Written by: Brian Tseng

If you want to build a good NBA team you start by assembling as many All-Stars as possible and then filling your roster around them.  However, if you want to build a championship NBA team, how the roster fits together and how the pieces complement each other is just as important as the pieces themselves. Winning one championship means you were the best team in the NBA for one year.  To win multiple championships and establish yourself as a potential NBA dynasty, you need a balanced roster with players that fill certain roles.

Winning two NBA championships solidifies your spot in history and demonstrates that you had one of the best teams of your era.  Three championships in one decade proves your team was one of the best teams of all time with some of the best players of all time.  I’ve created a list of certain types of players your team need to have in order to build an NBA champion.

Consider it a list of ingredients, except in this case the more players you have of these types will almost always improve your final product.  Having players which fulfill multiple requirements is even better, but it’s important to cover as many of these roles as possible.

Next: Good Passers, Shooters, and Slashers

News from around the league on July 28th.

The latest on the Lakers.

The Lakers are looking to trade Sasha Vujacic , in order to save money and re-sign Shannon Brown. [Dime Mag]

Kobe Bryant played a key role in Matt Barnes’ decision to join the Lakers. [NBA.com]

Shannon Brown’s 2009-2010 report card. [Sliver Screen and Roll]

Ron Artest interviews… Ron Artest. [Dime Mag]

It was a childhood dream of Matt Barnes’ to play for the Lakers, and now his dream as finally come true. [LA Times]

Mitch Kupchak is “optimistic” that Shannon Brown will re-sign with the Lakers. [LA Times]

Matt Barnes’ press conference. [Lakers.com] Matt Barnes’ 1-on-1 interview. [Lakers.com]

Kobe is recovering from his knee surgery. [Lakers.com]

The latest on the NBA.

The Pistons re-sign Will Bynum. [ESPN.com]

If Yao Ming retires, should he be inducted into the Hall of Fame? [Dime Mag]

Gerald Wallace, OJ Mayo and Tyreke Evans may be the first players cut from the USA team. [Pro Basketball Talk]

The 76ers re-named their home arena. [Pro Basketball Talk]

Bryan Colangelo is not happy with the way Chris Bosh left the Raptors. [ESPN.com]

For the city of Toronto, Chris Bosh is the new Vince Carter. [Dime Mag]

Do you want to see how Chris Kaman spent his 4th of July? [Slam Mag]

The Blazers want to get rid of Rudy Fernandez. [Slam Mag]

The Magic extend the contracts of Stan Van Gundy and Otis Smith. [Slam Mag]

Here are the top centers of 2010. [Dime Mag]

The Warriors sign Janero Pargo. [Slam Mag]

L.A. Live, Los Angeles -- With only days remaining of open registration, the 2010 Nike 3 on 3 basketball tournament is already shattering last year’s inaugural event. If you and a couple friends want to get out there and ball with some of the best players from around Southern California be sure to register your team for a chance to compete at www.Nike3on3.com.

Last year Lakers Nation had the privilege of checking out the first ever Nike 3 on 3 tournament and had an awesome time. The atmosphere is family friendly and a lot of fun for all those in attendance. Last year saw over 500 teams compete in what was at the time the largest organized basketball tournament in L.A. history. This year already has seen over a thousand teams enter the tournament, shattering last year’s record.

If you do enter, however, be sure to bring your A-game if you want to dethrone the defending champions, Team Global Compuserve of Spokane, WA, and Advantage from Los Angeles.

Team Global Compuserve won the 6-feet and under tournament while Advantage won the 6-feet and over event.

So, even if you don’t enter the tournament be sure to make your way down to L.A. Live between August 6th and 8th to check out the great atmosphere. It is free to the public and will include live music, slam dunk competitions, and even star player appearances. It is certainly fun for the whole family!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNhVgjD34Uw

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The wait is finally over! After the release of the 2010 NBA Champions you can relive the Lakers epic NBA Finals win over the hated Boston Celtics over and over again! Here at Lakers Nation we wanted to give the fans a chance to win a copy of this historical DVD, and the responses were numerous!

So, without further ado it is time to announce the winners of the Lakers Nation 2010 NBA Championship DVD – @JustKC from our Twitter.com/LakersNation following.

