I can make a team today to beat the 1992 Dream Team

[msgkings322]

Magic, Bird, Ewing...pretty much all of them except Laettner.

Ok I thought I'd get some good responses from knowledgeable posters like yourself, but if you are going to say 1992 Bird is better than the new guys then you just aren't interested. And that's fine, I tried.

 

[The Derski]

Yes I think it’s completely possible to assemble a team today that would beat the dream team. That team would definitely not have Westbrook though.

 

[msgkings322]

He would be a high scorer affair and they would have to outscore the 92 team. The matches inside don’t favor the 2018 squad but it would be very difficult to stop their outside game and in transition.

Exactly, I'm not saying the new guys best the old every time, just 3 out of 5 games. The fact that so many posters can't honestly engage or get past their biases is disappointing

 

[msgkings322]

Isn't it amazing the lack of respect or just cluelessness? You wonder how old some of these little guys are.

Lack of respect? LOL what is Barkley your dad or something?

 

[msgkings322]

And most of those guys, but especially MJ, Magic and Bird would kill (literally, not figuratively) to win the game.

I don't think you know what literally means.

 

[The Derski]

I really don’t know why you guys are giving OP such a hard time. Do you really think the dream team would be undefeated forever no matter what? Athletes today are just better. Of course you’d need to find the right chemistry and cohesion as a unit but it’s 100% possible to beat the dream team using today’s players.

 

[CitySushi]

The original Dream Team is almost untouchable. They're the perfect assembly of players and skillsets from top to bottom. They had post players, 3 point shooters, defenders, passers, finishers, bigs who could hit the mid range, bigs who could run the floor, fast break players, etc. They're the perfect roster with no weaknesses

I think you could put together a roster comprised of today's players that win maybe 4 out 10 games. The problem is that the Dream Team has no weak points so in a series, they'd be able to win in numerous different ways.

The only way today's NBA players could beat the Dream Team would be to simply out gun them. You would need bigs who could shoot from the outside to make Robinson, Ewing, Barkley and Malone all defend on the perimeter.

 

[CitySushi]

I really don’t know why you guys are giving OP such a hard time. Do you really think the dream team would be undefeated forever no matter what? Athletes today are just better. Of course you’d need to find the right chemistry and cohesion as a unit but it’s 100% possible to beat the dream team using today’s players.

The Dream team would win in the long run, because if you look at it skill set wise, they're the perfectly blended roster.

Elite Defenders: Robinson, Stockton, Jordan, Pippen
Elite Post Scorers: Ewing, Robinson, Malone, Barkley, Jordan
Elite Wing Scorers: Jordan, Drexler, Mullin, Bird
Elite 3 Point shooters: Mullin, Stockton, Bird
Elite Mid Range: Jordan, Pippen, Malone, Barkley, Robinson, Ewing
Elite Passers: Magic, Stockton, Bird, Mullin, Pippen
Elite Athletes to run the floor: Drexler, Jordan, Barkley, Malone, Magic
Elite Rebounders: All of the roster sans Mullin and Stockton

They have no weaknesses as a team. If you assembled a roster of today's players, there's going to be a few glaring weaknesses.

 

[thunderc]

And most of those guys, but especially MJ, Magic and Bird would kill (literally, not figuratively) to win the game.

That’s exactly what I thought and didn’t bother to put in words. The most competitive guy out there in today’s game simply couldn’t hang in that Department, it was a totally different world. Can you picture the reaction when these new guys suggest to Jordan or Bird that they go hang out?

 

[Gman]

Dream Team had some amazing shooting... take a guy like Chris Mullin... one of the best pure shooters of all time... and they had actual big men who knew how to play in the post... on offense they are extremely tough to stop.

A team of today's greats would have the athletic edge. But it's a little unfair that we can pick out the best of today regardless of how age/injury may have diminished their abiliities... (no one would pick Wade at this point, for example)... but we have to discount an all-time great like Bird because he was ravaged by back problems.

With Jordan in his prime... I have to give the edge to '92. He's not only the best player on the court... his competitiveness would give that team an edge. I just can't bet against Jordan in his prime... that's even before we consider the Hall of Famers that would surround him.

 

[CitySushi]

Here's the roster I think that would have a potential shot at winning a few games in a series against the Dream Team:

Starters:
Lebron James- PG
Kevin Durant - SG
Kawhi Leonard- SF
Anthony Davis - PF
Boogie Cousins - C

You'd have 5 skilled guys who are all great athletes to run the floor and great floor spacers. Opens the entire game up and they could switch on defense. Having that much size on the court would also help to mitigate some of the post play, but not all. Basically you'd hope to trade some 3's for 2's and out run the Dream Team.

