[lynchburgwildcats]

WHo do you have? I'd go with 1992 team. In a seven-game series, I think it would be more close than people think (I would have it going six games) because they are using revisionist history on some of the 1992 players. Magic and Bird were shells of their former selves, and John Stockton was injured and limited greatly because of that. When arguing which team is better, you have to argue based on what the state of the players were at the time the team was formed, and Magic, Bird, and Stockton wouldn't even come close to making the 2012 team due to health.

If I had to make a team of 12 taking both rosters, I'd have it this way:
PG - Chris Paul, Deron Williams - 2012's PG group is worlds better than 1992's because of the lack of health at the position.

SG - Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, Kobe Bryant. If I could realistically go more than three deep, next two-three picks would be 2012 players though.

SF - Scottie Pippen, LeBron James, Kevin Durant. 2012 team clearly has the advantage here as Chris Mullin was the only other healthy SF for the 1992 squad.

PF - Karl Malone, Charles Barkley. This shows a big difference in the state of the game from 1992 to 2012. The game has gone away from the traditional low post PFs and more towards the stretch 4s, hence why you will see guys like LeBron, Durant, Carmelo, and Kevin Love covering the PF spot for the length of the Olympics. Who really knows which would work better head to head> both types have their advantages and weaknesses

C - Robinson, Ewing. You can't even make an argument here unless you want your center to be nothing but a versatile defensive presence. Chandler much better equipped to switch on screens and pick and roles. Can't dump the ball down to him and expect him to score any though.

[thepostman]

92 team easily. Its not even a real debate.

I do think if they played a 7 games series the 2012 team would steal a win and the rest of the games would be close, but no way it would go more then 5.

So many all time greats in their prime on that 92 team.

Its not even disrespectful to then current team it just is the way it is.

[Purple Haize]

92 team easily. Its not even a real debate.

I do think if they played a 7 games series the 2012 team would steal a win and the rest of the games would be close, but no way it would go more then 5.

So many all time greats in their prime on that 92 team.

Its not even disrespectful to then current team it just is the way it is.

11 NBA Hall of and one of the greatest NCAA players of all time. Plus I'm old. 92

[JK37]

REALLY close. Wildcat, your analysis is pretty spot-on. '92 is better at 2 and 5. '12 is better at 3 and 4. A healthy Stockton, in my opinion, is better than the crop in '12's group, but only barely, and only because of my preference for type of PG in a seven-game series, i.e., steady distributor who can consistently knock down jumpers but isn't trying to be a first or even second scoring option.

The level of athleticism on the '12 team, I think, would give them the edge in a seven-game series. But it's REALLY close.

[logic]

92 team easily. Its not even a real debate.

I do think if they played a 7 games series the 2012 team would steal a win and the rest of the games would be close, but no way it would go more then 5.

So many all time greats in their prime on that 92 team.

Its not even disrespectful to then current team it just is the way it is.

11 NBA Hall of and one of the greatest NCAA players of all time. Plus I'm old. 92

What they said. See Haize, we can agree on some things.

[Purple Haize]

REALLY close. Wildcat, your analysis is pretty spot-on. '92 is better at 2 and 5. '12 is better at 3 and 4. A healthy Stockton, in my opinion, is better than the crop in '12's group, but only barely, and only because of my preference for type of PG in a seven-game series, i.e., steady distributor who can consistently knock down jumpers but isn't trying to be a first or even second scoring option.

The level of athleticism on the '12 team, I think, would give them the edge in a seven-game series. But it's REALLY close.

Don't forget Magic. Bird was hurt but still contributed. My thought is that the game has changed so much. The 92 team, and basketball in general back then, ad more defined roles. Is Westbrook a 1 or 2? Durant a 2,3,4 or 5?
What 92 has in Spades over this team is chemistry and purpose.

logic- wait till you grow up. It will be scary how right you realize I am.

[logic]

I still disagree with you on many things Liberty related. I don't think you understand how good we could be, and in some cases, already are.

[R i]

I have 2012 team.

92 players were not in their prime. Magic had been retired, Bird was half the player he used to be with major back problems, Clyde was no longer gliding.

If its close I think the game comes down to who would you rather play the 3-4 position? Durant or Barkley?

I do agree the spades that the 92 team carry in their hand are , chemistry and purpose.

[RubberMallet]

james harden, andre iguadala, anthony davis and tyson chandler? lol.

beyond, magic and larry, (who by the way were still probably putting up double doubles every game the last years of their career while scoring 20+ pts a game) everyone else was in their prime. jordan, barkley, robinson, malone, drexler, ewing.

kobe cancels out one of the old guys, the rest of these guys outside of lebron can't hold the 92 player's jocks.

