Dream Team vs 2012 Oly Team (Page 2)

Magic was retired when the dream team formed.

I think he was only 33 though.  Retirement was mainly due to the league's fear of HIV.  Definitely no more past his prime than Kobe is right now.

The original Dream Team won all 6 games by what, an average of 45 points per game?  If the 2012 team can do that then we'll talk.  

Anyways, I think Kobe just said that to build the hype.  Before he said that, nobody was talking about the 2012 team, and now they're a hot and much debated topic.  Players like Barkley and Jordan are talking about it.  Everybody seems to be.  I don't like Kobe more than anybody else does but he make the Olympic team, and is very proud, and knows they have a great team.  Why not build the hype a bit?  Oh, and the original team would SLAUGHTER the new team.  

I agree the Dream Team would win pretty easily against 12'... But I doubt even the dream team from 92' would crush every opponent internationally by 45 points this year.  The International teams have improved susbstantially in the last 20 years.  Back in 92 there were hardly any NBA players from overseas.  Now there are quite a few that play on international olympic teams. Spain, Argentina, France are all pretty good. 

Kobe is an idiot.  Even Jordan called him out for good reason.  I reiterate Kobe is an idiot.  I can't stress that enough. 

Is anyone fighting over a pair of Air Kobe's?

I don't think so

They may not blow them out like they did in 92, but I think they are actually matched up pretty well against the better international teams of today.  The dream team had good defenders, to match up against better international outside shooting today (think Jordan, Pippen, Drexler etc.), and they have the bigs to match up against the Gasols from Spain (Robinson, Ewing, Malone).

I think they would have closer games today, but I still think they would dominate.

We will never know which team would win if they would play each other.  The general consensus seems to agree that the original Dream Team would win.  I won’t speculate what the result would be but I will point out an area that favors the current team that no one has touched on.

Versatility….The current team can do things that would create nightmare rotation problems for the dream team specially with forwards like LBJ 6-8, Love 6-10, Durant 6-9 (even if he is listed as a guard), Anthony 6-8 that could play as guards (except love).  Imagine Barkley trying to cover LBJ, LBJ is taller, heavier and faster than barkley ever was.  I can just picture Barkley trying to cover Lebron at the top of the key in an isolation play.   It would have been great to see a matchup of LBJ and Magic

Let's see if they win the gold medal first.

And in my opinion, the dream team is like one of those track and field world records that just never get beat!  You can't say a player is the best of all time just because they are good today.

The 92 Team knew how to pass the ball.  Today's NBA, pass to the blocks, dribble dribble hop hop step then brick, foul, or opps I just gots a lucky bounce.

No question the 92 team has one thing more than any I see on the 12 team, will power.  I taped some of Jordan's game (VHS baby) and one of my favorites was against Portland in the NBA Finals when he went crazy and hit 3 pointer after 3 pointer.  In 86 I saw a game between the Bulls and Celtics in Chicago, it was Jordan vs Bird all night...I can't describe the asesomeness of watching that regular season game those two played their azzes off and would not back down.

2012, boring.

I am sure this will be an unpopular opinion.  It looks like people that were in their 20's/30's in 92 are saying the 92 team would easily win.  Those of us that grew up watching Kobe and the current players think it would be closer, but don't really have an opinion either way.  Everything that has been said is an opinion - we don't know and we can't know.

And those of you that say the the game is less physical today don't watch very closely.  I think you are confusing hard fouls with physicality.  The NBA cracks down more on hard fouls now - that has nothing to do with how physical a game is.  Watch Kobe fight for position in the mid-post - it is extremely physical.  Just because there are more rules about hard fouls and hand checks doesn't mean the players are less physical.

One other thing I am confused about is people saying that none of the players pass on the current team.  Chris Paul and Deron Williams have both averaged around 9 assists per game during their careers.  Magic was right around 11 per game.  Michael Jordan was the best player in 92 and he had a career average of 5.3 assists per game.  Lebron is the best player on this team and his career average is 6.9 assists per game.  So from now on when we are shooting off random opinions can we at least provide some facts to back them up!

Will power?  I guess you never saw Lebron score 25 consecutive points to finish out game 5 and beat the Pistons in the playoffs.  That was a Pistons team that was known for defense and won a championship because of that defense.  By the way i'm not a Lebron lover, I always cheer against him.

I think the bigs were better in 2008 and Kobe is older now.  Kobe's role on the last team was to shut down the other teams best player and he did that really well.  So I don't think that will affect the team very much.  Other than that I think some players from that team are coming into their prime now - Lebron, Carmelo, Chris Paul, Deron Williams.  One player I think really helps this team is Durant.  He can play a lot of positions and will be a deadly shooter with the closer three point line.  The biggest losses are Dwight Howard and Dwayne Wade, but I think Russell Westbrook can duplicate most of what Dwayne Wade brought to the team.  I don't really remember how much Dwight Howard scored at the last olympics, but I think Tyson Chandler is equal on the defensive end.

I think this years team is much deeper.  In 2008 there were some guys that were questionable (Boozer, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd - although he was the best shooter on the team).

With all that said, I would pick this years team.

Saw it and was impressed.  Wish he had that with some consistency.

I've seen guys like him before and I've also seen guys like Jordan, Pippen, M Johnson, Byrd teach class with players like him also.  I hope for the day when we have a run of years again in the NBA with players of that stature.

I hope for the Gold but I also remember another cocky team that lost.  Regardless, it's just a game, I could be right, I could be wrong, I don't really care.