After watching some college basketball this week (the most I've watched all season), I deemed myself informed enough to construct what would be my Dream Team from this college season. Along the way, might as well compare them to a current NBA player, right? Let's go.
PG - Jordan McLaughlin (USC) 6'1", 175 lbgs
12.4 ppg, 7.4 apg, 2 spg, 21.2 PER, 4.9 WS
Pro Comparison - Jeff Teague (Minnesota) 6'2", 185 lbs
13.7 ppg, 6.9 assists, 1.5 spg, 15.8 PER, 3.5 WS
McLaughlin controls possession of the ball long enough to be considered the offensive initiator, but doesn't dominate it so much that the offense has to run through him. So he's no Chris Paul, James Harden or Russell Westbrook and doesn't have that kind of scoring ability, but he's shifty enough to get a shot off as needed, attack the basket, and move the ball around. He brings energy without requiring all the attention. Teague has been doing all of those things his entire NBA career.
SG - Grayson Allen (Duke) 6'4", 195 lbs
14.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.5 apg, 2.7 3pg, 19.1 PER, 5.3 WS
Pro Comparison - C.J. McCollum (Portland) 6'3", 190 lbs
21.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.5 3pg, 17.4 PER, 5.7 WS
Your first question is probably something like: Is Allen the pure scorer that McCollum is? Yes. He averaged 21 ppg as a sophomore when he was the number one option on Duke, with Brandon Ingram as Option Two. Duke has been laden with stud freshmen the last two years (Jayson Tatum, Frank Jackson, Harry Giles last year; Marvin Bagley, Wendell Carter, Gary Trent this year), so he hasn't had to carry the offensive scoring load. But he's been the best pure shooter on the team over the last three years, he's athletic enough to create his own shot when needed, and he performs best in clutch time. He comes with some baggage and controversy, but it that's easy enough to overcome.
SF - Theo Pinson (UNC) 6'6", 195 lbs
10.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.8 apg, 19.3 PER, 3.9 WS
Pro Comparison - Will Barton (Denver) 6'6", 175 lbs
15 ppg, 5 rpg, 4.2 apg, 16.1 PER, 4.9 WS
Besides Ayton, Pinson is the single-most impressive player I've watched recently. He resembles a younger Andre Iguodala: able to defend multiple positions; fully capable of bringing the ball down the court and initiating the offense or spacing the floor and letting everyone else do their thing; capable rebounder; above-average passer. That's an underrated assessment of his passing. During UNC/Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinal the other night, Pinson was on the ground during a rebound sequence, the ball ended up in his lap, and from his seated position he passed the ball to a teammate for a layup. It was quick and instinctual, and Jay Bilas could not contain his enthusiasm about the play. Except, he made TWO passes that were significantly better in a 90-second span later in the game. One on a drive to the basket, he went no-look, behind his head, through the raised arms of a chasing defender, and hit his teammate right in the hands. The next one was a laser from the top of the key to the baseline through Duke's zone for a wide-open jump shot. And those were just a small sample size. His court awareness, vision, and execution made him the best all-around player on the floor that night.
PF - Ethan Happ (Wisconsin) 6'10", 235 lbs
17.9 ppg, 8 rpg, 52.8 fg%, 29.3 PER, 4.6 WS
Pro Comparison - Nikola Jokic (Denver) 6'10", 250 lbs
17.1 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 49.1 fg%, 23.7 PER, 7.7 WS
I've been a fan of Happ's since the 2016 NCAA tournament. As a freshman on a team featuring juniors Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig, Happ finished third in scoring, and first in rebounding, field goal percentage, player efficiency rating, and win shares. During their three games in the tournament, he had the most total points and rebounds for Wisconsin. He's a constant contributor, who is shifty and confident around the basket and makes the right play more often than not. He's also averaged 1 block and 1.5 steals per game over his career, so he's an active presence on defense. Jokic might be a little flashier, but for big guys they both control the ball well and keep their teammates involved.
C - DeAndre Ayton (Arizona) 7'1", 250 lbs
19.9 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 61.3 fg%, 32.5 PER, 7.2 WS
Pro Comparison - Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) 7'0", 250 lbs
23.4 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 48.5 fg%, 22.8 PER, 5.1 WS
DeAndre Ayton is a grown man playing among children. How he's not averaging between 25 and 30 points per game is beyond me. He plays above the rim more ferociously than anyone in the country, he has great footwork and low post moves over both shoulders, and he has a reliable jump shot out to 20 feet. The comparison to Embiid doesn't do justice for Ayton because he is significantly more agile. Think late-2000s Amar'e Stoudemire, running by everybody his size and powering through/flying over anyone smaller.
Concluding Notes:
-I would have picked Joel Berry over McLaughlin but I didn't want to have two guys from the same school.
-This team works for me because there are three guys who can/will/don't have to bring the ball up. They are willing and able for their teams, and often do, but they don't need the ball in their hands all the time in order to make things happen.
-Two incredibly skilled big guys, including one who can easily space the court.
-Pinson as a perimeter defender who can guard almost anybody (Pinson had to guard Marvin Bagley the other night), and Ayton as an intimidating rim protector.
-Tenacity and experience all over the place. Ayton is the only one younger than a junior.
-Not that Jalen Brunson and Luke May and Mohamed Bamba and Collin Sexton and all the Duke freshmen and any other top college players aren't also terrific (they are), but these five guys make up a team I would be proud to have. I expect at least three of them to make the Elite 8.
