2022 Patriots NBA Starting Five Would Be Elite
With the Boston Celtics recently making it to the NBA Finals, I thought: What would a Patriots NBA starting five resemble? In a disastrous situation where all of a sudden, no one on the Celtics or Warriors can play, could the Patriots beat the 49ers in… Basketball?
The chances of this are low, but in a world where the pandemic takes out players all the time, the odds are never zero. So let’s take a look at the Patriots’ starting lineup.
Point Guard – Devin McCourty, Safety
Devin McCourty has been the leader in nearly every environment he’s played. He’s led the Patriots defense for the past decade, he was a dominant player on the Rutgers defense, and he even played point guard in high school.
His one-on-one moves are also likely solid, as he said in an interview that he used to love to play against his brother and claimed he always won.
At 5’10” and 195 lbs, McCourty can get low to the ground when driving to the rim, so his ball protection is probably pretty good. He could lead the Patriots basketball team, much like he does their defense. You can’t go wrong with Devin McCourty at the 1.
Shooting Guard – Kendrick Bourne, Wide Receiver
Something tells me Kendrick Bourne would be a solid shooting guard. He has excellent hands, has a leading personality, and can make quick cuts.
He also seems like the kind of guy who would have a nice touch, which could be helpful for shooting. Plus, his athleticism could be another essential weapon on the offensive side of the ball, as he could put up some Ja Morant-style posters. At 6’1″ and 190 lbs, Bourne is built almost exactly like Darius Garland.
Oh yeah, and he played guard in high school. He was pretty good at it too.
<img decoding="async" data-spai-excluded="true" class="epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy lazyload" loading="lazy" alt="YouTube player" src="https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi/V6uJngTww0c/maxresdefault.jpg?w=880&ssl=1" data-recalc-dims="1" />
Small Forward – N’Keal Harry, Wide Receiver
It’s evident that things haven’t been working great for N’Keal Harry on the football field, so why not try bringing his talents to the basketball court?
At 6’4″ and 225 lbs, N’Keal is built almost exactly like Anthony Edwards. He’s a physical athlete and has decent hands for potential alley-oops. I could see him as a great defender, as he could take on some of the bigger guys with physicality. Also, N’keal could be a great rebounder, as his missing ability could translate to grabbing boards.
We already know that he’s good at basketball since he averaged an impressive 21.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in his two high school seasons. N’Keal Harry is also famous for this backboard shattering dunk in transition.
<img decoding="async" data-spai-excluded="true" class="epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy lazyload" loading="lazy" alt="YouTube player" src="https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi/QyH17vcwmNA/maxresdefault.jpg?w=880&ssl=1" data-recalc-dims="1" />
Power Forward – DeVante Parker, Wide Receiver
Wide receivers are pretty good at basketball, and DeVante Parker is no exception.
Parker averaged an impressive 22.5 point, 11 rebound double-double in high school with four assists, three steals, and 2.5 blocks. However, these numbers are somewhat skewed because I could only find his stats for two games. So either he only played two total games, or the rest of his games aren’t out in public yet, but regardless I trust that DeVante is a good basketball player.
At 6’4″ and 219 lbs, he is built much like N’Keal Harry and Anthony Edwards. Having two physical athletes with good hands in your starting lineup is pretty helpful, especially when you can draw double teams.
Center – Henry Anderson, Defensive End
Honestly, I don’t even know if Henry Anderson has ever touched a basketball. But to be honest, I don’t care. He’s 6’6″ and 301 lbs, so he’s relatively tall and can move. I would’ve chosen the 6’8″ Trent Brown, but he’s so immobile that his height is useless.
Plus, I don’t think he could even last a full quarter of basketball with his stamina. On the other hand, defensive ends require a lot of energy, and they’re relatively mobile, so that Anderson could be a decent center. Plus, he’s the tallest player on the Patriots below 320 lbs, so Henry Anderson it is.
Sixth Man (Small Forward) – Jonnu Smith, Tight End
Like Henry Anderson, I don’t know if Jonnu Smith has ever played basketball. However, at 6’3″ and 248 lbs, he’s built like a giant but mobile forward. He has a 38″ vertical, which is 10″ higher than the NBA average. Imagine Devin McCourty tossing up those lobs to Jonnu as he slams it over George Kittle in Game 7.
I would have started him if he played basketball, but I’m gonna have to go with experience over athleticism here, even if I only have two games as data points.
Conclusion
This seems like a pretty solid lineup to me. We have a vocal leader at point guard, a quick-cutting shooting guard, two incredibly athletic forwards, and a big, tall center. If we could just add three inches to everyone on the lineup, then this could be a pretty solid squad right here.
So if the Celtics ever do need some help, the Patriots can lend a few guys over. This team could definitely take down a squad of Deebo Samuel and George Kittle.
What do you guys think? Would the Patriots beat the 49ers in a seven-game basketball series? What would this squad’s record be in the regular season? What would you change about this lineup?
Check out our other articles @ The Gillette Gazette
Interested in covering New England with us? Or if you are a fan of another team we have plenty of opportunities at Stadium Rant spanning the whole NFL and more!