Here is my take on an NBA NFL Roster. I’ll start off by saying I don’t watch a ton of NBA, so I enlisted the help of my friends Brian and Kevin. Given the athletic nature of this roster, we decided to go with a spread, zone offense and a hybrid 3-4 base defense.
The Criteria
We based our selections off of mainly size, play-style, and just our own personal opinions. After the roster was set, I went through and made the selections for player comparisons. I based my comparison off a few things:
- Size – Matching up using relative size ratios. A small guy in the NBA is a lot different than a small guy in the NFL
- Play-style – Are they known as a stout defender or a leader on the court? And how do those things translate to the NFL.
- Franchise situation – Is there someone at their assigned position that’s gone through a similar roster change?
- Career length – Finding guys who came into their respective leagues around the same time.
- Gut instinct – Does it just make sense.
The Offense
Quarterbacks
| QBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| LeBron James | Kyrie Irving | Lonzo Ball |
| CLE | BOS | LAL |
| 6'8" 250 | 6'3" 193 | 6'6" 190 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | Jimmy Garoppolo | DeShone Kiser |
I know a lot of people have talked about how great of a tight end LeBron would make in the NFL. That may have been true if you had plugged him into a current NFL roster, but for the purpose of this All-NBA team, I couldn’t think of a better player to have running the team at QB. James’ basketball IQ would translate to being a coach on the field. And his size would make him hell to get down, just like Roethlisberger. Backing him up will be the Celtics Kyrie Irving. Choosing him as LeBron’s backup and comparing him to Garoppolo just made too much sense. We round out the QBs with Lonzo Ball. Ball plays the role of under-confident rookie QB (see Kizer) and will spend the most of his time running the scout team offense.
Running Backs
| RBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Russell Westbrook | John Wall | Kemba Walker |
| OKC | WAS | CHA |
| 6'3" 200 | 6'4" 195 | 6'1" 172 |
| LeSean McCoy | Le'Veon Bell | Danny Woodhead |
| Eric Bledsoe | ||
| MIL | ||
| 6'1" 205 | ||
| Chris Thompson |
We have powerful 1-2 punch at running back followed by some great role players. We start things off with the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook. He takes the lead at running back with his aggressive, scorer’s mentality and great athleticism, similar to a Shady McCoy. Coming in as the change of pace back is Washington’s John Wall. His vision and quick first step makes him a great zone and misdirection runner. His patience combined with that quick first step make him a great comparison to the Steelers’ Le’Veon Bell. Next in the RB corps is the Hornet’s Kemba Walker. Walker’s smaller stature and athleticism make him a great candidate for our passing down back, like the Ravens’ Danny Woodhead. Walker will see most of his snaps in spread formations, including seeing time in the slot. We round out the running backs with the newest Buck, Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe will play the role of underappreciated back who has great yards per touch, but isn’t seen as a guy that could lead the team. He will also serve as the teams’ primary returner.
Wide Receivers
| WRs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Durant | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Jimmy Butler |
| GSW | MIL | MIN |
| 6'9" 240 | 6'11" 222 | 6'8" 236 |
| AJ Green | Julio Jones | Doug Baldwin |
| Carmelo Anthony | Ben Simmons | JJ Redick |
| OKC | PHI | PHI |
| 6'8" 240 | 6'10" 230 | 6'4" 190 |
| Dez Bryant | Mike Williams | Danny Amendola |
Wide receiver is one of the easier positions to translate as these guys are a combination of height, athleticism, and good hands. We start with last years finals MVP, Kevin Durant. His tall, lanky frame and ability to score made him a good comparison to the Bengal’s AJ Green. Starting opposite Durant will be the Alphabet, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis would provide the big play threat to the offense and be the guy to go up and get one when you need it, not unlike the Falcon’s Julio Jones. Starting in the slot is Jimmy Butler. His ability to score, rawness, and toughness on the defensive side of the ball makes him a great option for making the tough catches over the middle. It’s that toughness that makes him a great comparison to the Seahawks’ Doug Baldwin. Backing up this starting crew is Oklahoma City’s Carmelo Anthony. Anthony plays the part of veteran role player, coming in to make the tough, clutch first down catch when needed. His history of isolation play, and reputation of being selfish, make him a perfect match with Cowboys’ Dez Bryant. We continue the WRs with our next rookie of the roster, 76ers’ Ben Simmons. Simmons takes the role of raw, highly valued backup that is seen as being the new number 1 once he sees some time in the league; much like the LA Chargers first round selection, Mike Williams. We round out the WRs with our key special teamer and role player, JJ Redick. Redick will make most of his contributions on special teams and see some time in the slot in 4 and 5 wide scenarios. He’s a high IQ, tough, scrappy, high motor, gym rat, just like the Patriots’ Danny Amendola.