Thank you for all of those who entered the contest. To get your own Los Angeles Lakers 2010 NBA Finals Champions Locker Room Bundle at NBAStore.com! – $79.99 – Official Championship T-Shirt, Hat, Towel & Championship DVD! Or just click through and order the DVD on it’s own.

For all of you that can’t wait for the shipping process of the Championship DVD, be sure to check out the iTunes Lakers package that will give you the chance to re-live the most exciting Lakers games from the 2009-2010 Championship season!

News from around the league on July 27th.

Laker news.

Kobe Bryant realized he is not cut out for a future head coaching job. [Pro Basketball Talk]

Magic Johnson picked the Lakers to win next year, but has the Heat winning many titles later on. [Slam Mag]

Magic Johnson owns about 5% of the Lakers, so he has a lot of Laker love in his heart.  We all know Magic has the Lakers winning every year, but in order to please ESPN, he gave the Heat a few titles. [LA Times]

Team USA’s and Lamar Odom’s podcast. [BasketBlog]

Here is a tribute to a great Laker, Rick Fox. [Forum Blue and Gold]

Jordan Farmar’s 2009-2010 report card. [Silver Screen and Roll]

Meet the newest Laker, Theo Ratliff. [OC Register]

Matt Barnes’ press conference will be held today at 1 PST, you can catch it on Lakers.com. [Lakers.com]

The latest on the NBA.

The Cavs send Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair to the Timberwolves for Ramon Sessions, Ryan Hollins and a second-round draft pick. [ESPN.com]

The Timberwolves acquired West and Telfair, but they are expected to waive the two guards. [Dime Mag]

The Nets promote Bobby Marks to assistant GM. [NBA.com]

Josh Powell officially signed with the Atlanta Hawks. [NBA.com]

The Celtics re-sign Marquis Daniels. [NBA.com]

Jonny Flynn will have hip surgery. [NBA.com]

Yao Ming may end up retiring. [Slam Mag]

Yao is finding it hard to over-come his injury, and he may retire if he doesn’t return to 100%. [NBA.com]

Louis Amundson is likely out of Phoenix. [Dime Mag]

The Celtics may re-sign Eddie House. [Pro Basketball Talk]

Dirk said he would have considered the Heat, if they were actually interested. [Dime Mag]

Here is a video of Shaquille O’Neal signing… with Justin Bieber. [Slam Mag]

Dwight Howard on the Heat: “They’re not going to be the best team in the NBA next year.” [Pro Basketball Talk]

The Bulls are reluctant to sign T-Mac. [Slam Mag]

The Raptors believe Chris Bosh quit on them, similar to what Vince Carter did. [Slam Mag]

News from around the league on July 26th.

The Lakers are making some big moves this off season; they are acquiring many great players to improve their roster.   The defending champs have gotten better, and the NBA should be afraid.

The latest on the Lakers.

Lamar’s versatility will be key for team USA’s success. [BasketBlog]

Kobe Bryant is now recovering from his knee surgery and will be ready for training camp. [LA Times]

Mitch Kupchak is “optimistic” that the Lakers will re-sign Shannon Brown. [LA Times]

Theo Ratliff’s introductory presser. [BasketBlog]

The Lakers sign Matt Barnes, yes the same guy that “fought” with Kobe. [Lakers.com]

The Lakers also sign a defensive minded big-man, Theo Ratliff. [Lakers.com]

Mitch Kupchak deserves a lot of credit for what he has done not only this off season, but throughout his career as a GM. [ESPN Los Angeles]

The latest on the NBA.

Tracy McGrady is very interested in the Bulls. [ESPN Chicago]

Team USA needs help in the paint. [Dime Mag]

Chris Paul wants to go to Orlando, but a trade his highly unlikely. [Pro Basketball Talk]

Stephon Marbury wants to play in Miami. [Slam Mag]

Rasual Butler is headed back to the LA Clippers. [Slam Mag]

News from around the league on July 22nd.