[ALUmnus]

If Isaiah was on the team this wouldn't even be a discussion.

Jordan, Barkley, Robinson, three players 2012 would have no answer for. That's a problem.

[Purple Haize]

james harden, andre iguadala, anthony davis and tyson chandler? lol.

beyond, magic and larry, (who by the way were still probably putting up double doubles every game the last years of their career while scoring 20+ pts a game) everyone else was in their prime. jordan, barkley, robinson, malone, drexler, ewing.

kobe cancels out one of the old guys, the rest of these guys outside of lebron can't hold the 92 player's jocks.

What about LeBron? Isn't he the greates EVER?
You are correct. A hobbled Bird could still pull a double double. If not in rebounds, then in passing. I would say Drexler was probably the only one "past his prime' that I would cut. I'd keep Laetner because he wouldn't play but wouldn't make a fuss about it.
How can 2012 compete with this starting line up?
Magic
Michael
Barkley
Pippen
Robinson
Then change the pace with
Stockton
Bird
Mullen
Malone
Ewing

Daly did a great job with this unit and changed starting line ups a lot except for Jordan. He did the best coaching job in the Olympics until Coach K has come along. IMO, he is the only college coach who the pros would listen too and who understands the International and NBA games. As much as I love Duke, I wouldnt mind seeing him step down and become the National Coach full time.
(For further argument I think The Redeem Team is better then the 2012 team)

[TDDance234]

PG - 2012 gets the nod. Chris Paul and Deron Williams are your two primary players here and no doubt Stockton would have replaced Westbrook. But would he have started over Paul? Probably not. Johnson was done by '92.
(My team: Paul, Williams)

SG - 1992. This one comes down to Jordan vs. Kobe. I believe Jordan was 28 and in his prime during the '92 Olympics while Kobe's 33 going on 42.
(Jordan, Kobe)

SF - 2012. This is the toughest matchup of any of them. LeBron tips the scales.
(LeBron, Pippen, Bird)

PF - 1992. It's not even close...the only change I'd make here would be to drop Malone and add in Durant as a PF. I'd add Love for the fact that he's the prototypical big man for an international game. I think he's the X-Factor this year)
(Barkley, Durant, Love)

C - 1992. Again, a slam dunk.
(Robinson, Ewing)



1992 wins.

[lynchburgwildcats]

PG - 2012 gets the nod. Chris Paul and Deron Williams are your two primary players here and no doubt Stockton would have replaced Westbrook. But would he have started over Paul? Probably not. Johnson was done by '92.
(My team: Paul, Williams)

SG - 1992. This one comes down to Jordan vs. Kobe. I believe Jordan was 28 and in his prime during the '92 Olympics while Kobe's 33 going on 42.
(Jordan, Kobe)

SF - 2012. This is the toughest matchup of any of them. LeBron tips the scales.
(LeBron, Pippen, Bird)

PF - 1992. It's not even close...the only change I'd make here would be to drop Malone and add in Durant as a PF. I'd add Love for the fact that he's the prototypical big man for an international game. I think he's the X-Factor this year)
(Barkley, Durant, Love)

C - 1992. Again, a slam dunk.
(Robinson, Ewing)



1992 wins.

Problem with your PG spot in regards to Stockton is that he was injured and severely limited. He only played four games in the Olympics, which means he got in half of the blowouts. An injured Stockton would never play for 2012 unless it was a big blowout like they have against the Dominican Republic.

FOr SF, Bird wouldn't make the team. His health severely limited his abilities. I'd glady take Clyde Drexler, who just came off a seasons averaging 25, 7, and 7 and healthy than a hobbled Bird. AS you can see by his stats, his health severely limited him as he was only 9th on the team in scoring (despite being the second best scorer on the team) and averaged just 1.8 assists, 8th on the team and showing he did very little ball handling.

As far as PF goes, You put LeBron, Durant, and Carmelo at PF, Malone and Barkley would be toast on defense. If 92 team put Malone and Barkley out there to guard them, the 2012 PFs would score at will. Likewise, the 92 PFs would score at will against the 2012 PFs. That's why in my original post I said the PF position was a wash. Carmelo, LeBron, and Durant are very good rebounders. Not as good as Malone or Barkley obviously, but they would rebound well enough that it wouldn't be a significant issue.

Now if the 92 team had a healthy Stockton and Bird, they would be on the team, no doubt. But they weren't healthy, no where close to it, and you can't just go back and change history to make them healthy...

[RubberMallet]

james harden, andre iguadala, anthony davis and tyson chandler? lol.

beyond, magic and larry, (who by the way were still probably putting up double doubles every game the last years of their career while scoring 20+ pts a game) everyone else was in their prime. jordan, barkley, robinson, malone, drexler, ewing.

kobe cancels out one of the old guys, the rest of these guys outside of lebron can't hold the 92 player's jocks.

