists per game, he’s not doing it all on his own as he trust his guys to lead the team to victory (ex: Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell).
But, when he takes the matter into his own hands, it’s game over.
LEBRON JAMES TONIGHT:
— BronMuse (@BronMuse) February 29, 2024
34 PTS (19 in 4th)
8 AST
6 REB
2 BLK
62% FG
7 3PM
LEBRON IS NOW 3-0 VS CLIPPERS THIS SEASON. pic.twitter.com/u5EjK9UFmY
He’s the King for a reason. Give me James at small forward any day of the week.
PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
The Greek Freak is a character off the court. But on it, he means business. Leading all power forward with 30.8 PPG, the 6’11” monster is worth having on the team.
Despite not being a great three-point shooter like Kevin Durant (also a PF), we need someone to drive the paint and get tough buckets inside. Antetokounmpo can do that with ease, as he is currently shooting 61% inside the arc. Add in his 11 rebounds per game, and it just shows how much of an impact he has on both ends of the court.
We can’t forget about his defense. With his size and frame, he can handle other opposing forwards without much trouble.
Nic Claxton gets STONED by Giannis 😳pic.twitter.com/4ZrTUEmjnd
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 22, 2024
A player like Giannis is just a necessity to have on my dream team. From his dunks to raining threes unexpectedly to making impact blocks, there are many reasons why I want starting as my power forward.
C: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
“NOT JOKIC? OR EMBIID? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?”
Look, I get your concerns and questions about my decision-making. But, you cannot sit here and tell me you would not consider the 7’4″ French big man in your starting lineup. I dare you.
Wembanyama is currently averaging almost 21 points a game (fourth among centers), despite shooting just 46.4% from the field. He isn’t the greatest three-point shooter, but he’s making two of them a game, and his size allows him to shoot them despite defenders being on him (one benefit of being super tall).
But, the most exciting part about his game is defense. Along with averaging 10 rebounds a game, Wemby is averaging an insane 3.5 blocks per game and 1.3 steals per game. The man had a triple-double with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 blocks. 10 of them. I would take that all day long.
He’s exciting, young, and tall. Even against guys like Jokic and Embiid and the other big men of the world, Wembanyama is just too fun to watch to just not have on my team. I cannot wait to see him continue to develop.
Wemby ranks among rookies:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 21, 2024
1st in points
1st in rebounds
4th in assists
1st in steals
1st in blocks
1st in free throws
5th in threes
Rookie of the Year. https://t.co/8K37fvqRJ3
This is my dream NBA starting five. Who’s on your dream team? Let me know who (and why), and see if you can beat my team.
Make sure to visit Belly Up Sports every week and follow me on Twitter/X! Also, check out my podcast “Backup to the Backup” on Spotify and YouTube for more sports content from me.
Images are all from Getty Images, including those in the featured image.
