For me I would probably take:

1. Dwight Howard - young and just an absolute monster
2. CP3 - One of the best PG's going around
3. Melo - just a flat out scorer.

I would have chosen KG and Kobe but they are just a bit too old to start a franchise around now IMO.

LeBron, Steve Nash, Dirk, Kobe

What to see how good Durant will be

1: Dwight - the true Beast of the East. He's legit and will be crashing boards and scoring points for a long long time.

2: Yao - franchise centre, plus generates huge fan support from Asia which means more $$$$

3: Deron Williams - I prefer him over CP3. Williams is a bit taller and his numbers are just as good. Plus CP3 has just been diagnosed with stress fractures which anything could happen with.

If I could have a fourth I'd roll with Oden.

You know that you just chose 3 centres??

Nash, Kobe and then Dirk

1. LeBron James: The chance to surround him with a good supporting cast at another franchise I believe would take his playing abilites to another level. He has age, talent and popularity on his side.

2. Yao Ming: Proven commodity who I dont believe has reached his peak. Same points that TR raised as well, especially support from Asia which can not be underestimated.

3. Kobe Bryant: Has championship experience, the ability to win games/playoff series off his own back and still has a lot of time left in the nba. His games attract national interest.. debatable whether for good/bad reasons.

Kobe, Nash, and KG are all amazing players, but if I was truly building a franchise I'd want to start young.


Dwight Howard- The man is an absolute monster. Need I say more?

D-Wade- Apart from the fact he's a brilliant player, he has a fantastic attitude; in a Jordan-esque way, he doesn't ever give up. Also, we know he can either carry a team (when shaq was out for the first half of this season) or co-exist with other superstars (see 2006 playoffs).

The 3rd pick is a bit harder, I think:

Dirk- He can be boring to watch, but who can actually guard him?

CP3- Assuming the stress fractures heal. He's one hell of a playmaker. If he was too risky, I'd take Deron for sure. He'll be the next Kidd in 3 seasons, max.

Durant- What can't he do?
Oh, wait. He's dominated in college, but hasn't actually played in the NBA yet. It could either pay off big (think Melo) or be a nasty surprise (think Laettner). With his crazy arsenal of moves though, it's a risk I'd be willing to take.

LeBron- When he plays like he is now, not when he's in selfish, sulking mode. Could he really exist on a team where he wasn't the only star though?

Melo is a notable omission, mainly due to that gutless bitch-slap he delivered in December.

If I could only pick 1, it would be Wade.

I think the fact that Lebron continually defers to teammates when he thinks they are in a better position to score then him proves he can coexist. I'd say alot of the 'sulking' would come from these teammates not stepping up to the challenge half the time. You can build a team around him with him playing the 1,2, or 3 and you can't knock 29 7 and 7 at 21 yrs of age.

Andrew Bynum is one who hasnt got a mention........the Kids only what ...19, going on 20 this year in October

With one of the greatest ctrs of all time Kareem working with him

He will be the Lakers Franchise

Provided he doesnt get injured that is

You might not be able to knock the stats but you can certainly knock the heart he is showing - he shows less love for the game than Hardaway showed to the gay people in society.

LeBron is more worried about becoming this worldwide money man than he is about winning a 'ship, just see the last dime mag.

Dirk, Josh Howard and JET

A player does not have to show extraverted emotion to care about the game. The fact remains you nor anyone has even a clue as to what goes through Lebron James head about winning basketball games.

3D

Deron Williams _ the ultimate distributor who can knock the three .
Dwayne Wade _ best allround player in the NBA .

Dirk Nowitzki _ teamed up with deron and dwayne would prove an unstoppable trio .

Also with this three you could support with undervalued role players and dominate .

We may not know what goes on in his head, but you can tell a lot about someone's attitude from their body language and how they commit themselves