Dec. 4, 2009

Perfect Team: Bucks bigs on bench without spending big Bucks

By Ken Berger | CBSSports.com Senior Writer
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Now comes the hard part, picking the players.

We have a GM (Denver's Mark Warkentien) and a coach (Utah's Jerry Sloan). It's my job to give them something they can win with -- a balanced team with at least one dominant player, the ability to defend and a bench that will be the envy of some teams' starting fives.

Ersan Ilyasova (7) and Luc Mbah a Moute helped the Bucks to a surprising start. (Getty Images)

Look at the Lakers, Celtics and Spurs teams that have won titles in recent years. They all had one thing in common -- effective, unselfish role players who could be relied upon in the crucible of playoff pressure. That's what we're going to have. The challenge comes in having enough money left under the $57.7 million salary cap to field a championship-caliber starting five.

In my opinion, the most valuable bench player in the NBA is Lamar Odom, who clearly was the Lakers' most important player other than Kobe Bryant during their title run last season. Odom has it all -- size, handle, scoring ability and versatility. The problem is, he makes $7.5 million this season. That's swell if you're Dr. Jerry Buss and fielding a team with a $90 million payroll. That's not our situation; we can't afford Odom and will have to find other ways to wear down opponents with our second unit.

I've run three or four scenarios on how my starting five will look. Any way you slice it, there's no way to create the Perfect Team if you spend $20 million on your eight reserves. By passing on Odom, and resisting the temptation to grab Derek Fisher ($5 million) as my backup point guard, I've found a way to cut that figure down considerably, which will give me more leeway in creating a starting lineup.

I've crunched the numbers, made myself cross-eyed studying the salary matrix, examined various players' PER more closely than several cars I've purchased in my life and found a way to create an eight-player bench for a shade more than $14 million. My backups cost $14,017,371 to be exact, leaving me about $43 million to spend on my starting five.

Before we unveil the Perfect Bench, a couple of reminders: We came in with the assumption that Isiah Thomas was not this team's previous GM, meaning our lottery pick wasn't traded away. So our 13-man roster will include one rookie selected in the top 14 of the 2009 draft. With the exception of rookie salaries, which I verified in the rookie scale published in the collective bargaining agreement, all salary figures are taken from HoopsHype.com. This way, you can look at how I've spent my money and easily access all the salary data you need to see if you can do better.

There will be no dance teams, no loud music, no fire-breathing backboards and no fireworks as I introduce the eight reserves on the Perfect Team. Only a soft drum roll, please:

Big men/swings

Joakim Noah, Bulls, $2,455,680: I love Noah's hustle and intangibles, and just had to have him on my squad. He can play center or power forward, he shoots a high percentage, rebounds, blocks shots and, most importantly, hustles. He's the ideal frontcourt energy player for this team.

D.J. Mbenga, Lakers, $959,111: I needed a rugged enforcer to play backup center and give me quality minutes. Mbenga fits the bill, at a can't-beat-it price. What makes this choice even better is that Mbenga isn't your typical stiff of a backup center. He's athletic, can really block shots and has a very raw but improving offensive game. Seven-footers don't grow on trees, especially in the under-$1 million forest.

Ersan Ilyasova, Bucks, $2,100,000: Ilyasova has been so good off the bench for the Bucks this season, I couldn't resist. He scores, rebounds, shoots with range and is playing better than Turkish countryman Hedo Turkoglu for about $7 million less.

Luc Mbah a Moute, Bucks, $736,420: Staying with the low-budget Bucks, we've got another gem in Mbah a Moute. Every team needs a defensive stopper who can guard multiple positions, and when you can have one at a minimum salary, you don't think twice. Mbah a Moute might give you the most bang for the buck of any player in the league. He can come off the bench and slow down the guy with the hot hand on the other side -- from point guard to smaller power forwards.

Guards

Jonny Flynn, Timberwolves, $2,474,400: I went with Flynn as my lottery pick because he fills an important role, backup point guard, and clearly is up to the task since he's starting as a rookie for Minnesota. He's a little undersized, but his vision and leadership are impossible to ignore at this price. Would I prefer a veteran backup point, and a bigger one who wouldn't get swallowed up on the defensive end? Yes, but this isn't a fantasy team. Is Tyreke Evans a better player? Almost certainly -- but he makes about $1 million more, and I'm spending that money in my starting lineup.

Eddie House, Celtics, $2,862,000: Every team needs a fearless veteran who can come off the bench and knock down 3-pointers from anywhere on the floor. I'll take House every day of the week. Plus, he gets under the opponent's skin with his incessant yapping, and can play some backup point if Flynn isn't up to the task.

Courtney Lee, Nets, $1,264,440: You can't have enough shooters, and Lee comes with two additional benefits: He's a bargain and he's an excellent defender. Plus, the poor guy is stuck on the winless Nets after playing in the NBA Finals for Orlando last season. The guy deserves a change of scenery.

Rudy Fernandez, Trail Blazers, $1,165,320: I tried to find someone who might fill a more conventional and defined role -- post defense, rebounding, shooting -- but kept coming back to Fernandez for his excellence in transition, athleticism and versatility. I want a bench that can show multiple looks and play up-tempo, and Rudy is the perfect fit. I think we have enough depth to hide his defensive deficiencies.

So there you have it. The Perfect Bench, along with the following challenge: I dare you to come up with a better one for the same price or less.

Next Friday, the real fun begins when we reveal something essential to the overall philosophy behind building the Perfect Team. Given the choice of spending max money on a point guard, thus compromising your ability to have an elite wing player, what do you do? With only $43 million left to spend, you can't have both. Which position I decide to pay will reveal my vision of perfection, which clearly is in the eye of the beholder.