Bench:
Klay Thompson
Draymond Green
James Harden
Jimmy Butler
Karl-Anthony Towns
Kevin Love
Chris Paul

The bench players aren't the overall best, but picked because of their skillsets and what would be needed against the Dream team.

It's a complete mixture of passers, defenders, and spot up shooters. That's what I think would be needed. Roster construction would be key. There are tons of great 5 man units you could throw out there with a specific purpose and still be viable. You could have a defensive unit, a shooter unit, a run and gun unit, small lineup, etc. Versatility would be the key here.

 

[wildturkey]

Great post and I agree with everything. There is no way to know but the flooring spacing and athleticism would definitely be a problem for the Dream Team

It's not perfect but we actually have seen something very similar before. In the late 80s Rick Pitino coached the Knicks for a hot minute an instituted a style of play that was way ahead of time; heavy pace and heavy on 3s. He essentially played 4 out basketball, 4 shooters surrounded by Patrick Ewing. It totally turned the Knicks around. In just 2 years, they went from being a lotto team with 20ish wins to 50 wins. But then he left to go coach Kentucky and the philosophy was scrapped. Don Nelson's NellyBall flirted with it some in the 90s but it wasn't really until the 00s until we saw stuff like that again. All the bases of the modern game is there in those Pitino teams (shooters, space, etc). The fact that they had success so quickly indicates there is a pathway to success for that style of play under the old school rules, especially considering their number or attempts is still fairly conservative by modern standards. It's just a shame we never got to see it play out fully with players getting to grow in that system and also getting better skillsets to fit it so you'll never fully know. But I don't think its an impossible task to mental gymnastics to see what those Knicks did, sub in better shooters from today, and see "Hey, this can actually work and work well"

 

[thunderc]

Yes I think it’s completely possible to assemble a team today that would beat the dream team. That team would definitely not have Westbrook though.

Actually Westbrook is the one guy in the same universe with those guy’s competiveness wise and he has the best motor in the history of the league.

 

[Raptorlife4redux]

Which refs are we using?
The refs that let players play like men? Or the ones now that bail the players out?

Are we allowed to set a hard screen?

 

[msgkings322]

The Dream team would win in the long run, because if you look at it skill set wise, they're the perfectly blended roster.

Elite Defenders: Robinson, Stockton, Jordan, Pippen
Elite Post Scorers: Ewing, Robinson, Malone, Barkley, Jordan
Elite Wing Scorers: Jordan, Drexler, Mullin, Bird
Elite 3 Point shooters: Mullin, Stockton, Bird
Elite Mid Range: Jordan, Pippen, Malone, Barkley, Robinson, Ewing
Elite Passers: Magic, Stockton, Bird, Mullin, Pippen
Elite Athletes to run the floor: Drexler, Jordan, Barkley, Malone, Magic
Elite Rebounders: All of the roster sans Mullin and Stockton

They have no weaknesses as a team. If you assembled a roster of today's players, there's going to be a few glaring weaknesses.

My only quibble here is, again, 1992 Bird wouldn't be worth much. But you make a great case. I just lean to a slight edge for the current guys. Not that there's any way to prove any of this, but that's the fun of talking sports

 

[wildturkey]

Dream Team had some amazing shooting... take a guy like Chris Mullin... one of the best pure shooters of all time... and they had actual big men who knew how to play in the post... on offense they are extremely tough to stop.

A team of today's greats would have the athletic edge. But it's a little unfair that we can pick out the best of today regardless of how age/injury may have diminished their abiliities... (no one would pick Wade at this point, for example)... but we have to discount an all-time great like Bird because he was ravaged by back problems.

With Jordan in his prime... I have to give the edge to '92. He's not only the best player on the court... his competitiveness would give that team an edge. I just can't bet against Jordan in his prime... that's even before we consider the Hall of Famers that would surround him.

