Bill Simmons on 2012 team vs. the Dream Team

[FlyRy]

and what ghost said... you guys seem to forget MJ and pip were ALL time perimeter defenders...

of

C/S. all they did was jack up 3s. wouldnt be hard for mj and pip to stop that

 

[mastermind]

Eh, three point shooting is pretty much they're only chance, but I don't think they get the same wide open looks against the Dream Team's defense as they did against the rest of the world. The Dream Team doesn't have to collapse on penetration because they have Ewing, Robinson and Malone guarding the paint.

Another huge problem with their lack of size is their inability to control the paint against bigger teams really limits the fast break opportunities.

well I agree about their lack of size on the interior, but lets not pretend that Kevin Durant is shooting over every player on the '92 team seeing that he is 6'10" or so. Or that Melo is shooting over those guys too. Even Love can shoot.

Outside of the centers, only Magic will be able to match those guys height.

And even tho it would be a mess defensively, putting Carmelo or Lebron at the 5 and drawing out one of centers would still allow for dribble penetration.

 

[ghostwriterx]

well I agree about their lack of size on the interior, but lets not pretend that Kevin Durant is shooting over every player on the '92 team seeing that he is 6'10" or so. Or that Melo is shooting over those guys too. Even Love can shoot.

Outside of the centers, only Magic will be able to match those guys height.

True they can shoot over people including the Dream Teamers who would be guarding them. I just don't think they'll heat up shooting like that like they were in the Olympics when KD especially was getting WIDE OPEN looks off Lebron and Paul penetration.

And even tho it would be a mess defensively, putting Carmelo or Lebron at the 5 and drawing out one of centers would still allow for dribble penetration.

That's the key, how long do you think Melo or Lebron would last at center? 5 fouls in International play would be a killer for the 2012 team.

And lets not forget the Dream Team has a huge edge in coaching. A defensive genius like Daly would definitely have some wrinkles for them

 

[dabestkeptsecret]

my thing is jordan never played against a defender like bron.
He got the size to make jordans' post up useless; and his speed will counteract jordan's first step; so i dont really see it being that much of a blow out. Chris paul would body magic something terrible; and durant would destroy bird. the dream team's biggest advantage is ewing, barkley, and malone. Those guys would be feasting on the low block.

 

[aixenv]

you know the more i think about this, i still think that '92 handles them, but im not going to lie and say it wouldn't be an amazing battle and one i'd pay top dollar for to see live

*gets to work on time machine*

 

[Lucky_Lefty]

KD is a better shooter than Bird in his prime???

 

[Hammer]

How'd The 2008 Team Have Tayshaun Prince And Michael Redd

 

[Reality Check]

Also mentions how the 1996 Olympic Team would have beaten the 2012 team.

Q: I know it is more fun to compare the 1992 and 2012 basketball teams, but why does everyone keep forgetting about our 1996 team? THEY HAD SHAQ AND HAKEEM! In a seven-game series, wouldn't they have rolled over the 2012 guys?
— JT, Houston

SG: On paper, you're right — Dream Team II had Shaq, Hakeem and David Robinson, as well as Charles Barkley and Karl Malone; Scottie Pippen and Grant Hill; Gary Payton and John Stockton; Mitch Richmond and Reggie Miller; and even Penny Hardaway back when it still meant something to have Penny Hardaway on your team. Nobody remembers '96 fondly because they followed the original Dream Team (a no-win situation), but also because they were thrown together like an All-Star team during the league's "I Gotta Get Mine!" era — when the first wave of overpaid, entitled, too-famous-too-soon stars nearly derailed the league — so those 12 guys ended up uneasily coexisting, fighting for playing time and acting like the experience was more of a burden than anything. I hated that team.

And yet, it's hard to look at 1996's roster without concluding that they would have annihilated the 2012 guys. Maybe Hakeem, Robinson, Barkley and Malone were a shade past their primes, but they would have overpowered the 2012ers down low (and we haven't even mentioned Shaq yet). They could have thrown Pippen and Hill on LeBron and Durant. They could have thrown GP (at his all-time Gloviest) on Chris Paul and Deron Williams. What's left? The 2012ers' chances would have ridden on small ball, 3s and chemistry, in that order. In a seven-game series, the 1996ers would be heavy favorites over the 2012ers.

