"Dream Team" matchup | Page 2 | The Boneyard

"Dream Team" matchup

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Huskies4ever said:
They aren't stopping Jordan either.
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If there's anyone in the NBA that I could see stopping MJ it would be LeBron. He's an elite defender.


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JaYnYcE said:
If there's anyone in the NBA that I could see stopping MJ it would be LeBron. He's an elite defender.


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I thought Dean Smith was the only man able to stop Michael Jordan.
 
mauconnfan said:
Wade is a nice player but could do little to nothing vs Michael and Scottie..........And Howard? Man he is a man no doubt but against the elite centers of the past he's nothing, strong and can dunk - zero other game and easy to guard for Ewing or any C's of the past......this really wouldn't matter........
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Wade couldn't score against MJ, no. But aside from LeBron (who you'd want defending Magic primarily), he's the only one who could make it somewhat difficult for MJ to score.

Likewise for Howard - he may not score a point against Robinson/Ewing, but he would make it extremely difficult for Robinson/Ewing to score on him. And on a team with the likes of Durant, Kobe, LeBron, and Paul, all Howard would have to do is defend the paint and rebound...which just so happen to be his two biggest strengths.

Again, I will never pick against the Dream Team, but do people really think a lineup of...
PG - LeBron
SG - Wade/Kobe
SF - Durant
PF - Love
C - Howard

...couldn't steal a couple games from '92 in a series? At the very least, most/all of the games are competitive.
 
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The 2012 team needs a 2008 Kobe and a better front court to beat the 92 team in any type of series. Who knows what might happen in one game, especially with the international 3 point line.
 
HuskyFan32 said:
Whats your guys take on this debate? I know its impossible to say, but what else is there to talk about right now. Personally, Id take 92, but Im an MJ homer. I think he does have a point that their team was older and they knew how to play the game, where as this team is a lot younger and gets by on freakish athleticism. Would be an interesting matchup, but in the end MJ drops 55 while also guarding LBJ and Kobe at the same time and holding them both scoreless. Real Dream Team by 10.
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Not even close, 92'
 
I agree the center position is a huge overmatch, both defensively and offensively.
 
JaYnYcE said:
If there's anyone in the NBA that I could see stopping MJ it would be LeBron. He's an elite defender.


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Jordan put up his numbers in an age when you could do anything short of grabbing a chair from the bench and smashing it over a guy's head WWE style and not have a foul called. In international play, LeBron isn't going to bother Jordan.
 
Excalibur said:
Jordan put up his numbers in an age when you could do anything short of grabbing a chair from the bench and smashing it over a guy's head WWE style and not have a foul called. In international play, LeBron isn't going to bother Jordan.
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Jordan never went up against a player like LeBron James. I've only followed the NBA since 92, but I've never seen anyone at 6'8 260 as fast, strong and intelligent as LeBron. Jordan was quick and could blow by his first and second defender to get to the rim. I just can't see him blowing by or getting up his jumpshot as succesfully as he normally would with LeBron on him.
 
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UConn990411 said:
Wade couldn't score against MJ, no. But aside from LeBron (who you'd want defending Magic primarily), he's the only one who could make it somewhat difficult for MJ to score.

Likewise for Howard - he may not score a point against Robinson/Ewing, but he would make it extremely difficult for Robinson/Ewing to score on him. And on a team with the likes of Durant, Kobe, LeBron, and Paul, all Howard would have to do is defend the paint and rebound...which just so happen to be his two biggest strengths.

Again, I will never pick against the Dream Team, but do people really think a lineup of...
PG - LeBron
SG - Wade/Kobe
SF - Durant
PF - Love
C - Howard

...couldn't steal a couple games from '92 in a series? At the very least, most/all of the games are competitive.
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It's not the starting five vs. starting five. Love/Howard might be able to not be embarrassed against Barkley and Ewing, but are this team's backups going to be able to handle Malone and Robinson? And if we're just taking the best players regardless of if they made the team or not, how about adding in Hakeem or Shaq to the 92 group.
 
JaYnYcE said:
Jordan never went up against a player like LeBron James. I've only followed the NBA since 92, but I've never seen anyone at 6'8 260 as fast, strong and intelligent as LeBron. Jordan was quick and could blow by his first and second defender to get to the rim. I just can't see him blowing by or getting up his jumpshot as succesfully as he normally would with LeBron on him.
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You and I have been following the NBA for the same amount of time. On offense and defense, Jordan is 1a, LeBron, 1b. The difference is how big James is. He's certainly amazing. But Jordan was one of the fiercest competitors and wouldn't let anyone beat him.
 
Jordan was pretty good size himself at 6'6". He was known as a freak in terms of strength for his size and his body control is unrivaled by anyone ever to play the game. Jordan averaged 30ppg for his career in the the hand checking era. Basketball without hand checking is a whole different animal. Jordan might have averaged 40 without hand checking.

