We’re a quarter-century into the new millennium and in that timespan we’ve seen some absolutely terrific UCLA Bruins basketball players. With the NBA Finals in full swing, let’s run out a hypothetical lineup made up of UCLA men’s basketball players from the past 25 years.
I’m basing this off the player’s NBA draft year, leaving a player like Baron Davis (1999) off the team.
Point Guard: Russell Westbrook
Westbrook’s run with Oklahoma City in the 2010s made this an easy decision as the former league MVP plays with an unmatched level of energy.
Shooting Guard: Jrue Holiday
Zach LaVine has a case for the starting spot but the idea of having to dribble and initiate offense against a backcourt of Westbrook and Holiday is too enticing to pass up, even if it’s not the best option for the offense’s spacing.
Small Forward: Trevor Ariza
Sticking with the theme of toughness and defense, we’re rolling with Ariza, who’s become a player archetype model in the NBA over the past decade.
Power Forward: Luc Mbah a Moute
UCLA’s NBA options at center aren’t the sexiest. You could roll with Kevon Looney, Dan Gadzuric or Ryan Hollins but I’d rather throw Kevin Love at the five and get another 3&D player out there with Mbah a Moute.
Center: Kevin Love
I’m picturing the Minnesota Timberwolves Kevin Love here to anchor the boards rather than the lighter version we saw in Cleveland as a floor spacer for Lebron.
Second String PG: Lonzo Ball
We’re going to need to be able to generate some offense off the bench and Lonzo can certainly do that which is why he’ll be running the second string offense.
Second String Wing: Arron Affalo
As much as I’d love to get Darren Collison on this team, I can’t pass up Affalo as he has the size and shooting capability that I’m searching for here.
Second String Small Forward: Norman Powell
It’s amazing that Powell has already spent 10 seasons in the NBA but he had a career year this past season with the Los Angeles Clippers and gives the team some more scoring from off the bench.
Second String Power Forward: Matt Barnes
While Barnes isn’t a traditional power forward by any means but his toughness and defensive stoutness makes him a good fit on this team.
Second String Center: Kevon Looney
Here’s where Looney slides in at, giving us a terrific rebounder despite being slightly undersized as a center with minimal bounce. While that limits our offense, Looney’s rebounding and basketball IQ has proven to be worth it, as he owns four NBA championship rings.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: What would a team of the best UCLA basketball players over the past 25 years look like?
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