But here's the thing: We all know how basketball works. It's not just about how good your roster looks on paper. The 2012ers loved playing together, didn't worry about minutes and even managed any potential alpha-dog issues. You saw it in the gold-medal game, when Spain was playing really well — repeat: REALLY well — and instead of freaking out and having the game morph into a heroball contest, multiple Americans chipped in during the fourth quarter. Durant kept draining 3s. Chris Paul did a bunch of Chris Paul things. Kobe made a big shot and grabbed a couple of crucial rebounds. When things were getting hairy in the final four minutes, LeBron came through with a dunk and a 3. And then, Chris Paul finished things off with the best moment of the tournament — chewing up 23.999999999999 seconds of the 24-second shot clock before beating Gasol off the dribble for a gorgeous reverse layup, then screaming happily at his bench afterward.1

We've just seen it too many times: No matter how you stack things on paper, it's nearly impossible for a basketball team to prevail against a quality opponent unless (a) everyone knows their role, (b) everyone likes playing with each other, (c) they can get stops when it matters, and (d) there's something of a natural hierarchy when it truly matters. The Americans had (a) and (b); they made so many 3s with that obscenely close 3-point line that (c) didn't totally matter; and as for (d), once that Spain game reached its all-time hairiest, the offense ran through LeBron and Chris (with "Feed Kevin" as their security blanket anytime Spain stupidly shaded away from him). Everyone was fine with it. Looking at that 1996 team, I can't figure out a scenario in which everyone would have been happy. Maybe they'd be favored, but I could totally see 2012 pulling off one of those "2011 Mavs over the 2012 Heat" type of upsets. Especially because of the "When in doubt, LeBron James would be the best basketball player on the court" corollary.

 

[Malcolmxxx_23]

only way 2012 teams wins if they get HOT

but if its a grind out game 92 would win

 

[NYC Rebel]

Eh, three point shooting is pretty much they're only chance, but I don't think they get the same wide open looks against the Dream Team's defense as they did against the rest of the world. The Dream Team doesn't have to collapse on penetration because they have Ewing, Robinson and Malone guarding the paint.

Another huge problem with their lack of size is their inability to control the paint against bigger teams really limits the fast break opportunities.

And those chances were frequent enough during these games to know that between Durant, Melo and CP3 that one of them would blackout, basically making the low post advantage the 92' team had pretty up equals.

The 2012 team was the greatest shooting team we've ever witnessed....yeah...I said it.

 

[Trip]

I really wasnt too impressed with dudes getting hot from a short three point line. Which was pretty much all the Olympic team did this year.....throw it to the hot man and have him shoot a three.

kevin Love did a nice job playing garbage man though.

They'd be abused by the interior game of the 92 team though.

 

[NYC Rebel]

I really wasnt too impressed with dudes getting hot from a short three point line. Which was pretty much all the Olympic team did this year.....throwi it to the hot man and have him shoot a three.

It's not about impressing you.

You sound as bad as those who say all Shaq does was shoot from within 5 feet from the basket.

The point is, you couldn't stop it.

 

[Trip]

It's not about impressing you.

You sound as bad as those who say all Shaq does was shoot from within 5 feet from the basket.

The point is, you couldn't stop it.

Cmon, the 1992 team had the perimeter defense to stop it, Im not talking about Australia.

 

[Da King]

All it would take is one of those blackout shooting nights from the 2012 team, the centers are the huge advantage for the 92 team, but when this current teams gets hot there's absolutely nothing you can do.

NIgeria isn't Jordan/Pippen prime, those nikkas not letting USA shoot uncontested 3s all day

 

[Malcolmxxx_23]

I really wasnt too impressed with dudes getting hot from a short three point line. Which was pretty much all the Olympic team did this year.....throw it to the hot man and have him shoot a three.

kevin Love did a nice job playing garbage man though.

They'd be abused by the interior game of the 92 team though.

wtf

that was the most exciting parts of the game

when melo went off
dwill between the leg pass and finding melo at the top of the key


shyt was 2k status