Your starting 5
PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Ray Allen
SF: Lebron James
PF: Blake Griffin
C: Dwight Howard
Before I get a world a negatives, let me explain. If it were a real team that I'm playing 82 games with, if I put Kobe or Wade, then my team has no good 3 point shooters that will space the floor. Plus Kobe and Wade pound the ball and shoot too much. Rondo is a better passer than Derrick Rose, and I don't need Rose' scoring on this team. This team compliments each other perfectly.
PG: Rajon Rondo - leading league in assist and I need that instead of a shoot-first PG hogging the shoots.
SG: OJ Mayo - A tough choice between him and Anthony Morrow, D Wade and Monta Ellis but I went for Mayo because I wasn't sure how young these guys should be.
SF: Kevin Durant - chose him over Lebron becuase he is playing just about equal to Lebron and he isn't even in his prime yet.
PF: Blake Griffin - for being awesome and having one of the best rookie seasons ever.
C: Andrew Bogut - I did Bogut because he is still having solid games AND leading the league in blocked shots even with that horror injury last year still lingering. Also because everyone else have done Dwight and I wanted to change that.
PG: Stephen Curry- floor general who can shoot the lights out. A great passer too
SG: Joe Johnson- Superstar guard who Steph would compliment well with. Also a good defender who makes big shots
SF: Rudy Gay- Versatile small forward who can do everything. Scores, defends, rebounds, etc. An up and coming superstar
PF: Serge Ibaka- Power forward who will block shots and rebound. Non stop motor....Hustle hustle hustle
C- Andrew Bogut- A true center who can score in the post. Also an excellent defender in the post who grabs boards.
Coach: Avery Johnson
I'm sorry, but if you don't pick Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Dwight Howard, you're not picking the right guys. Whether you want to surround those three with Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook or Chris Paul or Deron Williams at point guard (or let LeBron run point), that's up to you. As far as the other spot, I'm not quite ready to say Blake Griffin is a must because he's coming off missing a full season with an injury, but I would still take him.
What team could hope to match up with the OP's lineup of Rose / Durant / James / Griffin / Howard? You'd run any opponent off the court without even trying, and the oldest in the group is 26-year-old James.
PG - Rondo
SG - Eric Gordon
SF - Durant
PF - Amare
C - Dwight
As far as being an actual team on the court I think this would be close to the best you could make if age were a factor;
Rondo can handle talent and is willing to sacrifice for his team, plus defends well, Gordon is a lock-down defender, arguably the best young 3pt shooter at his position and doesn't have an ego problem, Durant scores within the flow of the offense, can run off screens for catch and shoots and adds range, Amare becomes the pick and roll partner for Rondo and is another dominant scorer, plus has better length than Griffin, Dwight is the defensive anchor and can is a greatly improved scorer too. This team would be dominant defensively with Durant improving as time wears on and Amare's weaknesses being covered by great team D anchored by Howard.
Don't see how this team benefits from the addition of James in an on-court situation.
pg-CP3 (Most complete pg. Can knock the 3 ball down based on his 45% from the arch. Can hold his own on D)
sg-Kobe (Still the most feared.)
sf-Josh Smith (Has developed a somewhat reliable 3 ball. Help D and rebounding will help out cover for Dirk's lack)
pf-Dirk (Brings the second scorer on the perimeter and inside. 3 ball keeps the D honest.)
c-Dwight (Defensive Anchor nuff said.)
Rajon Rondo
Dwayne Wade
LeBron James
Kevin Garnett
Dwight Howard
Rondo would be able to destribute the ball to the guys in their spots, having Wade and James run the wings, Garnett could be the anchor on defense and Howard the inside post presence.
BTW Adi, not sure I get why you say that about Durant, LBJ, and Dwight when none have won anything yet. Not to mention that LBJ CAN NOT play as second fiddle, and Durant is no3. Not to mention when s*** hits the fan it's time for the LBJ show allowing for no one else to touch the ball or create any flow. I don't trust Durant's toughness either come playoffs/finals. Ron Artest showed in the playoffs what Physicality does to Durant. Call me crazy, but when I play ball I play to win, thus I build my teams accordingly. It's not always about what big names you have on a team, or how many super-talents you have if they aren't players who play of of each other well. It's still about a full TEAM. It's really why the Celtics are so good. BALANCE.
PG - CP3
SG - Kobe
SF - LeBron
PF - Dirk Nowitzki
C - Dwight Howard
For a bit of fun an NBA Team of current players at their peak either current/past or percieved upside which would give you the strongest starting 5.
PG - Jason Kidd
SG - Kobe
SF - LeBron
PF - Tim Duncan
C - Shaq
Did you guys watch the Olympics? James, Howard and Durant are 26, 25 and 22, respectively. They'll be the dominant forces of the next decade. Take all three, and they'll figure it out. Positions are mostly irrelevant these days, and I have a hard time believing there's a shooting guard that James or Durant can't guard. Added bonus: You don't have to play AGAINST any of them.
If you had a choice of any player in the league, at each position-
Who would you choose and age was part of the equation?
PG- Rose
SG-Durant
SF-James
PF- Griffin
C-Howard