It’s the first Sunday of NFL football! To celebrate, we will step Out of Bounds of the hoops court and onto the gridiron. We want to construct our own football team, but insist on bringing our hoopers. But who are we taking… 🤔 

Today’s Lineup

Our NBA x NFL Offense

Let’s roll out our imaginary NFL offense full of NBA players. We’re playing classic 7-on-7 style, and we’re using criteria based on a mix of their physical attributes and NBA play style. Let’s have some fun with it 😁

Quarterback: Nikola Jokic

Jokic is the best passer in the NBA–point blank. He may not have the quickness to scramble, but we think his ability to see over the offensive line will compensate.

Running back: Russell Westbrook

We’ve always thought Russ would make a good running back with his quickness, strength, and tenacity. We still think he’d have enough in the tank to make some huge plays for Team EB on the gridiron.

Wide Receivers (2): Anthony Edwards, Donovan Mitchell

We’re taking two young, athletic specimens who know how to create big plays. Donovan Mitchell has some of the best fast-twitch speed we’ve ever seen, while Anthony Edwards probably would think he should be playing every one of these positions (he wouldn’t be wrong). 

Tight End: LeBron James

Easiest pick of the day. LeBron was a 2x All-Ohio wide receiver in high school and we’re moving him to TE to capitalize on his unfair size. He’d use his IQ to find holes in the defense and open up big plays like Travis Kelce, only at 6’9” 250lbs. 

Offensive Guard: Steven Adams

Many players have cited Adams as the strongest player in the NBA. He’ll repel defensive linemen like fleas as he has the strength to make 6’10” Tony Bradley look like a child. We’ll watch the holding penalties, though.

Who’s Heading Defense for Team EB?

Now let’s roll out our seven defensemen!

Defensive Tackle: Julius Randle

Randle is a human bowling ball in transition, and him launching himself at the O-line would cause problems especially when combined with impressive quickness and hand speed for his size.  

Defensive End: Zion Williamson

Zion offers a flat-out unfair combination of strength and quickness on the edge. He’ll be a quarterback’s nightmare coming from the blind side.

Linebackers (2): Aaron Gordon, Kawhi Leonard

These two forwards have the linebacker build: wide shoulders, strong bases and ability to change direction quickly. We’re particularly pumped about the AG pick for his versatility and ability to cover space while remaining physical. With all the padding, hopefully we can keep Kawhi healthy.

Cornerbacks (2): Jrue Holiday, Lu Dort

These were some of the easiest picks of the list. Jrue n’ Lu both imprison defenders on an island with their strength, quick feet, and world-class defensive instincts. We considered rolling out a lineup of 7 Lu Dorts, TBH.

Safety: Marcus Smart

We’re looking for a natural defender who can track down the ball and lay out a big hit if needed. While we played with the idea of taking a more explosive guard, we had to include the only guard to win DPOY in the last 40 years!

Let’s talk special teams. Draymond Green will be our kicker, for obvious reasons. We want Tyrese Maxey returning punts for us with his lightning quick speed ⚡️

Now let’s move to the sidelines. Gregg Popovich will be head coach for the pedigree and the vibes. For the X’s and O’s we want Erik Spoelstra as our offensive coordinator and Tom Thibodeau calling the shots on defense. Our film specialist is the ever-quirky Joe Mazzula.

Signing Off

Hope you had fun building this imaginary NBA x NFL squad—we know we did! Reply to this email with anyone we may have missed.

It’s good to have football back, and it’ll remain our favorite men’s sport to watch on TV for another 44 days 😅

-Conor Geelan