Dream Team

The world of sports talk was set ablaze Tuesday when NBA superstar LeBron James sent this tweet to ESPN NFL Reporter John Clayton.

“@ClaytonESPN When is the deadline for a team to sign a free agent?”

The debate began almost immediately because it seems like ESPN thinks it’s news every time LeBron tweets (regardless of the subject matter). Is LeBron serious? If so, should a team sign him? He was an all-state wide receiver in high school, but could he play in the NFL? Look no further than Antonio Gates or Jimmy Graham.

Ok LeBron, even though I don’t think you’re remotely serious and you probably just want the media to speculate about how great of an athlete you are, I’ll bite too.

Could LeBron play in the NFL? In a heartbeat. The dude is 6’8 250 and probably runs a 4.4-4.6. Sure, he’d be extremely raw and he wouldn’t know what he was doing half of the time, but with an ounce of coaching, practice, and dedication he could be a force. The people that say that the best athletes in the world are in the NFL are wrong. The best athletes in the world are in the NBA and I don’t think there’s much of a debate.

Of course this begs the question, “What other NBA players could successfully make the transition to the NFL?”

Well to answer that question I put together an NFL roster of NBA players. You may not know all of the following names, but I did my best to assign players to a position that best fit their body type, mentality, and skill set. Most NBA players are simply too tall to realistically have a place on the football field, other than as a kick blocking expert, so you won’t find a Dwight Howard or Kevin Garnett anywhere on my suggested roster.


Depth Chart

Offense

WR- LeBron James, Heat F (6’8, 250)- Most people say that LeBron would make for a premier tight end because of his size, but I’d keep him at his natural position so he doesn’t have to get in a three point stance, block anyone with real size, or get chipped coming off the line. He’d be unguardable on the goal line. Even if he was double covered he’d still catch fades.

WR- Monta Ellis, Warriors G (6’3, 185)- I wanted to make his teammate Steph Curry my slot WR, but Curry doesn’t have the toughness to go across the middle. Ellis isn’t that well known, but he’s an electrifying athlete.

OT- Al Horford, Hawks C (6’10, 245)- Horford has extremely long arms, enormous hands, a wide base, quick feet, and a calm and cool demeanor. He’s my first pick to protect the blind side.

OG- Chuck Hayes, Rockets C (6’6, 238)- Chuck Hayes is an absolute bad ass. He just goes about his business grabbing every rebound in sight and playing stellar defense even though he’s undersized without ever seeking praise or admiration for his hard work. This selflessness is rare for an NBA player and much needed for an offensive line man.

C- Luke Harangody, Cavs F (6’7, 251)- He’s a little tall, but centers need to be smart in order to make protection calls and Harangody’s Notre Dame education would go far.

OG- Craig Smith, Clippers F (6’7, 265)- Smith has some serious meat to him and after sitting next to his mother at a BC basketball game I think he could easily pack on the 50-60 pounds he’d need to effectively play at the NFL level.

OT- Jon Brockman, Bucks F (6’7, 255)- Brockman has the perfect frame and agility to play tackle. He’s built like a house and could quickly beef up to 330-340.

TE- Amare Stoudemire, Knicks F (6’10, 240)- STAT’s combination of size, speed, soft hands, and toughness would make him an elite TE almost instantly.

WR- Kevin Durant, Thunder F (6’9, 230)- Durant is such a gamer that I thought about making him the quarterback. He heats up like nobody else in the league and I could see him doing the same as a receiver. If you need a big catch in the 4th quarter with the game on the line Durant would be your guy.

QB- Jason Kidd, Mavs G (6’4, 210)- I’ve scanned through every player in the league and Kidd just seems like the obvious choice. He has the ideal size, vision, and leadership qualities, but I question his intellect.

RB- Derrick Rose, Bulls G (6’3, 190)- I think this is the best fit of any position. Rose is out of control fast, agile, and powerful. I see him as a cross between Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice.


Defense

DE- Blake Griffin, Clippers F (6’10, 251)- Good luck blocking him coming off the edge. He arguably has the best blend of speed, power, and aggressiveness in the league.

DT- DeJuan Blair, Spurs F (6’7, 270)- Blair’s mass and quickness would make him a disruptive force in the A and B gaps.

DT- Glen “Big Baby” Davis, Celtics F (6’9, 289)- Big Baby is enormous and has ideal size for offensive tackle, but he’s way too dumb to play offense. I also think he’s a little unstable and that’s the exact quality I want in players that play defense.