LBJ is amazing but he isn't MJ. Imo, he isn't any better than Kobe in his prime, though I agree one coud argue that.
 
Huskies4ever said:
You and I have been following the NBA for the same amount of time. On offense and defense, Jordan is 1a, LeBron, 1b. The difference is how big James is. He's certainly amazing. But Jordan was one of the fiercest competitors and wouldn't let anyone beat him.
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I remember Jordan, trust me. I just think it might have been different going against someone as big, quick and smart of a player as LeBron. As great as these two are in their primes, I couldn't see Jordan checking LeBron on defense. I didn't see the game but I heard that when Jordan won his first ring, he couldn't check Magic because of his size and Pippen had to handle guarding him. If that's true I just can't see how he could guard James.


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JaYnYcE said:
I remember Jordan, trust me. I just think it might have been different going against someone as big, quick and smart of a player as LeBron. As great as these two are in their primes, I couldn't see Jordan checking LeBron on defense. I didn't see the game but I heard that when Jordan won his first ring, he couldn't check Magic because of his size and Pippen had to handle guarding him. If that's true I just can't see how he could guard James.


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Good points. Unfortunately, we'll never know.
 
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WhereistheDove? said:
It's not the starting five vs. starting five. Love/Howard might be able to not be embarrassed against Barkley and Ewing, but are this team's backups going to be able to handle Malone and Robinson? And if we're just taking the best players regardless of if they made the team or not, how about adding in Hakeem or Shaq to the 92 group.
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Would Stockton and co. have been able to handle the likes of Westbrook/Rose/Williams? Don't get me wrong, the Dream Team's size would be a bigger mismatch than the 2012 team's speed, but the matchup problems go both ways.

And I'm not talking about just adding the best players - I'm talking about adding players who WOULD have been on the 2012 team had they been healthy...which Wade and Howard certainly would have been. As far as I can remember, injuries weren't the reason Hakeem and Shaq didn't make the '92 team (although I could be wrong).
 
Yea I find it kind of odd that everyone is keeps comparing the frontcourts, which the 92 team did have a decided advantage in, but completely ignoring the backcourt and perimeter situations. The 92 team had 2 elite perimeter defenders, Pippen & Jordan, they wouldn't be able to guard everyone at the same time. Stockton was a good defender in his day but he would not be able to handle today's elite athleticism at PG, Rose, Westbrook, and CP3 would blow by him with ease, and really he was a bit player on that 92 team.

UConn990411 said:
Would Stockton and co. have been able to handle the likes of Westbrook/Rose/Williams? Don't get me wrong, the Dream Team's size would be a bigger mismatch than the 2012 team's speed, but the matchup problems go both ways.

And I'm not talking about just adding the best players - I'm talking about adding players who WOULD have been on the 2012 team had they been healthy...which Wade and Howard certainly would have been. As far as I can remember, injuries weren't the reason Hakeem and Shaq didn't make the '92 team (although I could be wrong).
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HeGotGame said:
Ryan Russillo was right when he said the only people who think the 12 team could beat the 92 team are either on the 12 team or 12 years old.

I think Lebron, Durant and Kobe and maybe Chris Paul are the only ones on this team who would make the 92 team. Lebron, Durant and Kobe would replace Lattern, Mullins and Drexler or Pippen. Does Paul replace Stockton? Tough one. No one else on the 12 team is replacing anyone on the 92 team.

The 12 team will start Chandler at Center? Are you kidding me? Him matching up with David Robinson and Ewing?

Malone and Barkley compared to Blake Griffin and Kevin Love? Come on, Blake can dunk that's cool.......

Also Kobe would make the team but wouldnt start over Jordon. The only one who starts is Lebron over the Bird/Pippen combo the 92 team used. Thats because by 92 Bird was slowed down due to injury and ended up retiring after.

There is only 1 Dream Team and it was in 1992 and they would beat this 2012 team by 15+
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the one place that the 2012 team can't match up with is center. Chandler was the best American center not injured (Howard, Bynum, Aldridge, ect.) and he could not stop Robinson or Ewing. Every other position both teams have great players, but center makes the difference.
 
aceboon said:
Yea I find it kind of odd that everyone is keeps comparing the frontcourts, which the 92 team did have a decided advantage in, but completely ignoring the backcourt and perimeter situations. The 92 team had 2 elite perimeter defenders, Pippen & Jordan, they wouldn't be able to guard everyone at the same time. Stockton was a good defender in his day but he would not be able to handle today's elite athleticism at PG, Rose, Westbrook, and CP3 would blow by him with ease, and really he was a bit player on that 92 team.
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So the all-time leader in steals (by a large margin) would have trouble with today's point guards. Got it.
 
