6 "what if's" in the Modern NBA

Throughout the history of the game there have been many players who we, as analysts, believe should have been better(more productive). Now more than ever we find ourselves questioning why the hell some guys haven't made a bigger impact! With all of the youtube videos with high school highlights and prospect websites with supposed expert opinions and athletic measurements, why are there still guys underachieving?

Truth be told, a lot of it has to do with mental attitude; and when I say a lot, I mean 95% of it. However there are times where I look at said players and wonder: "what if you played here? With this guy? On this team? For this coach?" It's interesting to imagine the difference it would make in the development of players. So interesting, in fact, that I composed a list of 6 changes I would like to see in player situations. Comment and rank them in order of what you would like to see or to discuss.

WHAT IF......

LeBron James stayed in Cleveland?
Ya I know, I picked an easy one to start off. This question has almost become a basketball cliche ever since "The Decision" in the previous off season. But I think we looked at from the wrong perspective. Where we thought LeBron should go had a lot to do with him winning, and our own selfish desires as sports fans to see our favorite teams succeed. The reality is, he couldn't have gone to a team that would win more his first season there than the HEAT. Except, that is, the CAVS. They surely would have had a better record than this year's heat considering they did the last season he played there. Chances are high that the heat won't win a championship this year, and with the way the THUNDER and BULLS are rising to the top they won't win a string of them. So, given that the cavs had the best record in the league with LeBron, wasn't that his best chance to win a title? They were definitely on the doorstep. On top of that, imagine this: LeBron James the hood rat kid who grew up in Ohio and was a high school phenom plays pro in Ohio and leads the lowly city of Cleveland to a title. That's a pretty good pitch for "greatest ever."

O.J. Mayo played on any other team than the Grizzlies?
Now this might be a little biased considering I am a HUGE O.J. fan, but the truth is he is an incredible talent. This is his third season in the NBA, the year where most superstars break out and become superstars(see: Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Kevin Love, etc.).Yet his numbers have dropped each season since his first and this year they dropped exponentially. You may ask why, and so did I. I blame it on the personnel they brought in. With Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol in the post and Rudy Gay as SF they are big in the frontcourt. This allows them to play solid defense in the paint, which is half the defensive battle. Mike Conley, a point guard, is no slouch defensively either. So, in order to win, they are trying to build an identity. Specifically, a defensive one. O.J. Mayo is not a bad defender, but he is no Tony Allen or Sam Young, who are the 2 players who took most of his minutes. And with Gay and Randolph able to carry the majority of the scoring load there is no real need for Mayo down in Memphis. So please, Grizzlies, trade him to a team that will play him 35 minutes a game so he can come out of his shell and average 25ppg and 6apg.

Josh Smith played on a fast breaking team?
Surprisingly the Hawks are one of the slowest offensive paced teams in the league. They ranked 27th in the latest NBA Power Ranking in that category. Now with the shift of the league to have really high pace offenses, most teams have enlisted the help of a "stretch 4," or even moved their Small Forwards down to play the 4 spot. What better stretch 4 is there in the league? Athletic enough to run the break, good enough shooter that you have to respect his range and can't fully help off him, and the biggest of all: he actually plays amazing defense, a rarity from stretch 4's.

Derrick Favors played on a team who gave him minutes?
All of the hype when this rookie came into the draft has gone relatively unproven. I would even go as far to say as he is a "bust", not like Evan Turner, but just not quite where he should be. Sure, he is only a rookie, but he is also 6'10", 246lbs, has a 9'2" standing reach, and a 35" vertical(as recorded at the draft combine). Don't get me wrong, I love this guy's potential. But why does it only have to be potential? Why can't he be an impact player now? Ask the Nets and Jazz.

Joe Johnson, Andre Iguodala, Monta Ellis, or some other elite wing player played on the Magic?
All of these guys I listed above are the best players on their respective teams. That is why they are sub-par teams. These guys are all good basketball players, but on a championship level team they are the second option. The second option is exactly what the Magic need to take the next step, and they have the pieces to pull off a deal. They just have to find a team that is willing to part ways with their go-to-guy and start anew.

Greg Oden was never injured?
This is a big what if, considering he has only played 82 games total in his 4 year career. This discussion becomes more interesting when you consider the hype he had being drafted, and the fact that Kevin Durant was drafted right behind him at the 2 spot. The fact is, Oden was drafted 1st because of his defensive prowess. I don't disagree with him being a defensive monster, but would he have really been a superstar to the level Durant is? I don't think so. An All-Star? Probably a few times.