Howard is a lot like Bill Walton and the Blazers 30 years ago....I feel sorry for LA LA land already!

I would take Kareem Abdul Jabber.

I'd like to see this pole repeated in a few weeks. After the Magic beat the Lakers I'm sure more people will be voting for Howard!

I'd take Bryant if he were a couple years younger. Since the question is about building a team, I'd have to go with the younger guys--James or Howard. And because I think it's easier to build a team around a center, I'd go with Howard, even though James is an all round better player.

Kobe is great, but think about it, he's got some age now. You need to build a team around youth. This guys is still finding out what he can do. Next, it's LeBron.

Youth, youth, youth...then youth!

I'd take Michael "Air" Jordan over every single player in NBA history! PERIOD!!!!!

The question is from which player to build, and build is the operative word here. Do you erect a building with strong peripherals or a strong center? LeBron is a great player who'll end up like Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing who'll retire from the NBA without a title - fearless forecast!

It'd have to be Howard, James or Paul.
You don't build a team around 30 year olds.
Now, PGs are only as good as the weapons around them, so I'm not taking Paul.
James is the greatest athlete in the world, and maybe the best player, but his presence just makes it too tempting to force-feed him the ball and let him go at the other team, but we've seen that that just doesn't work.
A dominant big man is the key to success in this league. They're not so domineering on offense like James is, but they're key to the entire teams defence; he is the eraser that means perimiter players can take more risks. James can't do that.
So, for those reasons, it'd be Howard.

If all the players in the NBA today were just getting out of college my pick would be Dwight Howard.

i will pick Kamiel Fransisco. the best 3 point shooter ever

Lebron would be a solid pick, and so would Dwight Howard. Lebron has the youth (over Kobe) while Howard has the ability to pass it out and spread the opposition's defense in addition to being a monster inside. For not having much of a jumper or a turnaround shot, Howard really keeps the opposition guessing.

However, I believe that character and team play matter the most. Allen Iverson was incredibly talented, but he did not make those around him better. Same could be said about a host of other superstars of the past, including Charles Barkley, Kevin Garnett, Gilbert Arenas, and the list is seemingly interminable.

I am of course biased, but I would not pick anyone over Brandon Roy, and he's only in his third season. He is one of the most efficient offensive players in NBA history. He makes his teammates better through floor strategy and encouragement. He seemingly slow offense is deceptively fast, actually, and also aids his overall efficiency and game tempo control. He's fiercely intelligent, and never hesitates to be the clutch go-to guy.

He was the rookie of the year, then made the west All-Star squad the following two years scoring in double digits both times. He has a balanced offense, and has stats not unlike King James as far as filling up the stat sheet columns in scoring, assists, rebounds, while committing fewer turnovers. And this despite being on a considerably more talented team, who still remain the second youngest team in the entire NBA and the youngest ever to win at least 50 games in a single season.

But the clincher? Brandon Roy is a solid human being, and has more character and integrity in his pinkie than the rest of the so-called superstars do in their entire bodies. Couple that with his intense desire to win, and there is absolutely no doubt that the guy is a total winner.

We've never seen such an athletic yet determined player aside from Lebron James. We've never seen anyone with an assassin's mentality since Michael Jordan in Kobe Bryant. You can have those two guys.

I'm building my team around Brandon Roy. Oh wait...there is already a classy basketball team built around him, and one that will be a perennial championship contender for years to come - the Portland Trailblazers.

Brandon, you make the city of Portland SO proud to be a Blazer and NBA fan because you are someone that we can count on and believe in, aside from your talented resume. No wonder we have dubbed you "THE NATURAL"!

Basketball is game that favors tall, agile athletes with good hand-eye coordination. Dwight Howard reminds us that power in the pivot dictates how the the game is played. He was the Defensive Player of the Year and has just scratched his potential as a dominating offensive force on the inside. It is clear that he cannot be played man-up and the Magic have the outside shooting ability to take advantage of the double-teams that will have to come. Kobe will have to shoot his brains out and get lots of help from Gasol and Odom to beat the Magic's gang of three-point shooters, who will have open shots for the most part.

There's a reason Shaq has 4 rings. As competitive and great as Michael Jordan was, the only reason Michael got six rings is that, when Michael played, there was no dominating center of the calibre of Dwight Howard. He's an agile, slimmed-down, quicker version of Shaq without foul shooting problems, and he'll only get better with time.

Much as Van Gundy has already noted, if Howard ever learns how to shoot a medium range jumper, the team(s) he plays for will dominate for years to come.

I'd take LeBron's speed and youth, Dwight Howard's dunking ability and strength, Tony Parker's passing, Tim Duncan's shooting and Kobe's work ethic.