1992 Dream Team or 2012 Olympic Team?

[Coach McGuirk]

Ding ding, AA for the win!

As good as the players on this year's team are, I doubt that NINE of them will be included in the next greatest 50, maybe six of them (more likely 4) but there's no way in hell that NINE of them will make that list, not with the way their careers have gone now.

So AA guessed the two things I listed in my post and wins a prize?

[TripletDaddy]

Doug Collins reads CUF. He was just on the Olympics coverage being interviewed by costas and pointed out that in 92, none of the euros were good enough to play in the NBA, while today, all of the countries seem to have NBA players on their roster. :rockon2:

[Surfah]

I think '92 would beat this team. Not just the height, but they had better passers and shooters all around. They could go inside out better than anyone and Malone, Barkley, Ewing, and Robinson would all destroy anyone on this team in the post. Despite this team's ability to get to the rim and their speed they have stretches where they struggle to score it seems. Granted their competition is much better. But Chris Mullin alone would outshoot anyone on this team.

[CardiacCoug]

I should have known that a bunch of guys in their 30s and 40s would vote for their childhood heroes over the young whippersnappers.

But there have been some good arguments in favor of Dream Team here so the majority is probably correct as usual.

[Coach McGuirk]

I think '92 would beat this team. Not just the height, but they had better passers and shooters all around. They could go inside out better than anyone and Malone, Barkley, Ewing, and Robinson would all destroy anyone on this team in the post. Despite this team's ability to get to the rim and their speed they have stretches where they struggle to score it seems. Granted their competition is much better. But Chris Mullin alone would outshoot anyone on this team.

Plus with MJ and pippen you have two of the best defenders of all time. And it's great that 12 can get to the basket, but they don't have to deal with a Ewing or a D. Robinson waiting for them now like they would.

[Surfah]

Plus with MJ and pippen you have two of the best defenders of all time. And it's great that 12 can get to the basket, but they don't have to deal with a Ewing or a D. Robinson waiting for them now like they would.

Yup. I just think it would be a match up problem for this team. I mean even though Magic's career was over, he was still effective. How would Paul or Westbrook guard him? Magic would plant his big ass on them and back them down and drop a baby hook on them all day. And if they didn't guard him, who could they guard?

[Shaka]

Christian Laettner tips the scales. '92 for sure!

[Jacob]

The 92 team was great, but if the two teams played today, this team would definitely beat them. The game has changed. When Jordan came on the scene he was a freak athlete. We had never seen anybody like him. Now, every team in the NBA has a player or two that is just as as athletic as Jordan was. The 92 team was great because those players set a bar that no one else on the planet could reach. Today, lots of players have reached that par and surpassed it.

Jesse Owens was great in his day, but Usain Bolt would kick his ass today, just as Babe Ruth would struggle with Justin Verlander's fast ball.

We are not comparing Bolt to Owens, Or LeBron to Jerry West. We are comparing Jordan to Kobe and Malone to Love and Robinson to Chandler and LeBron to whoever. Yes, Lebron wins his matchup, but none of the other 2012 guys do.

And I demand you recind the following claim:

Now, every team in the NBA has a player or two that is just as as athletic as Jordan was.

You can't be serious.

Name me that player or 2 on the Jazz. On the Blazers. On the Rockets. On Minnesota. I could go on and on.

Jordan is Carl Lewis. Sure, Bolt is insanely fast, but look at the final heat from the US Olympic trials this year. Only 2 guys in the entire good old USA are faster than Carl Lewis was in 1998. There is not a huge gap in athleticism if we aren't talking about Larry Bird. But Larry bird would still kick Carmello Anthony's ass at basketball.

[All-American]

There is not a huge gap in athleticism if we aren't talking about Larry Bird. But Larry bird would still kick Carmello Anthony's ass at basketball.

I think that's because Bird's defenders had to squint to be able to look at him.

[pellegrino]

I should have known that a bunch of guys in their 30s and 40s would vote for their childhood heroes over the young whippersnappers.

But there have been some good arguments in favor of Dream Team here so the majority is probably correct as usual.

who invited the whippersnapper?

[YOhio]

Not only do I think the 1992 team would destroy the current crop, but I think the 1996 team would win as well.

The 1996 roster:

Charles Barkley
Penny Hardaway
Grant Hill
Hakeem Olajuwon
Karl Malone
Reggie Miller
Shaquille O'Neal
Gary Payton
Scottie Pippen
Mitch Richmond
David Robinson
John Stockton

The frontcourt of the original team improves with the swapout of Ewing for Olajuwon and Shaq while keeping Malone, Barkley and Robinson. There's definitely a drop-off after that with losing Jordan, Magic and Bird. But Gary Payton would be a good defensive backcourt presence and Reggie Miller is arguably an upgrade from Chris Mullen.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Yes, the '92 team got everyone they wanted, but even so, the best 12 in the NBA now aren't as good as the best 12 in the NBA then.

Why does everyone forget about Christian Laettner? Doesn't he put 92 over the top?

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Christian Laettner tips the scales. '92 for sure!

Damn, I posted before I saw this! I agree we're all ignoring the Laettner factor.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Not only do I think the 1992 team would destroy the current crop, but I think the 1996 team would win as well.

The 1996 roster:



The frontcourt of the original team improves with the swapout of Ewing for Olajuwon and Shaq while keeping Malone, Barkley and Robinson. There's definitely a drop-off after that with losing Jordan, Magic and Bird. But Gary Payton would be a good defensive backcourt presence and Reggie Miller is arguably an upgrade from Chris Mullen.

Bird was a shell of himself in 92. He wasn't better than Isaiah at that point. They should have put Shaq on the 92 team. I don't know if they necessarily had the best 12 guys in 1992 when you think about both Mullen and Bird being on the team.

The 4 and 2 in 92 were incredible. The 5 and 1 could have been better with Shaq (even coming out of college) and Isaiah.

[Surfah]

Bird was a shell of himself in 92. He wasn't better than Isaiah at that point. They should have put Shaq on the 92 team. I don't know if they necessarily had the best 12 guys in 1992 when you think about both Mullen and Bird being on the team.

The 4 and 2 in 92 were incredible. The 5 and 1 could have been better with Shaq (even coming out of college) and Isaiah.

Mullin absolutely deserved to be on the team. In '92 he was first team all-NBA. He was the best shooter on the team. Plus he had Olympic experience winning gold in LA.