If Charlie Chaplin played basketball: small forward, rated 78

Charlie Chaplin as a basketball player: scouting report

Charlie Chaplin plays small forward because his whole art was movement. Before Hollywood he toured with Fred Karno's comedy troupe in the English music halls, learning to land a pratfall on the beat and make a crowd look one way while he went the other. That is a wing who lives on pump fakes, jab steps and backdoor cuts. His basketball IQ is the top mark on his card, and his playmaking sits right behind it, so he creates for others as much as for himself.

His balance is the stuff of legend. In Modern Times he roller skates blindfolded beside what looks like a sheer drop, and the scene works because every movement is under control. On the court that shows up as defense that grades out well, with quick feet, active hands and an instinct for drawing charges. His athleticism is solid across the board. He also wrote, directed, produced and even scored his own films, which is the profile of a forward who can handle the ball, run the offense and still guard the other team's best wing.

Rebounding is the honest weakness. He is not a glass cleaner, so pair him with a strong power forward and a center who handles the boards. In return he gives you a wing who never stops moving and always finds the open man. If your forward spot is crowded, he slides to either guard position with a modest drop, and he would make a crafty point guard in a bench unit. Draft him in the middle rounds and let him run your second side actions. He cofounded United Artists in 1919 to control his own work, and he will take control of a game the same way.

Plays like A slippery playmaking wing with impeccable footwork and timing

Put Charlie Chaplin in your lineup

8 rolls, a starting five and a bench, 82 games. Can you go 82-0? Free, no account.