We're just two weeks away from the 30th Olympiad, the summer
games taking place in London. As fate would have it, this is the 20th anniversary
of the 1992 original Dream Team that won gold medal in Barcelona. The 2012
version of our men's Olympic team is currently practicing and getting ready to
defend their gold medal from 2008. In a recent interview, Kobe Bryant was asked
about this team, their chance at the gold medal and how this team compares to
the Dream Team in 1992 made up of Magic, Jordan, Bird, etc. Kobe for the most part
said all the right things. He said that when comparing the team from 1992,
you’re talking all-time greats. He said it would be very tough to go up against
them, calling it a dream matchup, but in the end "I think we would pull it
out.” There are so many different ways he could've answered that question, but
just think for a minute. What is he supposed to say? Is he supposed to say, “We
have no chance against them” or “I think we kill them” or “We’re not in the
same league as them.” Any one of those answers would just not be acceptable. So,
of course, defending his current teammates and roster, he thinks that this team
in 2012 could beat any team today, yesterday or tomorrow. Now he could have
said, “Well you know it's a different game. We’re 20 years later, they have
advantages, we have advantages and it would be a toss-up. I think we would
match up against them better than anybody else.” But in the end, I think he
gave a pretty acceptable and correct answer. Could they have beaten the team
from 1992? I think it's definitely possible. If they were to play 10 times,
perhaps they might only win two or three out of ten. I think it would be short-sighted
to say that this team of Kobe, LeBron, Durant and company could not keep up
with the likes of Magic, Jordan, Bird and company.
So let's look at the teams from 1992 and 2012. Now I'm not
saying we’re going to look at everything inside the numbers, statistics, and all
the little things that can get lost in the mix. For this discussion, we will
focus on the names from each team. Even though both teams had twelve on the
roster, we will eliminate two each to make the rosters a nice round number of
ten. Which means from 1992 we drop Christian Laettner, who really only put in
garbage time, and in a difficult decision, we will also eliminate Chris Mullin
in favor of the more athletic Clyde Drexler. From the 2012 team we are going to
eliminate Andre Iguodala and James Harden. No disrespect, but they do not
belong in this conversation.
1992 head coach Chuck Daly mixed up his starting lineup, but
let's just say we run with something like this:
PG - Magic Johnson, SG
- Michael Jordan, SF - Scottie Pippen, PF - Charles Barkley, (toss-up but
slight nod over Karl Malone in 1992) C -
Patrick Ewing (slight nod over David Robinson in 1992).
This starting lineup still leaves a Hall of Fame rotation
off the bench:
John Stockton, Clyde Drexler, Larry Bird, Karl Malone, David
Robinson – You can plug-in most of those guys for any one of the guys in the
starting lineup. Without a doubt the deepest team to ever lace up a pair of
basketball sneakers if not, of all sports.
2012 head coach Mike Krzyzewski probably uses this starting
lineup:
PG - Chris Paul, SG -
Kobe Bryant, SF - Kevin Durant, PF - LeBron James, C - Tyson Chandler
That lineup leaves this rotation off the bench:
Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love,
Blake Griffin - More athletic, but a notch below the bench that the 1992 team
threw on the court.
Let’s pretend to play this game. I actually see the 2012
team getting out to a great start versus the elder statesman of 1992. Just a
guess, but I would bet Charles Barkley tries to prove a point against the
younger and somewhat out of position LeBron James. Barkley really has never
seen someone who was bigger and more athletic than him in his career. Barkley
probably forces some tough shots. Then, of course, there's the matchup of all
matchups, Kobe Bryant versus his predecessor, Michael Jordan. You know Jordan
will try to impose his will against Kobe and vice versa, but Jordan never ran
up against someone like Kobe who could play defense and be just as physical. In
Jordan's prime, the best shooting guards he ever went up against were Joe
Dumars, Reggie Miller, Mitch Richmond, and Clyde Drexler. They were great
players, but nowhere near as physical and nowhere near as good defensively as
the Black Mamba. So Kobe probably forces Jordan into some tough shots. Let's
say Jordan gets off to somewhat of a cold start. Tyson Chandler rebounds and
throws the outlet pass to Chris Paul who leads the fast break with LeBron James
on one side and Kevin Durant on another. I don't care who you are, nobody's
going to stop that three on two, or even three on three for that matter. This
would undoubtedly lead to a lot of easy buckets. Chuck Daly calls timeout,
wants to slow it up and draws a couple of plays. Chris Paul’s speed is a
problem for Magic Johnson. Daly puts Magic in the post and lets him back down
against the much smaller Paul. In the post, Magic finds some easy buckets,
junior sky hooks no doubt. Perhaps Durant comes to help. Johnson dishes and
gets easy buckets for Pippen and/or Ewing.
