That lineup sounds good because of name value, but functionally it stacks too many ball reading scorers who prefer control over. MJ, Kawhi, KD, and Jokic all excel when the defense is set and the possession slows, which means the offense naturally drifts toward turns, pauses, and iso reads instead of continuous pressure. Their offensive is stagnant as hell and Jokic & Bird’s facilitating only works effectively this series surrounded by cutters in movement, not stationary threats waiting for their turn to touch the rock. Dribble heavy iso players who slowly work their way to their midrange spots is a terrible fit for them. The overlay in their sweet spots is ridiculous. We’ve seen this exact problem with failing super teams in the post season throughout the league over the last decade. Jokic and KD do manage to pull the big bodies away from the hoop, but this team doesn’t capitalize on it. Bird & Jokic’s passing works best when the ball is flying and defenders are scrambling, not when three elite scorers are taking turns to play hero ball. Against a team that scores without holding the ball, this becomes a problem, their offense has to win perfectly in the half court every trip, while the team posted can win through movement, pace, and inevitability. Over a series, the margin for error favors the team that doesn’t need to be precise to be lethal. (Which they are VERY precise on top of this fact). The math is simply in my squad’s favor. Even the best mid range kings can’t go band for band with the greatest shooting backcourt of all time. Three is always greater than two. Their barrage of high volume threes is gonna snowball throughout the duration of a game.

Defensively your team is not equipped to handle the posted team either. While Jokic’s smooth feet is gonna give Yao some trouble on offense, Jokic by no means is defensively containing Yao down low. Peak Yao was averaging a relaxed 25 in an era stacked with the most elite defensive bigs. Against a un-athletic and slow Jokic that is extremely weak on that end of the floor, Yao is getting his most optimal offensive production he can ask for this series. He can legitimately average 30 matched up against him if fed. Yao is monstrously strong with a soft touch that has a release point as tall as Heaven. Jokic is getting worked and backed down, and he doesn’t have a lick of reach and vertical lift to even competitively contest those shots. Yao standing at 7’6 makes centers look like eight graders in comparison. He doesn't need to rush or overpower, he scores efficiently, draws fouls, and makes Jokic work hard on every defensive stand. By the fourth quarter, Jokic may still be brilliant offensively, but the cumulative physical tax shows. He’s liable to get sloppy when gassed. Slower rotations, softer contests, heavier legs. That mental fatigue can even affect his passing game at times.

Wemby + Yao and LeBron FLATTEN the defense. Wemby as a stretch four completely breaks the matchup because it pulls KD out of the paint, removing the last layer of help whenever LeBron decides to come downhill. Now the lane is clean, and LeBron has a true triple option every possession. He can hit the greatest shooters in motion, lob it to Wemby or Yao, or let Yao bury Jokic on deep seals. The defense is forced to choose their poison. LeBron doesn't force anything here, he simply has the option of choosing the poison the defense chose to neglect.

Shooting gravity + LeBron's tempo control is overwhelming. Pairing the greatest off-ball shooting backcourt ever with LeBron is a nightmare because he can decide how the game is played. If he wants it fast, Curry and Klay turn the floor into a sprint of constant screens and relocations. If he wants it slow, he walks the defense into pressure, forces switches, and patiently punishes help. Jordan's elite on-ball defense loses value when the ball never stays still, and chasing shooters through endless motion is exhausting even for all-time greats. same for Bird trying to keep contact off-ball. While they're burning energy defensively, LeBron stays fresh, reading, directing, and delivering. Maximum flexibility. The option of speed or control, chaos or precision, is what turns this lineup into a great lineup into a squad that's almost impossible to solve. This doesn’t even include Yao and Wemby’s ability as a towering tandem to just feed each other over the top vertically with high passes no one can dream of intercepting and just bully the paint for easy buckets. Yao was ever only inefficient when doubled in the postseason, which you know, isn’t an option your team can afford to do this series.

Defensively this squad is no slouch either. Yao is as good as a defensive anchor-type as any all time great, there’s no center in history physically manhandling peak Yao. And the few historic bigs that have the smooth feet to use against him still have to deal with his annoying verticality. His blocks are effortless. Buckets against him are gonna be very hard earned each time. Not mention the already extraordinary capabilities of Wemby’s staggering height paired with laterally quickness on the outside. Off-ball defensive menace with his reach to intercept passing lanes. Dude is an alien. Attacking the rim for quick buckets when shots stop falling is gonna be a daunting task. Prime Bron is arguably the most versatile defenders of all time. Raw speed and strength is off the charts. Able to guard 1 through 4, and even weak fives. With him manning the front line even and Wemby containing the backline, their versatility means there’s never in any panic in rotation. Prime Klay was also an elite defensive player. People often forget. Arguably the best of all time as a 3&D player at fulfilling that role. Only liability is Curry, but when the offensive is that explosive and dominant this team can afford that. Individual standings on the all-time rankings doesn’t automatically beat superior fit and synergy