NBA : 1992 Dream Team vs. 2012 Dream Team

That's actually a lot younger than I remember, guys like Mullin, Drexler, Ewing, etc felt a lot older at the time I guess. Point conceded, though I still think 2012 has the better athletes.

Even without Jordan the rest of the match ups are so lopsided it;s silly to consider it. Series goes 5 games.....MAYBE 6.

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I don't think the match ups are that lopsided, outside of Center. Chris Paul is incredibly good, and Magic was post HIV and out of basketball (it's a very different argument if you're talking 1985-86 Magic). 1992 SG without Jordan is what, Drexler or Mullin? Both great players, but can you honestly say Kobe would have trouble matching up on one of them, even at 34? Forward there's no way you can call that matchup lopsided. Lebron should end up top 10 ever unless something goes horribly wrong, and Durant has the potential to do the same. As I said earlier I'm the biggest Chuck fan around but he's still a 6'4 PF who never won anything, and Malone is Malone. Center there's no question Robinson is head and shoulders above anything 2012 could throw out there.

The only way it even becomes an argument is if the 2012 team were allowed to have a healthy Dwight Howard to replace Anthony Davis and be a starter and a healthy Dwayne Wade to replace Kobe Bryant. And even then, I doubt it would even go to a 7 game series. Of course it can't be said for sure, but I feel like Dwight Howard would get completely destroyed by any of the great centers from 20 years ago and the only reason he is good in today's game is the severe lack of talented big men. He would still have been a obviously huge upgrade to Chandler.

Center is overrated and the 12 team probably wouldn't play that style of basketball. If they were smart they'd play small and run the 92 team off the floor. With Jordan it's no contest but without Jordan it's a toss up.

Howard with a healthy back is unquestionably an incredible defensive player that would match up well against any of the 92 guys. Offensively I don't think he's near as good.

On the subject of hypotheticals, how bad do the people who formed the 92 team wish they could replace Laettner with Shaq? That would have been incredible to see, early Shaq was a force of nature.

I don't agree at all. The reason the Miami Heat, for example, can play position-less basketball today is because of the severe lack of talented centers. If players like Hakeem, Ewing, Admiral, Shaq, or shit even a prime dikembe mutombo or pre-injury alonzo mourning were scattered around the NBA the Heat wouldn't be head and shoulders above the rest of the league and wouldn't be able to play the style of basketball they play.

The '12 team would be forced to play their best big man possible on Robinson or they'd have no chance of even slowing him down, but on the defensive said having Robinson over a smaller player doesn't hurt the '92 team because he was so freakishly talented ....like the other great centers of the 90s.

Oh fuck I picked the wrong one... Meant to click 1992.

Gaige_sl said:

Center is overrated and the 12 team probably wouldn't play that style of basketball. If they were smart they'd play small and run the 92 team off the floor. With Jordan it's no contest but without Jordan it's a toss up.

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You're living in fantasy land. The 2012 team is going to dictate to Jordan, Magic, and Pippen how the game is played? No. It would be the exact opposite of that, the 1992 team will dictate how the game is played 9 times out of 10 and the centers would certainly be involved and likely dominating.

Centers seem overrated to you simply because there aren't many good centers playing these days. Sure, maybe the game is a bit different these days as well but there's no denying that fact that a good center will always be able to have a huge impact on any game, both defensively and offensively. Robinson and Ewing would score a good 30-40 points in these games while shutting down much of the 2012 teams inside game. How is the 2012 team going to make up for that and account for those two? Personally I don't see how it's possible.

Along with all of their points they are going to control the inside, I just searched and Robinson averaged nearly 5 blocks that season. Against the 2012 team he's going to hit his average easily and likely more. I wouldn't be surprised if Robinson and Ewing had 30-40 points, 15-20 rebounds, and 7 or so blocks. Maybe I'm crazy?

Did they even hit those numbers in the Olympics? If they didn't what in the fuck makes you think they could do it against the 2012 US team?