JaYnYcE said:
I remember Jordan, trust me. I just think it might have been different going against someone as big, quick and smart of a player as LeBron. As great as these two are in their primes, I couldn't see Jordan checking LeBron on defense. I didn't see the game but I heard that when Jordan won his first ring, he couldn't check Magic because of his size and Pippen had to handle guarding him. If that's true I just can't see how he could guard James.


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They moved Jordan off of Magic in game 2. It wasn't a size issue (Jordan actually guarded Divac for the remainder of the series), it was to allow Jordan to roam more defensively, where he excelled.
 
Excalibur said:
So the all-time leader in steals (by a large margin) would have trouble with today's point guards. Got it.
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He would have trouble guarding Westbrook or Paul (or Rose), yes. Good defenders - heck, great defenders - can't guard those guys when they're playing well. And Rondo, and Irving, and Wall...

Point guards today are nothing like the guys Stockton played against.
 
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Pretty much, and lol @ steals being indicative of being able to check Westbrook, Paul, and Rose. There was nothing like Rose or Westbrook in terms of athleticism, size, and strength during Stockton era at the PG spot, I'm laughing at anyone thinking Stockton would handle those guys coming at him. Also, on the flipside Westbrook could give him plenty of problems on the other end, this Olympic tourney showed what Westbrook could do defensively when he doesn't have all the responsibility on the offensive end that he has in OKC.

UConn990411 said:
He would have trouble guarding Westbrook or Paul (or Rose), yes. Good defenders - heck, great defenders - can't guard those guys when they're playing well. And Rondo, and Irving, and Wall...

Point guards today are nothing like the guys Stockton played against.
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UConn990411 said:
He would have trouble guarding Westbrook or Paul (or Rose), yes. Good defenders - heck, great defenders - can't guard those guys when they're playing well. And Rondo, and Irving, and Wall...

Point guards today are nothing like the guys Stockton played against.
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Stockton was slowed by an injury during the 92 Olympics. Magic (6'9") was the pg during the 92 Olympic run. His height and length would pose problems for everyone you mentioned, even though they had the advantage in quickness.
 
aceboon said:
Pretty much, and lol @ steals being indicative of being able to check Westbrook, Paul, and Rose. There was nothing like Rose or Westbrook in terms of athleticism, size, and strength during Stockton era at the PG spot, I'm laughing at anyone thinking Stockton would handle those guys coming at him. Also, on the flipside Westbrook could give him plenty of problems on the other end, this Olympic tourney showed what Westbrook could do defensively when he doesn't have all the responsibility on the offensive end that he has in OKC.
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Agreed, except Stockton was crafty. I'm sure the guys you mentioned would have had trouble shuting down a healthy Stockton. As a matter of fact, I don't think any of them are that much better defensively than Stockton.
 
aceboon said:
Yea I find it kind of odd that everyone is keeps comparing the frontcourts, which the 92 team did have a decided advantage in, but completely ignoring the backcourt and perimeter situations. The 92 team had 2 elite perimeter defenders, Pippen & Jordan, they wouldn't be able to guard everyone at the same time. Stockton was a good defender in his day but he would not be able to handle today's elite athleticism at PG, Rose, Westbrook, and CP3 would blow by him with ease, and really he was a bit player on that 92 team.
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If they blew by him (he didn't play much btw) there was Ewing, Robinson, Barkley, Malone, Pippin, and Jordan to help out.
 
Huskies4ever said:
Stockton was slowed by an injury during the 92 Olympics. Magic (6'9") was the pg during the 92 Olympic run. His height and length would pose problems for everyone you mentioned, even though they had the advantage in quickness.
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Magic was a mediocre defender in his prime, so it would be laughable to watch the '92 version of him try to defend Paul/Westbrook(/Rose). His length and size wouldn't cause any problems at all.

Look, Stockton was a good defender (D was probably the most underrated aspect of his game), but he wouldn't stand a chance at keeping those guys in front of him. Rajon Rondo is a pretty good defender - and one of the biggest freak athletes in the NBA - and he can't keep those guys in front of him. It has nothing to do with Stockton and everything to do with Westbrook/Paul(/Rose) simply being unguardable when they're on their games. I can count on one hand the number of guys in the NBA right now who can keep them in check.

Oh, and as to your other point: If Ewing or Robinson came to help out, they'd be leaving Dwight Howard wide open for an alley-oop. And if Jordan or Pippin left his man? Kobe or Durant would be wide open for a jumper. Point is, 2012 would have some options.

Now, if it comes to relying on hitting jumpers (2012) vs. being dominant inside the paint (1992), I'm picking the latter team to win a 7-game series every time. But the point stands that 2012, with a healthy Howard and Wade, stands more of a shot than people want to give them credit for.
 
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