real life debate:  www.cbssports.com/nba/story/19570637/jordan-no-way-is-the-2012-us-olympic-squad-better-than-the-dream-team/rss

I think people forget how athletic the dream team was too.

I really think the 2012 wings are pretty significantly better.  PGs are probably a toss up (I don't want to hear old people tell me how great John Stockton was - he's not any better than Chris Paul).  But the 1992 bigs are just SO much better.  The game has changed, and I'm one of those guys who thinks talent-wise, Kobe and Lebron are both as good or better than Jordan.  But Robinson and Ewing would just destroy anyone not named Tyson Chandler. 

I think it's laughable that Jordan and Barkley think it's laughable, though.  It would be a good game.

I think Robinson and Ewing would destroy anyone named Tyson Chandler as well.

Not quite sure the current wings are that much better than the dream team. Scottie Pippen was in his prime and Chris Mullin is no pushover. 

To be honest, if this was 2016 and the same players played, with Kobe at his current age, I would say this team can play evenly against the 92 team. The players in the current team, besides Lebron, are not really in their prime. 

Posted by isack24 on 7/12/2012 6:35:00 PM (view original):
I really think the 2012 wings are pretty significantly better.  PGs are probably a toss up (I don't want to hear old people tell me how great John Stockton was - he's not any better than Chris Paul).  But the 1992 bigs are just SO much better.  The game has changed, and I'm one of those guys who thinks talent-wise, Kobe and Lebron are both as good or better than Jordan.  But Robinson and Ewing would just destroy anyone not named Tyson Chandler. 

I think it's laughable that Jordan and Barkley think it's laughable, though.  It would be a good game.

Jordan was just so much better than Kobe its kind of crazy. Jordan averaged 30 points per game shooting 49.7% for his career. Kobe has only averaged 30 or more 3 times in his career and his best season shooting shooting % wise was only 46.9%. And Jordan played in a much tougher, more physical defensive era where defenders were able to hand check and grab offensive players.

Posted by tianyi7886 on 7/12/2012 7:28:00 PM (view original):
Not quite sure the current wings are that much better than the dream team. Scottie Pippen was in his prime and Chris Mullin is no pushover. 

To be honest, if this was 2016 and the same players played, with Kobe at his current age, I would say this team can play evenly against the 92 team. The players in the current team, besides Lebron, are not really in their prime. 

Every player besides Kobe is in his prime.

Someone should create the teams on the WIS dream teams feature and play the games.

Kobe in 08 on that 2016 team, but add in Bosh, Dwight, and Wade. I would also say Bynum as well, for what was said above.  Would love to see Love and Barkley go at it though!

Posted by bow2dacowz on 7/12/2012 8:20:00 PM (view original):
Someone should create the teams on the WIS dream teams feature and play the games.

I did this (well, as best I could - too many players on the possible 2012 roster right now - I had to cut about 5 of them (guys like Rudy Gay, etc...) I only simmed it 10 times. Dream team won 9. Jordan was leading scorer in all 9 wins. LBJ scored 20 to lead all scorers in the lone 2012 win.

Here's a representative summary... (just ran it again...so Dream team 10-1 now...)

Coach, give Mullin the ball!    Seven minutes?  Seriously, he's gonna transfer!

Seriously, I think Mullin was the second leading scorer on the dream team.

Mullin was 4th, but he did shoot 54% from behind (the shorter) arc.

Posted by corporatex on 7/12/2012 7:47:00 PM (view original):

Posted by tianyi7886 on 7/12/2012 7:28:00 PM (view original):
Not quite sure the current wings are that much better than the dream team. Scottie Pippen was in his prime and Chris Mullin is no pushover. 

To be honest, if this was 2016 and the same players played, with Kobe at his current age, I would say this team can play evenly against the 92 team. The players in the current team, besides Lebron, are not really in their prime. 

Every player besides Kobe is in his prime.

You think Durant, Westbrook, Rudy Gay, Eric Gordon, James Harden, Kevin Love, and Anthony Davis (who hasn't played a single NBA game) are all playing the best basketball they possibly can? They are not going to be better players than they are now in 4 years?

I think it would be closer than that sim.  For one thing Magic aging was a factor.  It would be a tough call for the modern coach to decide who LeBron was going to guard.  He's the best defensive player the current team has, but do you put him on Jordan or Barkley?  If you put LeBron on Jordan you're probably stuck with 'Melo on Barkley if you assume a starting lineup of Paul or Williams, Kobe, Carmelo, LeBron, and Chandler.  If you put LeBron on Jordan you can have Kobe guard Jordan and let Carmelo guard Pippen or, perhaps better yet, Magic.  Magic wasn't scoring by the time of the Dream Team, and Carmelo has the size to hide some of the passing lanes better than your average PG.

On the other hand, I'd probably hold 'Melo out of the starting lineup entirely and put Love on Barkley, LeBron on Jordan, and Kobe and Deron Williams on the guards.  Williams would start over CP3 for this game because 6'5" Charles Barkley is the shortest guy on the Dream Team's starting lineup and CP3 is just too short for Pippen or Magic (6'7" and 6'8" IIRC).

The simulation is no good because A) you left Bosh on the roster and B) there is no way that a backup post (in this case Bosh), Westbrook, and James Harden are all going to get more minutes than Durant.  Just not happening.  If Durant doesn't start in the Olympics, as he likely wouldn't if I were the coach, he'll probably see the most minutes amongst the bench players.