Tight Ends
| TEs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Paul George | Kristaps Porzingis | Brook Lopez |
| OKC | NYK | LAL |
| 6'9" 220 | 7'3" 240 | 7' 275 |
| Rob Gronkowski | Jimmy Graham | Jesse James |
We had a lot of great choices for the tight end position, as this is the position most often compared to big men in the post. And we’ve seen a few basketball players go on to successful NFL careers, like Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, and Julius Thomas. We start with the Thunder’s Paul George. He is on the smaller side for what we would like of as a tight end, but his height and ability to score makes him a good fit. He also came back from a bad leg injury to make multiple all-star game appearances just like the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski. Backing him up, and playing the role of red-zone specialist, is the Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis. His ability to win in 1-on-1 situations and beat you in multiple different ways, combined with the obvious height comparison, make him a great match for the Seahawks’ Jimmy Graham. But like Graham, we can’t expect him to do much blocking. Which brings us to our last TE of the group, former Brooklyn Net, Brook Lopez. Lopez has the size and strength to take the role as primary blocking back for this offense. At the same time, he has the athleticism to make the tough catches over the middle when his number is called, like the Steelers’ Jesse James. Lopez will also make some key contributions on special teams.
Offensive Line
| OL | ||
|---|---|---|
| T Joel Embiid | T LaMarcus Aldridge | G Andre Drummond |
| PHI | SAS | DET |
| 7' 250 | 6'11" 260 | 6'11" 279 |
| Taylor Lewan | Andrew Whitworth | Kyle Long |
| G Zach Randolph | C Kevin Love | T Al Horford |
| SAC | CLE | BOS |
| 6'9" 260 | 6'10" 251 | 6'10" 245 |
| Jermon Bushrod | Alex Mack | Duane Brown |
| T Hassan Whiteside | G Nikola Jokic | C Marc Gasol |
| MIA | DEN | MEM |
| 7' 265 | 6'10" 250 | 7'1" 255 |
| Jermey Parnell | Laurent Duvernay-Tardif | Spencer Long |
The offensive line was the most difficult part of the roster to fill out. We could go with the obvious, and pick all the big men, but we wanted to find the best combination of size, ability to defend, and guys that we just felt would make great blockers in a spread, zone system. We start at LT with The Process. Embiid’s size and athleticism make him a great fit at left tackle for this offense, as he’ll be able to keep up with the best edge rushers and can be utilized out in space in the screen game. While he struggled with injuries when he first entered the league, Embiid has show all-star caliber play since getting healthy, just like his NFL counterpart, Taylor Lewan. Starting at the other book end will be current Spurs power forward, LaMarcus Aldridge. His year after year, underappreciated all-star play matches up great with former Bengal, now Ram, Andrew Whitworth. Moving down to the inside, we start things off with the Detroit Pistons’ Andre Drummond. His size and physical play style make him a perfect fit for this offensive play style. Drummond can be used out in space on screen and pull plays. This makes him a great comparison to the Bear’s Kyle Long. Starting opposite him will be veteran power forward, Zach Randolph. His size makes him a great choice for our stout, run blocking specialist. We then move in to the center position with the Cavalier’s Kevin Love. Love’s size and high basketball IQ make him a great choice to direct this offensive line. He also has the familiarity of going from a perennial loser to a championship, like the Atlanta Falcon’s Alex Mack. We have a couple veteran and a couple young players backing things up on the line. On the outside, we have veteran Al Horford, who after years with the Hawks made the move over to a contender in the Celtics and the Heat’s Hassan Whiteside. On the inside, we have the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic and the Grizzlies’ veteran, Marc Gasol.
