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LeBron: 2012 U.S. team stacks up to Dream Team

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by J.R., Jan 4, 2012.

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  1. J.R.

    J.R. Member

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    [rquoter]MIAMI — Jerry Colangelo believes the 2012 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team will compare favorably to the 1992 Dream Team. LeBron James has seconded the motion.

    "We can stack up with those guys," the Miami Heat forward said.

    Colangelo, chairman of USA Basketball, told FOX Sports Florida last week the 2012 team in London "will be a fair comparison with the Dream Team." So FOX Sports Florida asked three expected 2012 Olympic stalwarts — James and Heat teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh — if they agree.

    "I agree," James said. "They set the standard for USA Basketball in '92 with all the great players they had. But we have some great ones, as well. We have some Hall of Famers, some champions. So it's going to be a great (team)."

    The Dream Team marked the first time NBA players participated in the Olympics. The team featured 11 future Hall of Famers, most notably Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The US rolled to the gold medal in Barcelona while outscoring foes by an average of 43.8 points per game.

    "The Dream Team is a team — you don't really want to touch that team," said Wade, not wanting to say that 2012 will be see similar dominance. "An amazing team. But (2012 is) going to be a pretty good team. But I don't want to touch the Dream Team. . . . It's always kind of the bar (from which all other Olympic teams are compared). From that standpoint, I kind of want them to stay the bar."

    ...

    The 2008 team outscored foes by an average of 27.9 points per game. But Colangelo said he believes the 2012 unit "will be much stronger than we had in 2008" because it will be "more mature, more experienced and (have) more talent."

    "I would like to think that," Bosh said of Colangelo anticipating the 2012 team will stack up to 1992. "The Dream Team, they were so unique because they had all those guys who had done so much already. That was the greatest team ever assembled at that time. I don't think that will ever be replicated again. But I think we can come pretty close. We can't make that team again. But we can make the best team of this era. That was a whole 'nother day and age."

    ...
    [/rquoter]

    1992
    Charles Barkley
    Larry Bird
    Clyde Drexler
    Patrick Ewing
    Magic Johnson
    Michael Jordan
    Christian Laettner
    Karl Malone
    Chris Mullin
    Scottie Pippen
    David Robinson
    John Stockton

    2012
    (Not set yet but likely to include according to CBS: )
    LeBron James
    Kobe Bryant
    Dwyane Wade
    Kevin Durant
    Derrick Rose
    Blake Griffin
    Chris Paul
    Deron Williams
    Dwight Howard
    Kevin Love
    Chris Bosh
    few others(?)

    What say you?
     
    #1 J.R., Jan 4, 2012
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2012
  2. Jontro

    Jontro Member

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    Maybe I'm biased, but the original dream team is far superior mentally. The current dream team also don't hold a handle in the 5 position compared to the original.

    Although I'm still a bit lost why Laettner made the team.
     
    #2 Jontro, Jan 4, 2012
  3. codell

    codell Contributing Member

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    I like the 1992 team much better in the paint and at the point.

    2012 team is strong on the wings, but so is the 1992 team.

    Give me the 92 team every day and twice on Sunday.
     
    #3 codell, Jan 4, 2012
  4. SamFisher

    SamFisher Contributing Member

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    I'd say that even after all these years, it's still laughable to see Christian Laettner playing the Jack Haley role.

    Had they picked Shaq, obviously the best player not in the NBA that year, it would be a no-contest for 1992.

    But no, someobody spent too much time watching Hoosiers on VHS that year.
     
    #4 SamFisher, Jan 4, 2012
  5. dharocks

    dharocks Contributing Member

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    ... Yeah, no. The only (non-Laettner) player on the Dream Team who wasn't in his prime at the time of the Olympics was Bird. Magic had been forced to retire because of the HIV, but in 90-91 he averaged 19/7/12. All the other players of note were in their primes. The Dream Team had more size, more top-to-bottom talent, and they had Jordan.
     
    #5 dharocks, Jan 4, 2012
  6. Mr. Clutch

    Mr. Clutch Contributing Member

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    That would be a heck of a matchup.

    If you take prime Bird and Magic though, 1992 wins.
     
