If John Lennon played basketball: shooting guard, rated 78

John Lennon as a basketball player: scouting report

John Lennon started the Quarrymen as a Liverpool schoolboy and then brought a teenage Paul McCartney into the band, which may be the most important assist in the history of popular music. That is the kind of player he would be at shooting guard: a creator who makes the people around him better. His basketball IQ is the top mark on his card and his playmaking is right behind it, so he runs plenty of offense from the wing.

The songwriting partnership he shared with McCartney became one of the most successful ever, and that comfort with sharing the ball is what makes his passing special. He studied at the Liverpool College of Art, and his game has an artist's sense of space; he cuts into gaps before they open and finds teammates in spots the defense forgot. Imagine, his best known solo song, is built on a few piano chords and one simple idea, and his game works the same way, with no wasted dribbles. His defense grades out solidly, and his jumper is reliable enough to keep defenders honest.

Rebounding is the honest weak spot and the lowest mark on his card, with athleticism also on the low side. He is not going to fly in for putbacks or beat quicker guards in a race, so he wins with timing and vision. Point guard is a natural second home, given his passing, and small forward is a stretch. Draft him in the middle rounds as a playmaking guard, pair him with an athletic wing and a big who owns the glass, and let him write the offense.

Plays like A visionary combo guard who makes the whole lineup better

Put John Lennon in your lineup

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