That leads to a very interesting
point. The biggest one sided mismatch has to be Tyson Chandler trying to slow
down Patrick Ewing. Let’s face it, Chandler has not seen too many quality big
men with any offensive repertoire. While Ewing, who went to college for four
years, is very polished on both ends of the floor and had to go to battle with
the likes of Kareem, Hakeem Olajuwon, Robinson, Shaq, and don’t forget Brad
Daugherty or Alonzo Mourning. Ewing would mop the floor with Chandler. Can you
hear Marv Albert saying, “Ewing on the hop, YES! Patrick Ewing, on fire, ten
first quarter points.” Very easily, but is that the way the 1992 team is going
to go all game? So near the end the 1st quarter, you imagine the
subs would start coming in.
I love the power forward and
center matchups of Malone and Robinson vs. the youngsters, Love and Griffin.
You better believe Malone would pound either one of them in the post, but could
he really guard Love out at the three point line. Could Robinson stay with the
size and strength of an explosive Blake Griffin? I guess he could play a little
hack-a-Shaq defense. The Bird of 1984 would shred Melo or anyone else, but the
Bird of ‘92 is not much more than a catch and shoot player. Carmelo runs
circles around him and shows he is still a dangerous scorer. Westbrook probably
does the same against Stockton. If Malone or Drexler aren’t getting to their
spots offensively, I see the young 2012 bench putting a dent in to the ‘92 lead
provided by Ewing’s play in the post. At the half, I see a 59-56 lead by the ‘92
squad.
Kobe, who has been sort of a non-factor,
takes control early in the 3rd. He drives the lane, posts up MJ, and
gives him a couple of “Dream” moves that he learned from Olajuwon. Then he
would pull up for a couple threes. Let’s face it, not even MJ had the outside
shooting range that Kobe does. Jordan takes this personally and demands the
ball. He gives the post moves right back to Kobe and after a few times down the
floor, wouldn’t you know that a few whistles goes MJ’s way and this puts Kobe’s
physical play on the bench with four fouls, perhaps he even gets teed up. No
way Deron Williams or Carmelo Anthony can stay with MJ. And it’s so easy for
Jordan with Magic getting him the ball at just the right places. The double now
comes for Jordan and it frees up Barkley and/or Malone for some easy dunks. At
the end of the 3rd, the ‘92 squad extends their lead to nine, 84-75.
Coach K decides to turn up the
heat a bit. In this case, turn up the speed. With Kobe in foul trouble, the
2012 team starts the 4th with Westbrook, Durant, LeBron, Melo and
Griffin. Daly’s ‘92 squad counters with their quickest squad: Stockton,
Drexler, Pippen, Malone, Robinson. Westbrook tries to have his way vs. Stockton,
but commits some careless turnovers. Malone teaches Melo in the post. A couple
of monster jams by Griffin over the Admiral, now becoming a mermaid. Pippen
stays right with LeBron, who has never seen anyone with Scottie’s wingspan,
athleticism and pure defensive guile. Which leaves Drexler on an island with
The Durantula. Clyde, very athletic and very talented, is not able to keep up
with Durant, who is not only driving to the lane at will, but pulling up and
elevating over the shorter Drexler. Durant’s mid-range game is deadly, and with
six minutes to go, the 2012 team is within two.
This game is becoming an all-time
classic. The lead changes hands at least eight times. Bird for three? Yes!
LeBron drives the lane, count it. Then Barkley over Love. Chris Paul finds his
way to the hoop. Back and forth. Now back in the game and ready to finish, Kobe
and MJ trade buckets for a few possessions in a “can you top that?” battle.
With 40 seconds to go and the 2012 squad down three, Chris Paul dribbles up the
court, calm and cool and directing traffic. He tries to find Kobe. Jordan
knocks the ball away from Bryant. Kobe picks it up and elevates to shoot, but
then at the last possible instant, finds Melo who finishes with an “and 1!” He
hits the free throw. The game is tied at 109 with 19 seconds left. Coach Daly
calls time out. Coach K goes with his starters: CP3, Kobe, Durant, LeBron and
Chandler. The ‘92 squad goes like this: Stockton, Jordan, Bird, Magic and
Malone. Five veterans and five great free throw shooters. Surprising or not,
Stockton takes the ball. Bird and Jordan on the wings, with Magic low post and
Malone high post. With twelve seconds to go, Stockton gets the ball down low to
Magic. Now its Magic’s turn to direct traffic. Six seconds, he makes his move
and then…
What happens from there is up to
you. Magic might find Jordan at the top of the key, swish. He could have
spotted Bird getting free in the corner, nothing but net. Perhaps Magic even faked
left, junior hook right for the winner. No matter what, the ‘92 team finds a
way to win. As I mentioned before, they win the majority of the games. They are
the greatest team ever assembled. They had it all. But in no way shape or form
am I going to say that the 2012 team couldn’t stay with them at all. You out
there who believe the ‘92 team runs circles around the 2012 squad, let me ask
you this, aren’t TVs better today? Isn’t HD better? Aren’t athletes, cell
phones and video games better today? So don’t tell me that 2012 couldn’t stay
with 1992. Also, remember this, you could add a healthy Dwyane Wade, Dwight
Howard, Chris Bosh and Derrick Rose to the mix, and what would the outcome be
then? That’s for another day…
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