Laker links

Order your official Laker championship DVD. [NBA.com]

Luke Walton’s 2009-2010 report card. [Silver Screen and Roll]

Josh Powell is close to signing with the Hawks; similar to Jordan Farmar, Powell left the Lakers so he would get more playing time. [ESPN Los Angeles]

The Lakers rank in the top 50 on Forbes’ list of the world’s most valuable teams. [LA Times]

Chris Paul wants to get traded to either the Magic, Knicks or Lakers. If the Lakers do acquire Paul, they may have to trade off some valuable players. [LA Times]

Lamar Odom practiced for the USA team. [OC Register]

NBA links

The Knicks are the front runners in acquiring Chris Paul, not the Lakers. [ESPN.com]

Business is booming for the Miami Heat. [Slam Mag]

Team USA’s schedule. [NBA.com]

Tracy McGrady will work out with the Bulls. [Slam Mag]

Richard Jefferson made headlines when he opted out of his contract with the Spurs, but it wasn’t a bad idea. [Slam Mag]

Derrick Rose said he will never leave Chicago. [Slam Mag]

The Raptors are considering Luis Scola, and the Bulls want T-Mac. [Yahoo Sports]

David Lee will miss the World Championships. [ESPN.com]

News from around the league on July 21st – FSGJN8C3CSZ3

Laker links

Based on the numbers, Pau Gasol is the best big in the NBA. [Lakers.com]

Magic Johnson says he would not have joined the same team as Michael Jordan and Larry Bird; unlike Lebron, Magic wanted to carry his own team. [Dime Mag]

Kobe Bryant is tied with Tiger Woods as America’s most popular athlete. [Slam Mag]

Andrew Bynum will have surgery on July 28th. [Pro Basketball Talk]

Jeremy Lin is close to signing with the Warriors. [ESPN.com]

Lamar says he is currently in “horrible shape.” [NBA Fanhouse]

Larry Hughes might be headed to the Lakers. [Dime Mag]

Kobe is climbing the popularity charts, as his rivals are falling. [OC Register]

The Lakers are the healthiest NBA franchise. [NBA.com]

The latest on the NBA.

Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson both stated that they would not have teamed up to create a “super team.” [Pro Basketball Talk]

The Bulls have had a great off-season. [Slam Mag]

Wesley Matthews signs with the Blazers. [ESPN.com]

Eddie House may be headed to the Bulls. [Dime Mag]

Dwayne Wade appeared on the Jay Leno show. [Slam Mag]

The top 10 players who need to change teams. [Dime Mag]

Cleveland fans to Lebron: “It’s not us, it’s you.” [Dime Mag]

Chauncey Billups is confident that Melo will return to Denver. [Slam Mag]

Here are 10 players that will never change teams. [Dime Mag]

David Lee injured his finger. [Slam Mag]

The Wolves introduced Luke Ridnour. [NBA.com]

Brad Miller signs with the Rockets for $15 million. [ESPN.com]

Richard Jefferson re-signs with the Spurs. [Slam Mag]

Amare Stoudemire will not play for the USA, it’s in his contract.  [ESPN New York]

News from around the league on July 15th.

The Lakers were ready to sign another free agent on Wednesday; Raja Bell and Kobe Bryant were ready to have a meeting on a potential contract.  Well, let’s just say Raja didn’t forget his rivalry with Kobe.

The latest on the Lakers.

Raja Bell cancelled his meeting with Kobe, and decided not to sign with the Lakers. [ESPN Los Angeles]

So much for adding another defensive player; Raja Bell has decided to sign with the Jazz, not the Lakers. [LA Times]

The Lakers are close to re-signing Shannon Brown. [Yahoo Sports]

With a “no” from Bell, the Lakers are running to get Brown back. [Dime Mag]

Kobe was not able to persuade Raja Bell to join the Lakers , but at least he won an ESPY. [LA Times]

Steve Blake is a very underrated point guard and will surprise many people next year.  He doesn’t look very aggressive but in reality, Blake can really turn a game around. [OC Register]

Derrick Caracter is impressing a lot of people in the Summer League and he can really help the Lakers next season. [Silver Screen and Roll]

Michael Jordan said that Kobe is the best player in the NBA right now. [Pro Basketball Talk]

Here is Steve Blake’s first photo shoot as a Laker. [BasketBlog]

In case you missed it, here is Steve Blake’s press conference. [Lakers.com]

The Mavs are gathering up a group to overtake the Lakers. [Dime Mag]

The latest on the NBA.

