Kobe thinks 2012 Olympic squad could beat "The Dream Team"

It wasn't really a discussion. You said that the 2012 team could play zone and neutralize a lineup of Magic, Jordan, Pippen, Barkley, and Robinson.

Since you gave such a stupid response, I simply figured you didn't know what you were talking about so I let the issue die.

 

Kobe's point about the Dream Team wings being old is ridiculous. Jordan was 29 years old at his peak. Who does he think would stop him? A 34 year old Kobe? Please.

The point about Bird being old is also ridiculous since he barely played.

Average age of the people who voted 2012 team: 13.

 

This. No one in 2012 can even stop Clyde. It would be a mis match with Kobe, LBJ and company nursing broken bones and crying at half time.
Not only are the dream teamers way superior in talent but their ferocity and will power will make Kobe and co. whimper like beaten puppies before the game even starts.

 

Be mature please. I'm not going around insulting you, so there's no need to act like a child.

I never said "neutralize". A team with that much talent cannot be completely neutralized.
But you would be playing into the 2012 team's hands here. You are willingly exposing a weakness for no reason at all.

The 1992 team has three brilliant HOF shooters that could destroy the zone. They are MUCH better fits next to Jordan and Pippen than Magic. Not to mention two of them are young and healthy.
But you are leaving them on the bench.
You are fielding a roster with NO SHOOTERS, none. Jordan is the best shooter on your lineup, but he was no sniper by any means in 1992.
So instead of Jordan doing what Jordan does best, you'd be having him trying to break the zone on the perimeter? While the rest of your team are like fish in a barrel.
Because you like Magic?
That's an emotional decision, not a rational basketball decision.

That's not a BAD team. But it would be BETTER if you replaced Magic with a shooter.

Now if you want to explain why I am wrong, I'd welcome it. But please, be mature while at it.

 

Age is finally catching up with Kobe...a case of early onset dementia...

 

Kobe's 2012 team would be asking the Dream Team for autographs!

 

Sorry, but rational basketball dictates that you exploit your most advantageous mismatch. And if 6'9 Magic Johnson is being guarded by 6'0 Chris Paul, then you run the offense through Magic.

Magic gets the ball near the 3 pt line. Backs down Paul until help defense comes. Magic hits the open cutter. Even if there's help defense at that point, there's going to be another open cutter.

 

Yep.

And that should be about it folks.

 

LOL. This. Repped!

 

i think you do not understand the concept of zone defense.

 

I do. There are other ways to beat it besides long distance shooting.

 

Zone defense really doesn't work on a team where everyone can shoot and pass, even the bigs. You wanna run a zone on a team that has:

Robinson
Ewing
Malone
Barkley
Bird
Mullin
Jordan
Stockton

Feel free....

 

mods should rookify any posters who voted 2012 team.....oh wait, they probably rooks already :grin:

 

Icehouse, your point stands, but he's talking about zone defense against a specific lineup of Magic, Jordan, Pippen, Barkley and Robinson.

 

This is like asking if the women's team can beat the men's team.

 

There are. But what you just wrote makes little sense in that context.

What you could try (if you had no better option) is a lot of moving. a ton quick passing. penetration by Jordan. depending on the zone, try to force defense to collapse towards the free throw line.
And all of those would be especially brilliant with a shooter in the lineup. And there are some of the most brilliant shooters on the bench.
Instead, you want to back down guys into the lane.

 

i don't.

 

It makes perfect sense. You just can't picture it.

Remember how Barkley used to get the ball far from the basket and would spend 8-10 seconds backing his man into the post?

Picture the same thing for Magic. Eventually, help defense will have to commit, and that'll create cutting/passing lanes for everyone else.

 

Cool pictures bro. I'm sure they explain everything.

 

the idea of quick ball/player movement and shooting against a zone is that you collapse and spread the defense, while giving it little time to react, communicate and adjust.

Slowly backing down into an already crowded lane sounds like a terrible way to counter a zone.

Not to mention that Stockton makes more sense defensively.

(Btw, regardless of what I think of it, I don't see why you even need Magic for your strategy. You could actually have a terrific shooter instead of Magic, and that team would still have multiple passers capable of backing CP3 down, among better weapons.)