Offensive Scheme Breakdown
The offense would of course run through LeBron. We would run mostly out of a 3-wide, gun set and try to spread the defense out. This would open up the lanes for Westbrook to drive. We would also look to utilize a good bit of RPO for James, as he will be just as dangerous with the ball in his hands, especially in red zone situations. We will look to utilize the screen game a fair amount, especially with Wall and Walker.
The Defense
Defensive Line
| DL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Davis | Blake Griffin | DeMarcus Cousins |
| NOP | LAC | NOP |
| 6'10" 253 | 6'10" 251 | 6'11" 270 |
| JJ Watt | Jason Pierre-Paul | Ndamukong Suh |
| Dwight Howard | Paul Millsap | Jusuf Nurkic |
| CHA | DEN | POR |
| 6'11" 265 | 6'8" 246 | 7' 280 |
| Julius Peppers | Michael Bennett | Stephon Tuitt |
| Rudy Gobert | ||
| UTA | ||
| 7'1" 245 | ||
| Michael Johnson |
Our defensive line is a great blend of size and athleticism, as well as young talent combined with veteran presence. We start things off at defensive end with the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis. Davis’ rare combination of size and speed would have him wreaking havoc on opposing offensive lines. His enormous wingspan would also be a great tool for knocking down passes when he can’t get to the quarterback, not unlike the Texans’ JJ Watt. Playing opposite Davis will be the Clippers’ Blake Griffin. Griffin came into the league as an athletic freak (like his NFL comparison, Jason Pierre -Paul) and would put that athleticism and size on deplay at the defensive end position in this 3-4. Griffin would also be utilized as a pass rushing specialist. But like Pierre-Paul, Griffin’s best seasons have been early in his career, though he still holds the tools to dominate again. Finally we move inside to our nose tackle in this 3-4 defense, Davis’ teammate in New Orleans, DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins will be the gritty, old school nose tackle that doesn’t mind taking on the double teams. However, that aggressive play style will lead to a few unsportsmanlike conduct penalties along the way, similar to the Dolphins’ Ndamukong Suh. Backing things up on the outside starts with veteran Dwight Howard. Howard will provide a veteran presence and leadership to the front 7, while still being able to come in and dominate in certain pass rushing situations. While he doesn’t have quite the Hall of Fame resume as his NFL counterpart Julius Peppers, you could still make the argument that Howard could be a Hall of Famer when all is said and done. The other two role players on the outside are the Nuggets’ Paul Millsap and the Jazz’ Rudy Gobert. Backing up Cousins on the inside, and subbing in on short yardage and goal line situations, is the Blazers’ Jusuf Nurkic. He will be utilized as an excellent run stopper, like the Steelers’ Stephon Tuitt.
