NBA All-Time Starting 5: Creating the ultimate lineup without altering positions

Center: Bill Russell

If shooting guard was the easiest decision to make, center is by far the most difficult. Throughout NBA history it was often the centers who were the very best players in the league; that was true in the 60s with Russell and Wilt, the 70s and 80s with Kareem, the 90s with Hakeem and Ewing and Robinson, the 2000s with Shaq and today with Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic.

If this team wanted to maximize their offensive output, Shaquille O'Neal would be the choice. He could punish nearly any defender 1-on-1 in the paint, and teams would be hard-pressed to both double him in the paint and continue defending the rest of the lineup. Yet defensively he is essentially locked into the paint, and this team would be best served by a more versatile defender.

They also don't need someone operating with the ball in their hands; they have Michael Jordan and LeBron James. That's why Kareem and Wilt are out. Additionally, while Nikola Jokic is a good enough shooter to play off-ball, his value is derived from his ability to pass teammates open; he would help boost the offense, but perhaps not as much as his slightly-above-average defense would take away.

The decision ultimately came down to Hakeem Olajuwon and Bill Russell, and we went with Russell, the ultimate winner. His rebounding would absolutely punish teams trying to go small, and defensively he would almost certainly have the range to defend in space once he got up to speed with the modern game.

It's hard to argue with a player who won 11 titles in 13 seasons and was usually the best player on the court despite not demanding the ball. His ability to impact the game through defense and rebounding was historic.

Who on planet earth could hope to score inside against Bill Russell, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James? Good luck passing around the perimeter with Michael Jordan lurking. This team would obviously have an amazing offense, but their defense would be truly awe-inspiring.

Russell's versatility on defense would allow this group to take on big teams (say the imaginary opponent had Shaq and Giannis Antetokounmpo, for example) but also match up with 5-out teams (say it was Jokic and Dirk Nowitzki).

This group would be unstoppable: Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Bill Russell. That's the greatest 5-man lineup across positions that you could possible put together.

Bring on the Monstars.

Others Considered: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuown, Wilt Chamberlain, Nikola Jokic