The Nets introduce former Laker, Jordan Farmar. [ESPN New York]

Mike Miller officially signs with the Heat. [ESPN.com]

Rajon Rondo, Tyson Chandler and Robin Lopez were added to the USA Basketball team. [ESPN.com]

Richard Jefferson will most likely re-sign with the Spurs. [Pro Basketball Talk]

Ekpe Udoh will miss 6 months with a broken wrist. [Slam Mag]

Paul Pierce is back with the Celtics. [ESPN Boston]

Here are the pics of all the stars that showed up for the ESPYs. [OC Register]

A must see parody of Lebron’s decision. [Dime Mag]

Tracy McGrady will work out with the Clippers. [Slam Mag]

The Suns officially acquire Josh Childress and Hedo Turkoglu. [NBA.com]

Mario Chalmers is out for up to 4 weeks. [Pro Basketball Talk]

The top 30 post-lottery draft picks. [Slam Mag]

The Sixers sign Evan Turner. [NBA.com]

The Golden State Warriors are, sold. [Slam Mag]

Here are the ten best free agents available. [Dime Mag]

News from around the league on July 14th.

The entire NBA is watching the newer players put on the show in the Summer League, including the Lakers.  At first all of the team’s attention was focused on re-signing Derek Fisher, now that he is back the Lakers can check one thing off their checklist.  The next two steps are to re-evaulate the rookies and possibly sign other free agents.

The latest on the Lakers.

Adam Morrison’s 2009-2010 report card. [Silver Screen and Roll]

Derek Fisher’s new contract with the Lakers is a done deal.[BasketBlog]

Can the Thunder be the team that will upset the Lakers next season? [Hoops Vibe]

Kobe Bryant will have a meeting today with Raja Bell. [Slam Magazine]

They were once rivals, but now Kobe wants Raja Bell to sign with the Lakers. [LA Times]

Dwayne Wade still believes that the Lakers are the favorites entering next season. [ESPN.com]

Here are the top 5, under-the-radar, free agent signings. [Dime Mag]

The Lakers introduced Steve Blake. [Lakers.com]

The official press release regarding Derek Fisher’s signing with the Lakers. [Lakers.com]

The latest on the busy NBA.

In case you find it really hard to keep up with all the free agency news, here is a recap of what happened so far. [Dime Mag]

The New York Knicks introduced their four new players: Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, Kelenna Azubuike, Raymond Felton. [ESPN New York]

The Knicks may not have gotten Lebron James, but their roster is looking pretty good. [Knicks.com]

The Knicks ink 7 foot 1 Russian, Timofey Mozgov. [ESPN New York]

Dime Magazine’s 2010-2011 Power Rankings. [Dime Magazine]

The Jazz lost Carlos Boozer, but they added Al Jefferson. [Yahoo Sports]

David Stern is not pleased with Lebron James and his “decision.” [Slam Mag]

The top 25 dunks of the decade. [Dime Magazine]

Udonis Haslem is staying with the Miami Heat. [NBA.com]

Matt Barnes will most likely not stay with the Magic. [Slam Mag]

The Warriors have signed Dorell Wright. [NBA.com]

The Wizards sign Hilton Armstrong. [Pro Basketball Talk]

Kendrick Perkins may miss 5-6 months due to his injury. [ESPN Boston]

Nate Robinson and the Celtics are close to a deal. [ESPN Boston]

Dirk Nowitzki wants Shaq on his team. [Slam Mag]

The Nets acquire Anthony Marrow. [NBA.com]

The Magic sign Quentin Richardson. [NBA.com]

The Heat send Michael Beasley to the Timberwolves for… a draft pick. [NBA.com]

Juwan Howard will join the Heat. [Pro Basketball Talk]

Zydrunas Ilgauskas will join the Miami Heat. [ESPN.com]

Sources say that the Mavericks acquire Tyson Chandler. [ESPN.com]

The Heat also sign Mike Miller. [Miami Herald]

Ray Allen re-signs with the Celtics. [ESPN Boston]

The Nets name Billy King as their new GM. [ESPN New York]

Luke Ridnour signs with the Minnesota Timberwolves. [ESPN.com]

The Cavs sign Kyle Lowry. [Dime Mag]

Kyle Korver was introduced to the Bulls, and he is very happy in his new home. [NBA.com]

The Suns officially acquire Josh Childress. [Slam Mag]

Al Harrington is headed to the Nuggets. [NBA.com]

Shaq is most likely not going to the Heat. [Pro Basketball Talk]

The Nets finally move on to Plan B. [Slam Mag]

Ray Allen believes the Celtics are still a better team than the Heat. [Pro Basketball Talk]

The Bobcats sign Shaun Livingston. [Slam Mag]