Linebackers
| LBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Draymond Green | Karl-Anthony Towns | Klay Thompson |
| GSW | MIN | GSW |
| 6'7" 230 | 7' 244 | 6'7" 215 |
| Vontaze Burfict | Luke Kuechly | Von Miller |
| DeAndre Jordan | Steven Adams | Serge Ibaka |
| LAC | OKC | TOR |
| 6'11" 265 | 7' 255 | 6'10" 235 |
| Jamie Collins | KJ Wright | Paul Posluszny |
| Jae Crowder | Tristan Thompson | |
| CLE | CLE | |
| 6'6" 235 | 6'9" 238 | |
| Mychal Kendricks | Chandler Jones |
We’ll start the linebackers off with the Mike position, and playcaller of the defense, the Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns has been a dominant presence in the league since winning Rookie of the Year for the ’15-’16 season. He is a guy many people would choose to form a team (or in this case a defense) around, just like the Panthers’ Luke Kuechly. Starting next to Towns at the other inside linebacker position will be the Warriors’ Draymond Green. Green will provide a stout run stopping ability and a fierce attitude to the defense. That aggressive nature will look to bite him in the ass a few times as he gets caught playing past the whistle, just like the Bengals’ face of dirty play, Vontaze Burfict. Now we move to our outside backers in this 3-4, we’ll start will our Sam, from the Clippers, DeAndre Jordan. Jordan will be a great two-way outside backer, capable of stopping the run while also playing well in space covering tight ends; winning those 50-50 ball match ups more times than not. This play style translates well to the Browns’ Jamie Collins. Playing the Jack linebacker, and providing the majority of his contributions as a pass rusher, is the Warriors’ Klay Thompson. While Thompson is on the smaller size, his ability to hit from the outside on a consistent basis could make him one of the best in the league, just like the Broncos’ Von Miller. Providing support for the linebacking crew, starting with the inside, will be the Thunder’s Steven Adams and the Raptors’ Serge Ibaka. Adams will be utilized in run support, with Ibaka providing support in obvious passing situations. On the outside, we have a pair of teammates in Cleveland, Jae Crowder and Tristan Thompson. Both will make significant contributions on special teams.
Cornerbacks
| CBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Curry | Chris Paul | Patrick Beverley |
| GSW | HOU | LAC |
| 6'3" 190 | 6' 175 | 6'1" 185 |
| Patrick Peterson | Chris Harris Jr | Janoris Jenkins |
| Mike Conley | Isaiah Thomas | Kyle Lowry |
| MEM | CLE | TOR |
| 6'1" 175 | 5'9" 185 | 6' 205 |
| Adam Jones | Brent Grimes | Jonathan Joseph |
We start the corners off with 2x MVP from the Warriors, Steph Curry. Curry would be an excellent shutdown corner. His ability to create and close space, quickness, and cutting ability would make him a nightmare for opposing QBs, just like the Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson. Unlike Peterson though, Curry would struggle making open field tackles. Starting opposite Curry will be Houston’s Chris Paul. Paul’s on field IQ would make him great at recognizing plays, route combinations, and quarterback tendencies. That combined with his shorter stature, make him a great comparison to the No Fly Zone’s Chris Harris Jr. Coming in as the nickle corner will be the Clippers’ Patrick Beverley. Beverley’s aggressive coverage makes him a great option to come off the bench in nickel and dime packages. Coming in on dime packages will be veteran Mike Conley. Rounding out the CBs, and making the majority of their contributions on special teams, will be the Cavaliers’ Isaiah Thomas and the Raptors’ Kyle Lowry.
Safeties
| Ss | ||
|---|---|---|
| James Harden | Kawhi Leonard | Damian Lillard |
| HOU | SAS | POR |
| 6'5" 220 | 6'7" 230 | 6'3" 195 |
| Eric Berry | Kam Chancellor | Tyrann Mathieu |
| Bradley Beal | ||
| WAS | ||
| 6'5" 207 | ||
| Eric Reid |
We round out the defense with a solid group of safeties. We start at FS with the Rockets’ James Harden. While Harden isn’t known for being a great defender, his vision and athletic ability make him a great option as “center fielder” for this defense, much like the Chiefs’ Eric Berry. Starting at SS will be the Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard. Leonard’s size, strength, and fierce defensive play-style made him an obvious choice for strong safety, but it is his ability to do it at the highest level (2x Defensive Player of the Year) while also being able to make plays on the offensive end that will make him one of the best in the league; just like the Seahawks’ Kam Chancellor. I can also just picture Kawhi in a helmet with a tinted visor. Backing these guys up will be the Blazers’ Damian Lillard and the Wizards’ Bradley Beal.
