It's fairly easy to put together a hypothetical team of NBA superstars. That's what the All-Star Game and the Olympics are for. But what about the best possible realistic NBA team? Well, ESPN.com (Insider) took a swing at it, taking into consideration salary cap constraints and the way pieces fit together. And it was concluded that Kevin Love would be the second-best player on the that team. No. 1? LeBron James. No. 3? Joakim Noah.

Said the author of Love: Love deserves to be recognized for the expansion of his game this season. He's as lethal as ever from deep, but also has been very good on the block, in passing the ball and as an elite rebounder. As a running mate for James, it's a perfect skill set. Love's 19.8 WARP ranks behind only Durant and James. And, not for nothing, Love's price tag of $14.7 million for this season is appropriate for a second star on a championship roster.

That's not to suggest that those players are going to assemble, of course ... but it is interesting to wonder whether a roster with those three at the top could win a championship.