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Morry Gash/Associated Press

You know how it goes. It's mid-August. You're gathered around a table, bar or campfire, shooting the breeze, having a few cocktails or roasting some marshmallows. Then, silence strikes, only to be broken a moment later by the brave soul willing to ask the question you've all been dancing around the entire time.

You're an NBA general manager. You're assembling a team from scratch. You have the option of building around Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Kristaps Porzingis or Karl-Anthony Towns.

Who ya got?

This question is not an easy one. They're all young studs. You can't go wrong.

Except, you can.

After taking into account everything we've seen from each cornerstone—with 2016-17 serving as the strongest reference point—a correct answer emerges.

(Note: This discussion pertains to just these four players. Nikola Jokic would be in the discussion if this was a "The Best Cornerstones, Period" dive. It's not. As with all editions of B/R's "Who Ya Got?" series, the conversation was isolated to a specific set of players. The "Kevin Durant vs. Kawhi Leonard" debate, for instance, does not mean LeBron James is nonexistent.)