Ebony Bird
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Building a basketball starting-5 from current Ravens roster

By Richard Bradshaw

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: John Harbaugh, head coach of the Baltimore Ravens talks with former basketball player Earvin "Magic" Johnson prior to the East Regional game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Duke Blue Devils of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: John Harbaugh, head coach of the Baltimore Ravens talks with former basketball player Earvin "Magic" Johnson prior to the East Regional game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Duke Blue Devils of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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In honor of the 2019 NBA Draft, we’re some of the current members of the Baltimore Ravens roster to build the best basketball starting-5 we can!

The 2019 NBA Draft is on tonight and the entire sports world will tune in to see an event that could shake-up the landscape of the entire league. In light of this, I thought it would be fun to put together a starting-5 consisting of only current players from the Baltimore Ravens squad!

There aren’t many two-sport athletes in today’s sports world. Sure, there’s plenty of players who can play multiple sports, but we almost never see professional athletes take on major roles in two separate sports. If we had to pick five current Ravens players to start a basketball team with, these are who I personally would pick (P.S. size won’t be accounted for except for our center choice):

Center: Ronnie Stanley

I want my center as big as possible to get all the rebounds he can get. The more opportunities my team has to shoot, the better. In Ronnie Stanley, I not only have a big-man inside the paint, but I also have an underrated athlete who can be more than just “a big-man.”

Just like Stanley manhandles edge rushers for the Ravens at left tackle, I expect him to dominate whatever coverage the defense gives him. Stanley could body defenders and dominate underneath the hoop. He’ll protect the rim just as good as he protects the offense.

Point guard: Lamar Jackson

The point guard is the man to command the offense, with fast and slippery ability and good passing skills. He’s the guy putting up the big numbers. If Lamar Jackson isn’t the slam-dunk pick here (pun absolutely intended), I don’t know who else is.

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Knock Jackson’s pass completion percentage all you want, but it’s only going to get better as he matures as a quarterback. But on the basketball court, he’ll be one of the best from day one. Combine this with his explosive athleticism and you have the makings of an All-Star point guard with an amazing nickname. “Action Jackson” could dominate whatever sport he decides to play, making him the face of my team.

Shooting guard: Earl Thomas

Earl Thomas is the easy choice for shooting guard because of his prolific skills and defense. Thomas shows on the field how gifted he is with the ball in his hands, as well as the quick-feet to move around the back-end of the defense effortlessly. I imagine he’d be able to translate this easily to the basketball court.

A team’s shooting guard needs to be able to make plays offensively and defensively throughout the court, and Thomas can provide exactly that. Just like he will for the Ravens secondary in 2019, I’m trusting ET to make splash plays all season long both on the field and the paint.

Power forward: Mark Andrews

For a power forward, you want a versatile play-maker who can break defenses with a wide skill-set. In Mark Andrews, the Baltimore Ravens host a tight end with sudden quickness and balance not seen in most tight ends. For basketball, you’d have yourself a guy who can post-up and score all over the court.

Andrews is the kind of player who surprises you with proficiency and grace while not being afraid to be a strong defender. Andrews is expected to be a breakout candidate for the Ravens in 2019, and it’s not hard to see him playing just as well for a basketball team.

Small forward: Tony Jefferson

Tony Jefferson is a vocal and passionate leader for Baltimore’s defense and he’d be much the same for his basketball team. With an aggressive personality and strong determination, it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see Jefferson be the trash-talker of the team and back it up with his play.

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Small forwards aren’t afraid of competition and make the jaw-dropping, show-stopping plays that get fans excited. Jefferson may not have the biggest resume in that department, but he’s 100% capable of it. For a Baltimore Ravens basketball team, he’s the guy I want commanding this squad and leading them to championship wins.

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