    #6 Mr. Clutch, Jan 4, 2012
  7. dharocks

    dharocks Contributing Member

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    IIRC the actual reason they didn't take Shaq was because he had refused to participate with the Nat'l Team in the past for stuff like the FIBA World Championship. It was really between Laettner & Mourning
     
    #7 dharocks, Jan 4, 2012
  8. RV6

    RV6 Contributing Member

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    doesnt matter...competition sucked back then, so they are not going to have the same margin of victory, which is how they'll be judged.
     
    #8 RV6, Jan 4, 2012
  9. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

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    The Dream Team was a fastbreaking machine with Magic and all those wings plus Barkley ended up being the most unstoppable fastbreaking recipient on the team. After Magic, they had Stockton, so the 2nd unit could run as well. And he is the best PnR PG in league history.

    That team had an identity. They knew what they wanted to do...fastbreak. None of our US teams has ever had an identity,,,a signature thing that is unstoppable.

    The Dream Team wins based on vastly superior PGs and Centers, which produced the best fastbreaking team the world has ever seen.

    And plenty of defense. Dwight Howard would be nullified by Ewing and Robinson.
     
    #9 heypartner, Jan 4, 2012
  10. Homey the Clown

    Homey the Clown Member

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    Though Bird still managed per game averages of 20pts, 6ast, 9rbs.
     
    #10 Homey the Clown, Jan 4, 2012
  11. dachuda86

    dachuda86 Member

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    Lebron is an egomaniac...
     
    #11 dachuda86, Jan 4, 2012
  12. SamFisher

    SamFisher Contributing Member

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    I can't find anything on this to back this up on internet after looking for a few min....and remember he was just finishing his freshman season at the time as well. The only thing the 90 and 92 teams have in common are Laettner and Kryzyewski.
     
    #12 SamFisher, Jan 4, 2012
  13. javal_lon

    javal_lon Member

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    Who the hell is supposed to defend against Barkley or Malone on this 2012 Dreaming Team??.... Lebron is delusional, as is anyone who believes a Lebron-led team would beat a Magic/Jordan led team...
     
    #13 javal_lon, Jan 4, 2012
  14. FLASH21

    FLASH21 Heart O' Champs

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    Wade knows what's up.

    I'll give it to the 2012 team, but if they have any type of trouble against any team the 1992 team wins by a landslide for how dominating they were.
     
    #14 FLASH21, Jan 4, 2012
  15. fadeaway

    fadeaway Contributing Member

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    Olajuwon wasn't on the original Dream Team? I always thought that he was.


     
    #15 fadeaway, Jan 4, 2012
  16. johnstarks

    johnstarks Member

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    2012 will be very good, but it's no Dream Team. Even prime Kobe couldn't match up with Jordan in 92 and Kobe is old now. Having a team run by Magic automatically makes you cohesive as a unit, not to mention the fact that Magic could not be stopped from what he does. They do not have the toughness at the PF position to match up w/ Malone or Barkley. Griffin is great, but he's still not developed yet to check Malone.

    The main advantages the 2012 team has are Durant, Rose, and outside shooting since Bird was breaking down by that point and wouldn't be able to check Durant or whoever is at the 3.
     
    #16 johnstarks, Jan 4, 2012
  17. BasketballReasons

    BasketballReasons Contributing Member

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    Kyle Lowry should be on that list ;)
     
    #17 BasketballReasons, Jan 4, 2012
  18. xcrunner51

    xcrunner51 Contributing Member

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    Oh Lebron. You're a silly goose.

    Seriously though, de-age Kobe 5 years and give everyone else 3 years more experience and that would be a team that could contend with the Dream Team. Talent-wise 2012 may be up there but experience and being in their respective primes gives the Dream Team a huge nod.
     
    #18 xcrunner51, Jan 4, 2012
  19. rawool

    rawool Member

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    Guys, I have to agree with LeBron.

    The Dream Team was great, no doubt. But you're forgetting the competition at today's Olympic games is far greater than it was back in 1992. Opponents were just "honored" to play against Team USA. There weren't many international NBA players than there are today.
     
    #19 rawool, Jan 4, 2012
  20. dharocks

    dharocks Contributing Member

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    Regardless of the quality of the competition, the Dream Team still had more talent.
     
    #20 dharocks, Jan 4, 2012
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