What about LeBron? Isn't he the greates EVER?
You are correct. A hobbled Bird could still pull a double double. If not in rebounds, then in passing. I would say Drexler was probably the only one "past his prime' that I would cut. I'd keep Laetner because he wouldn't play but wouldn't make a fuss about it.
How can 2012 compete with this starting line up?
Magic
Michael
Barkley
Pippen
Robinson
Then change the pace with
Stockton
Bird
Mullen
Malone
Ewing

Daly did a great job with this unit and changed starting line ups a lot except for Jordan. He did the best coaching job in the Olympics until Coach K has come along. IMO, he is the only college coach who the pros would listen too and who understands the International and NBA games. As much as I love Duke, I wouldnt mind seeing him step down and become the National Coach full time.
(For further argument I think The Redeem Team is better then the 2012 team)

clyde was scoring 26 a game that year wasn't he. nowhere near out of his element. he put up 20 for waht 5-6 more years after the olympics?

[RubberMallet]

agreed on the redeem team... they are close.

[Purple Haize]

I don't know Drexlers post Olympic stats. He was a great finisher but I never 'got' him. I think his hey day was in the late 80's but could be wrong.
As for the PG discussion, people seem to be leaving out Magic in the discussion. Granted he'd been out that year and never played in the NBA again, but that wasn't because of skill decline. I mean I LOVE D Williams but the PG position goes to 92. But again it goes back to more defined roles in basketball 'back then' compared to now.

[RubberMallet]

I don't know Drexlers post Olympic stats. He was a great finisher but I never 'got' him. I think his hey day was in the late 80's but could be wrong.
As for the PG discussion, people seem to be leaving out Magic in the discussion. Granted he'd been out that year and never played in the NBA again, but that wasn't because of skill decline. I mean I LOVE D Williams but the PG position goes to 92. But again it goes back to more defined roles in basketball 'back then' compared to now.

absolutely. aids magic and stockton would make paul and williams look like kirk heinrich.

[RubberMallet]

clyde was 20/6/6 for nearly 7 years after the olympics. he was basically a slightly better distributing version of paul pierce.

[BJWilliams]

Magic was a power forward (6-9) who could handle when he was running Showtime back in the 80s (and even up until 1991 when they met Jordan and the Bulls in 1991). If there was anyone with that kind of height and distribution ability, Id say maybe Durant.

[jcmanson]

Magic was a power forward (6-9) who could handle when he was running Showtime back in the 80s (and even up until 1991 when they met Jordan and the Bulls in 1991). If there was anyone with that kind of height and distribution ability, Id say maybe Durant.

Just stop

[TDDance234]

Barkley would break Carmelo and Durant. No way he wouldn't start on that team, IMO.

[lynchburgwildcats]

I don't know Drexlers post Olympic stats. He was a great finisher but I never 'got' him. I think his hey day was in the late 80's but could be wrong.
As for the PG discussion, people seem to be leaving out Magic in the discussion. Granted he'd been out that year and never played in the NBA again, but that wasn't because of skill decline. I mean I LOVE D Williams but the PG position goes to 92. But again it goes back to more defined roles in basketball 'back then' compared to now.

Because Magic was a shell of himself and John Stockton was injured. Stockton was so limited, he couldn't even play in every game, not even in garbage time. You telling me healthy CP3 and Deron Williams are worse than a hobbled and limited Stockton and Magic? Psycho babble.

[Purple Haize]

Magic was still a solid player. Stockton was hobbled but healthy I'd still take them both over this years tandem, but it hurts to say b/c I LOVE D Williams. Even if/when they would get beat Magic and Stockton and some great defensive help.

[Purple Haize]

Plus the uniforms this year are butt ugly!

[jmdickens]

1992 team every game.

Just read the rule changes for defenders starting in 2009

In 1999, the league eliminated contact by a defender with his hands and forearms both in the backcourt and frontcourt, except on offensive players who caught the ball below the free throw line extended. Defenses were also prohibited from "re-routing" players off the ball. This freed up perimeter players who used screens to get open. Nor were defenders able any more to grab or impede offensive players setting screens. In 2001, the defensive three-second rule eliminated defenders camping out in the lane away from their offensive man to help.

I would love to see Lebron being guarded by Pippen and go to the lane with Barkley and Malone waiting. He would quit attacking the basket after 1 strong defensive front. While they have athleticism, the 2012 team did not have the basketball IQ, the talent, or kill mentality that the 1992 had and that alone is enough for me.