Assuming...

Voted allstar teams
Healthy players
Present day playing ability
Exact same bench players

Which starting line-up would win a best-of-7 playoffs?

WEST

C Yao Ming
F Tim Duncan
F Amare Stoudomire
G Kobe Bryant
G Chris Paul


EAST

C Dwight Howard
F Kevin Garnett
F Lebron James
G Allen Iverson
G Dwane Wade

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This is a tough one. Looking quickly, the biggest hole for East is that there's no real assist man. AI and Wade are alright but aren't even close to the PG that Paul is.

Teams split on present day MVP candidates. Kobe/Paul for West and Lebron/Howard for East.

Previous playoff MVPs--> Duncan for West, Wade for East.

So go to match-ups and assume Iverson is PG since he obviously guard against Paul better than Kobe.

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Yao vs. Dwight--> The way Dwight is playing I don't think Yao can guard Howard properly without fouling. Edge: Dwight EAST

Duncan vs. KG--> The reigning Defensive Player of the Year will cause fits for old Timmy. I gotta think The Big Ticket is good here. Edge: KG EAST

Amare vs. Lebron--> Lebron's just too fast. Amare will pick up fouls like crazy trying to stop King James. I think Amare will have his way in the paint but it won't be enough. Edge: Lebron EAST

Kobe vs. Wade--> Talk about a tough match-up. Can't go against Bryant though. Edge: Kobe WEST

Paul vs. Iverson--> This isn't really fair is it? Edge: Paul WEST

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So on match-ups alone it would appear as though the East has got it (based on my analysis) but chemistry could change everything. Both teams have guys who are willing to take a reduced scoring role but I'm AI could kill the chemistry in the East.

Thoughts?

Paul/Iverson is interesting because AI's motor never stops and he might wear Paul down on defense. Iverson also excels in these types of games.

Wade is playing every bit as good as Kobe, if not better this year because he is doing more for his team than Kobe has too. I'm not saying in a one game scenario Kobe wouldn't be able to outplay him, but even if he does it won't be by much. It's probably the only matchup in the game where two of the top 5 players in the game are at the same position.

LJ has the edge on the wing, but there is no way he can guard Amare in the post. He would get eaten up my Amare down low. Both teams would have to resort to zones/double teaming/switching for these matchups because one is a post player and one is a wing player.

Can they post both Amare and Duncan at the same time?

Why would you, if Lebron is on one and KG is on the other I know who I'm sending to the post.

I'm just saying you have yao , duncan and amare - that's a lot of people competing for the inside

duncan basically lives on the left block - you could probably make do with duncan and howard to stop the posts

they could switch off

plus if its a problem - AI can easily be put on the bench and Lebron can play point

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On the eastern team I pretty much agree, I see AI playing the two more than the 1 while LJ or Wade run point.

You mean Garnett and Howard. What you are suggesting is that they play a zone defense and NBA teams pick apart zone defenses.



The question was which starting 5 would win, so you can't substitute.



Also, I don't agree that Garnett has the edge over Duncan.

This seems kind of a silly discussion. If everyone is healthy and they play 100 games, I bet it would be somewhere in the range of 55-45 for one or the other.

For this to be realistic you would need to consider the entire 12 man roster of the All Star teams.

I think if we are comparing who is better by each position, I think East would win.

On the West there are more unselfish players though imo. So I'd definitely go with the West because I see them playing well together.

The West on defense is pretty damn scary...literally the Great Wall. But on offense it's just too cluttered to have 3 bigs in the paint like you say.

AI could play the 2 and East have switch defense for the guard positions. but you can't Lebron on point...you give up too much size by putting Wade on Amare. that's like 4 inches and 30 lbs. I know you love hating on James but I take Lebron over Wade on a defensive assignment vs. a C/PF

Just because you switch roles on offense doesn't mean you switch them on defense. Just because Lebron can operate on point on offense doesn't mean he would guard Paul, you still need him on the wing or in the post, but if they were smart they play would play a matchup zone in the east that leaves Lebron on the wing where he can play his style of defense better.

I'm not saying that its optimal or a good idea

but last time the cavs played the hornets - LeBron guarded Paul in the 4th quarter - he's actually guarded all 5 positions this year - he played center and guarded Jermaine O'Neal recently

The reason you throw a tall player like Lebron on a PG in the 4th quarter is just to help take them out of their flow. The Bulls used to do the same thing with Pippen.