Defensive Scheme Breakdown
The defense is undersized in spots, but would make up for it in athleticism and ball skills. The pass rush could be one of the best in the league. The defense would shift to a few different hybrid fronts, like a 2-4-5 nickel look on passing downs, with Davis and Boogie Cousins as the down linemen and Griffin and Howard as stand up rushers on the outside. We could also see a swarm style 1-4-6 with Anthony Davis holding down the middle.
Specialists and Head Coach
| ST and HC | ||
|---|---|---|
| K Dirk Nowitzki | P Andrew Bogut | LS Gordon Hayward |
| DAL | LAL | BOS |
| 7' 245 | 7' 260 | 6'8" 226 |
| Sebastian Janikowski | Brad Wing | Jon Dorenbos |
| Head Coach | Gregg Popovich | Bill Belichick |
We start the specialists off with the Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki. Partially because I know he is a soccer fan, partially because I think it would be funny to see a 7 footer kick a field goal, and partially because we thought he would make a good comparison to the Polish Cannon, Sebastian Janikowski. Moving to the punter, we have current LA Laker, Andrew Bogut. Bogut grew up playing Australian rules football in Melbourne, so I have a feeling he may know how to punt a football. Just like fellow Australian, Brad Wing. Finally we round out the roster with our long snapper, Celtics’ Gordon Hayward. Hayward’s season ended pretty much before it really began, just like his NFL counterpart Jon Dorenbos.
There was only one head coach that made sense to coach an NFL team of NBA players, and that’s the Spurs’ Gregg Popovich. Pop already gets a lot of comparisons to the Patriots’ Bill Belichick, so now they’d have a chance to go head to head.
The Starting 22
| Offense | |
|---|---|
| QB | LeBron James |
| RB | Russel Westbrook |
| Z | Kevin Durant |
| X | Giannis Antetokounmpo |
| Slot | Jimmy Butler |
| TE | Paul George |
| LT | Joel Embiid |
| LG | Zach Randolph |
| C | Kevin Love |
| RG | Andre Drummond |
| RT | LaMarcus Aldridge |
| Defense | |
|---|---|
| DE | Anthony Davis |
| NT | DeMarcus Cousins |
| DE | Blake Griffin |
| Sam | DeAndre Jordan |
| Mike | Karl-Anthony Towns |
| Will | Draymond Green |
| Jack | Klay Thompson |
| CB | Stephen Curry |
| CB | Chris Paul |
| SS | Kawhi Leonard |
| FS | James Harden |
Team Breakdown
| Team | # of Players |
|---|---|
| ATL | 0 |
| BKN | 0 |
| BOS | 3 |
| CHA | 2 |
| CHI | 0 |
| CLE | 5 |
| DAL | 1 |
| DEN | 2 |
| DET | 1 |
| GSW | 4 |
| HOU | 2 |
| IND | 0 |
| LAC | 3 |
| LAL | 3 |
| MEM | 2 |
| MIA | 1 |
| MIL | 2 |
| MIN | 2 |
| NOP | 2 |
| NYK | 1 |
| OKC | 4 |
| ORL | 0 |
| PHI | 3 |
| PHX | 0 |
| POR | 2 |
| SAC | 1 |
| SAS | 2 |
| TOR | 2 |
| UTA | 1 |
| WAS | 2 |
No surprise that the tops 3 teams represented are the Cavaliers, Warriors, and Thunder. The Celtics, Clippers, Lakers, and 76ers all finished next with 3. Six NBA teams went unrepresented on this roster, the Hawks, Nets, Bulls, Pacers, Magic, and Suns.
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