Under 25 Dream Team

So, as I do every once in a while, I decided to put together my personal Dream Team. I usually build them with a particular feature in mind (top two PER rankings at each position, etc.). The theme for this team was "under 25."

I looked for a few other characteristics like players whose personalities might be willing to sacrifice some of the glory of their individual talent for team success. Consistency, injury liability, and an ability to contribute in multiple ways on a given night were also considerations.

So without further ado, here we go...

Head Coach: Gregg Popovich

Okay, so he's not under 25, but what good is putting together a team that would be a favorite to win the title every year for the next decade if it isn't well coached. Popovich has a reputation as a brilliant personnel manager and has been one of the league's class acts for many years.

Starters

C: Dwight Howard

This kid is a monster in the paint and absolutely owns the glass on both ends of the floor.

PF: Al Jefferson

This position was hard for me to fill. I don't think there's a lot of natural options for the starting big forward who are under 25, but Jefferson has been slowly realizing the potential he's been tantalizing us with.

SF: LeBron James

The natural leader of this team (in my completely uneducated opinion). He does it all and finally he'll have the help to make it worthwhile.

SG: Carmelo Anthony

A born scorer. With the coverage everyone else on this team warrants, you have to assume he's a threat to average 40 points a game.

PG: Chris Paul

Injuries are a concern, but how can you not take Paul here? Others might make an argument for Deron Williams and there's a good chance they could be right. I went with Paul on his pure ability as a distributor.

Bench

C Andrew Bynum

Lots of potential and might wind up being too much of a star to be a natural fit. But for now, he's a talented and humble kid and a natural backup to Dwight. Takes high percentage buckets (read: dunks) and has an admirable nose for the glass.

PF Josh Smith

He could wind up being a more fitting starter than Jefferson, but I put him here for his energy and scoring potential off the bench.

SF Ronnie Brewer

Shoots a high percentage, and complements the talents of the other bench players. He's more of a role player than perhaps anyone else here (at least on this team), but he makes good decisions and brings some hard-nosed defense.

SG Kevin Martin

Of course K-Mart had to be on here. As Hollinger says, he just doesn't take a bad shot.

PG Devin Harris

Fast. Fast, fast, fast. He could be Bobby Jackson without the injuries.

So there you have it. Feel free to add your own rosters or roster changes.