DE- Joey Dorsey, Raptors F (6’8, 268)-I honestly didn’t know that Dorsey was still in the NBA, but anyone that saw him play at Memphis knows that he’s an absolute freak of nature.

OLB- Shannon Brown, Lakers G (6’4, 210)- Easily one of the most athletic players in the association. He’s fast, quick, gritty, and ferocious. Exactly what I want in a LB.

MLB- Gerald Wallace, Blazers F (6’7, 220)- He doesn’t have elite level speed for an NBA player, but I think he’s faster than most middle linebackers in the NFL. He’s also one of the most intimidating guys you can imagine. Picture the last person you want to see in a dark alley late at night. You’ve just pictured Gerald Wallace.

OLB- Tony Allen, Grizzlies G (6’4, 213)- One of the best on ball defenders in the NBA. Prototypical size for a LB. In fact, he could probably play SS, but I can easily see him shedding blocks and tackling anyone in sight.

CB- Nate Robinson, Thunder G (5’9, 180)- He played cornerback at the University of Washington and would make the transition to the NFL the easiest especially from a technical stand point.

FS- Rajon Rondo, Celtics G (6’1, 171)- Rondo would be an absolute ball hawk and his inefficiencies as a shooter wouldn’t come into play in the NFL.

SS- Russell Westbrook, Thunder G (6’3, 187)- The dude is a blur and he’s super aggressive. He’d probably bite on every play fake for the first year or two of his career, but I think he could be an impact player.

CB- Kyle Lowry, Rockets G (6’0, 205)- Probably the feistiest player in the NBA. I don’t think he’d be a lockdown corner, but he’d thrive playing bump and run and would hardly ever miss a tackle.


Special Teams

K- Steve Nash, Suns G (6’3, 178)- He plays in a soccer league in NYC in the summer, so I assume he can kick. He’d also be at least the 2nd biggest kicker in the league (Sebastian Janikowski).

P- Tracy McGrady, Pistons F (6’8, 223)- I went to a game 10 years ago in Orlando where McGrady punted the ball into the stands not once, but twice, so I imagine that he’d at least be interested in the position.

KR- Manu Ginobili, Spurs G (6’6, 205)- Manu’s 6’6? Either way, he’s crafty, elusive, and dynamic.

PR- Brandon Jennings, Bucks G (6’1, 169)- He’d probably dance too much and try to make the home run plays, but if he could be coach to make 1 move and then go north and south he could be explosive. He’d also see some action as the 3rd down running back.


Bench

OT- Kevin Love, Timberwolves F (6’10, 260)
OT- DeMarcus Cousins, Kings C (6’11, 270)
OT- Josh Harrellson, Knicks F (6’10, 275)
OG- Reggie Evans, Raptors F (6’8, 245)
OG- Jason Maxiell, Pistons F (6’7, 260)
WR- Rudy Gay, Grizzlies F (6’8, 230)
WR- Dwyane Wade, Heat G (6’4, 220)
WR- Matt Barnes, Lakers F (6’7, 226)
TE- Carmelo Anthony, Knicks F (6’8, 230)
TE- Jason Richardson, Magic G (6’6, 225)
QB- Chris Paul, Hornets G (6’0, 175)
QB- Kirk Hinrich, Hawks G (6’4, 190)
RB- Deron Williams, Nets G (6’3, 209)
RB- Chauncey Billups, Knicks G (6’3, 210)
DE- Ron Artest, Lakers F (6’7, 260)
DE- Corey Maggette, Bucks G (6’6, 225)
DT- Joey Graham, Cavs F (6’7, 230)
DT- Jeff Adrien, Warriors F (6’7, 243)
OLB- Sam Young, Grizzlies F (6’6, 220)
OLB- Andre Igoudala, 76ers G (6’6, 207)
MLB- Tyreke Evans, Kings G (6’6, 220)
CB- Ty Lawson, Nuggets G (5’11, 195)
CB- Kemba Walker, Bobcats G (6’1, 176)
CB- John Wall, Wizards G (6’4, 195)
FS- Raja Bell, Jazz G (6’5, 206)
SS- Ben Gordon, Pistons G (6’3, 200)

If this 53 man roster quits basketball tomorrow and fully commits to becoming the best football players that they can be for a full year I think they'd be able to beat at least 1-2 NFL teams. They'd still be extremely raw even after a full year of devotion, but they would be the biggest, fastest, and most athletic team in the league. The only real question I'd have is at quarterback.
 
PS- I consider myself to be a Kobe apologist, but even I know that he's too much of a nancy boy to play football.