I'm highlighting this because this a nugget that just annoys me in discussions like this all the time. Post play isn't "dead" because bigs today can't do it because of lack of talent. Old school post play isn't around anymore because the defensive rule changes have made it far harder to play that way. Removing the illegal defense rules lets players collapse in the paint, taking away shots and passing lanes to the big man. In the past, it was essentially one on one in the post with a hard double team. The best skilled big men could still get their shots up. But its a lot harder when 3 and 4 players are hounding you before the pass and then afterward, preventing you from taking your 3 dribbles to back a man down and hit your shot. The TNT guys are so guilty of this. At least once a show Shaq or Barkley (ususally Shaq) goes on a rant about how a good big man should be feasting down low, getting 30 and 15 every night and the bigs from their day would be able to get 40 and 25 every night. No. No they can't. It's way more difficult to get those shots up against today's defense. And even if you've got a big that's skilled enough to actually fight off all those defenders, the opposing team will gladly trade off on it because you're shooting a low percentage 2 point shot as opposed to passing the ball out, moving it around looking for a higher percentage shot (often times a 3 point shot).

None of that is to say Barkley or Shaq would be trash. They would just have to adjust and that adjustment means they won't be getting that 40 and 25 like they think they could. It's just pointing out that it is far more difficult than people realize. Post play didn't disappear due to lack of talent. It disappeared because its not efficient to play that way.

 

[Shanemansj13]

And the weak sauce comes out.. Keep it coming Jr. LMAO @ KD the killer with the 1992 dream team on the floor. Barkley would harass KD so bad about those twitter accounts, he wouldn't be able to hit the rim.


Oh the Jawwing at the current snowflakes would be classic

Barkley? Lmao. KD has 5 inches on him. GL guarding the perimeter.

 

[msgkings322]

I'm highlighting this because this a nugget that just annoys me in discussions like this all the time. Post play isn't "dead" because bigs today can't do it because of lack of talent. Old school post play isn't around anymore because the defensive rule changes have made it far harder to play that way. Removing the illegal defense rules lets players collapse in the paint, taking away shots and passing lanes to the big man. In the past, it was essentially one on one in the post with a hard double team. The best skilled big men could still get their shots up. But its a lot harder when 3 and 4 players are hounding you before the pass and then afterward, preventing you from taking your 3 dribbles to back a man down and hit your shot. The TNT guys are so guilty of this. At least once a show Shaq or Barkley (ususally Shaq) goes on a rant about how a good big man should be feasting down low, getting 30 and 15 every night and the bigs from their day would be able to get 40 and 25 every night. No. No they can't. It's way more difficult to get those shots up against today's defense. And even if you've got a big that's skilled enough to actually fight off all those defenders, the opposing team will gladly trade off on it because you're shooting a low percentage 2 point shot as opposed to passing the ball out, moving it around looking for a higher percentage shot (often times a 3 point shot).

None of that is to say Barkley or Shaq would be trash. They would just have to adjust and that adjustment means they won't be getting that 40 and 25 like they think they could. It's just pointing out that it is far more difficult than people realize. Post play didn't disappear due to lack of talent. It disappeared because its not efficient to play that way.

Great post. I guess which team wins depends on what defensive rules are used...

 

[Shanemansj13]

Cases can be made for both sides but still gotta go Dream. Could see 2018 winning 3 maybe 4

 

[Gman]

I'm highlighting this because this a nugget that just annoys me in discussions like this all the time. Post play isn't "dead" because bigs today can't do it because of lack of talent. Old school post play isn't around anymore because the defensive rule changes have made it far harder to play that way. Removing the illegal defense rules lets players collapse in the paint, taking away shots and passing lanes to the big man. In the past, it was essentially one on one in the post with a hard double team. The best skilled big men could still get their shots up. But its a lot harder when 3 and 4 players are hounding you before the pass and then afterward, preventing you from taking your 3 dribbles to back a man down and hit your shot. The TNT guys are so guilty of this. At least once a show Shaq or Barkley (ususally Shaq) goes on a rant about how a good big man should be feasting down low, getting 30 and 15 every night and the bigs from their day would be able to get 40 and 25 every night. No. No they can't. It's way more difficult to get those shots up against today's defense. And even if you've got a big that's skilled enough to actually fight off all those defenders, the opposing team will gladly trade off on it because you're shooting a low percentage 2 point shot as opposed to passing the ball out, moving it around looking for a higher percentage shot (often times a 3 point shot).

None of that is to say Barkley or Shaq would be trash. They would just have to adjust and that adjustment means they won't be getting that 40 and 25 like they think they could. It's just pointing out that it is far more difficult than people realize. Post play didn't disappear due to lack of talent. It disappeared because its not efficient to play that way.

You make good, fair points... I would still say today's big men are significantly less skilled in the post than the big men of the Dream Team era... generally speaking.

In fairness, today's big men are probably better in other areas... 3 pt shooting and ball handling come to mind.