OVERTIME

In lieu of the upcoming NBA season I wanted to share which players I would pay to be on my roster. I'm sure my choices will raise some (a lot of) eyebrows but its my team so deal with it! If you think you can do better, feel free to play GM for your own team and let's compare the results. Make sure you leave a comment or post your team on our Facebook page. 

STARTING LINEUP
PG - Chris Paul You always need a great floor general. I have a great amount of respect for CP3 and how he carries himself on and off the court. This little guy is a beast and will keep my other weapons in check, no hesitation. 
SG - LeBron James Of course I'm taking the King. Easily the best player in the association today, he can do it all! Although he fills up the stat sheet every night I'll make sure I have back ups just in case he's in one of his "passive/aggressive" moods.
SF - Carmelo Anthony He's the NBA's best scorer and probably the hardest guy to guard at multiple positions. If I need a definite bucket, I'm going to him. He's shown he can play along other stars in the Olympics so I'm not worried about his "so-called" selfishness. 
PF - Anthony Davis My young stud. He can easily play 4 positions and play them really well. Plus I wouldn't have to worry about him slowing down our fast break like most big men because he runs the floor like a wing guard, finishing on or around defenders with ease.  
C - Tim Duncan He would be my savvy vet, my coach on the floor. Timmy would keep the other players, and their egos, in line while giving me consistent numbers night in, night out without fail. And if need be I could also switch him out the starting lineup to rest him without resistance.

BENCH
PG - Stephen Curry With so many great PG's in the league he wasn't a shoe in but with his lights out shooting ability and creativity with the ball, he will definitely be a big spark for us off the pine. 
SG - DeWayne Wade I know, I know, questionable pick. But Flash is hands down my favorite player in the NBA today. He probably doesn't deserve to be on the team based on his recent injuries and depleting stats but he's a proven winner and I'm a loyal dude so he would get heavy minutes from me. 
SF - Kevin Durant KD is a beast. Its not a fluke he's been the scoring champ the last 4 out of 5 years. I'm a little concerned about him deferring to other players so he would probably perform better off the bench where he could be the go-to guy. 
PF - Kevin Love This guy can stretch any defense to the 3 point line. He's a matchup nightmare for any 3, 4 or 5 and eats the glass the too. Not too many players can get you 20 & 20 so how could you not love him. 
C - Joakim Noah With true Centers becoming extinct, like most teams I'll use an undersized big man to do my dirty work. One thing for certain, he wont care about his touches or how many minutes he logged. Joakim is definitely a team player and is not afraid to hit someone with a flying elbow at any given moment. 

LAST CUT
Kyrie Irving Although he didn't make the final roster I'd have his number on speed dial just in case. Kyrie is one of the best in the game but seems to get injured more than my grandmother. 
Marc Gasol I love awkward players, especially ones that can actually play. He's definitely the better Gasol but may move a little to slow for my uptempo offense. 
Paul George PG13 has shown signs of being the next best thing but disappears way too many times for my liking. He's another versatile player that can do more than just score the ball. 
Serge Ibaka I'm a fan of his game. He's a damn good defender and is getting better at shooting the mid range jumper. I just don't like him more than any other player on my roster. 
Nate Robinson As I said I'm a loyal guy..but for good reason. Nasty Nate may have a size issue but he plays with more passion and intensity than almost everyone in the league. Not to mention, he has proven to be able to handle his own regardless. 

So there you have it. That's my crew. I know some of you are asking how? why? and WTH? but I'm confident with my picks. Now it's your turn. Let me see your team or take your best shot at the team I created. Let the games begin! 

would've dunked it". I used to be one of those players playing for a coach who recited never ending quotes and as corny as it may have sounded back then as I got older the more it begin to make sense. In fact, one famous phrase that would stick with me, "What you put into it is what you get out of it", impacted the way I approached sports, business and life in general, to this day. I was always accustomed to hard work. I believed it was part of who I was and what I wanted to be. 

Unlike players of my era and those before me, our youth athletes these days are very privileged...and naive. Basketball is a billion dollar industry and it seems like these players are just itching to get a piece of pot. They watch the NBA and see players like Derrick Rose and Lebron James run circles around defenders and soar to the basket like they're sitting on a rocket and believe it'll just kick in for them the same way one day. What they don't see is the hard work and sacrifice it takes to make it there. The things that go on behind the scenes when the arenas are empty. The countless hours these players spend perfecting their craft. I've been blessed to have worked with 100's of eager athletes over the last 10 years and before I begin working with a new client I always ask what are their basketball goals? And what are they willing to do to make it happen?  As you could imagine many of them express a great interest in playing basketball at a higher level, most would like to have their name announced on the biggest stage...and I encourage it. Unfortunately the problem with some, if not all, of these kids is they have NO IDEA what it takes to actually get there. 

About 95% of the younger players I work with basketball year round, from Fall leagues into the school season then AAU. They are very active but outside of their organized practices or workouts the development stops. Of that 95% only 10% may continue to workout on their own time, without a coach's instruction, building habits within the skills we worked on before. There's nothing wrong with dreaming big, even if its too big. But what are you doing to turn these dreams into reality. Many of our young athletes are distracted, lost or possibly both.  As a player I believed in one theory, I have to work harder than my competition. I knew if I did this two things would happen: 1. I would develop better skills and 2. I would be prepared to apply these skills when it counted. As a coach I like to share my experiences with my players, not to just reinforce my beliefs but also as proof of the results of hard work and dedication. Most of us are not gifted with height and God given abilities but that's not to say that we can not develop the skills and pray for the height. I take responsibility for making sure the players I can reach have a firm understanding of what it takes to become the player they dream of. Many will get it, some will not, but at least they will know. 

So ask yourself these 3 questions: What do you want? How bad do you want it? And are you doing everything possible to get it? Your answers will determine your success.