Since the NBA is locked out and football is in full swing, we decided to put together our list of who we think would start on a 22-man NFL Football team consisting completely of current NBA players. We broke it down into five parts, and this is the final installment. For more on the Defensive Front Seven, the Offensive Line, the Defensive Backs, and the Offensive Skill Positions, click here, here, here, and here.
The Twenty-Two Man Roster:
Some of the guys who just missed the cut included Tony Allen, Derrick Williams, and DeMarcus Cousins. I had Tony Allen at Safety initially, Derrick Williams was mentioned as a possible D-Line candidate, and DeMarcus Cousins was at one point a Linebacker. None of those guys ended up making this year’s team though, and in the case of Tony Allen specifically, it had nothing to do with the fact that he uses more exclamation points per tweet than any person in the history of twitter either. These decisions were strictly made based on abilities and on-field production. Even the fact that Kevin Durant is cool couldn’t get him on the team, just how it goes over here.
If we were looking to move NBA coaches onto the football sidelines, it was mentioned that Stan Van Gundy could be a Rex Ryan-type too for whatever that’s worth. Crossover Chronicles’ editor Jeff Garcia was also insisting that Bruce Bowen be on the team, in total disregard for the rule that the NBA players had to be currently active, so we decided to let Bowen coach as well to the delight of both Jeff and Bruce. It was also mentioned that Jason Kidd could play the role of Dennis Quaid In Any Given Sunday, and Greg Popovich could be Bill Belichick. I’m not quite sure how any of that ties into anything really, but I just thought it would be worth mentioning as we wrapped this thing up.
So with that said, here’s our final roster:
OFFENSE:
Quarterback: Rajon Rondo
Running Back: Nate Robinson
Wide Receiver: Dwayne Wade
Wide Receiver: LeBron James
Wide Receiver: Carmelo Anthony
Tight End: Blake Griffin
Right Tackle: Kendrick Perkins
Right Guard: DeJuan Blair
Center: Glen Davis
Left Guard: Samardo Samuels
Left Tackle: Zach Randolph
DEFENSE:
Left Defensive End: Dwight Howard
Defensive Tackle: Nene
Defensive Tackle: Paul Millsap
Right Defensive End: Al Jefferson
Left Outside Linebacker: Josh Smith
Middle Linebacker: Tyler Hansbrough
Right Outside Linebacker: Metta World Peace
Right Corner Back: Deron Williams
Left Corner Back: Derrick Rose
Strong Safety: Russell Westbrook
Free Safety: Gerald Wallace
So congrats to everybody. If this lockout goes on long enough, we may even put together a baseball and hockey team too. I know, right, how awesome? I hate you, lockout.
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Nate Robinson Photo: natemodio.blogspot.com
