2008 Redeem Team vs. 1992 Dream TeamBy:

The comparisons started before the Olympics and have only heated up since Kobe
& Co. brought the gold back where it belongs.

How does the Redeem Team compare to the Dream Team of 1992? Who would win head-to-head?
Many look at that USA Roster that played in Barcelona and immediately dismiss
these questions as stupid, but it’d be a better match-up than you think.

On Paper:

Here, the Dream Team seems invincible. It is widely considered
the best basketball team every assembled, perhaps the best team regardless of
sport. They had the best player of all-time in Michael Jordan and two other Top-5
players in Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Charles Barkley and Karl Malone are two
of the best power forwards ever, and David Robinson and Patrick Ewing are two
Hall-of-Fame centers. Johnson’s backup at point only happens to be the NBA’s career
leader in assists (John Stockton). Throw in Clyde Drexler and Scottie Pippen,
and that’s ten of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players. Chris Mullin (a truly great shooter
and scorer in his own right) and Christian Laettner round out the roster.

Collectively, they have 116 All-Star Appearances; 56 All-NBA First Teams; 15 MVPs;
and 23 NBA Titles. The Redeem Team does not come close to this.

Not yet.

The most important thing to remember here is that the Dream Team had an average
age of 29. To put that in perspective, Kobe Bryant at 29 years old was the second
oldest player on the 2008 Team’s roster. The Redeem Team has six players 24 years
old or younger. Bryant aside, the most important players on this team are entering
their sixth year or younger. Whereas most of the players on the Dream Team were
at the end of their careers or just entering their physical primes, no one on
the Dream Team has tapped the surface of their potential except for Bryant and
Kidd, who are Hall-of-Famers already.

	Kobe Bryant

With the way things are going, LeBron is destined for the Hall-of-Fame
and will be on every First Team and in every MVP race for the next half-dozen
years. Dwyane Wade already has a Finals MVP and has shown the ability to put up
Hall-of-Fame stat lines from season to season. Carmelo Anthony is a world-class
scorer, and at only 24, the rest of his game is still improving. Finally, the
babies of the group: Chris Paul, who finished last season as the runner-up to
the MVP and led the league in assists and steals, is already being compared to
Isiah Thomas; and Dwight Howard, 22, had his first season averaging over 20 while
leading the league in rebounds.

As of now, the Redeem Team has a collective 35 All-Star appearances; 15 First
Teams; 1 MVP; and 5 NBA Titles. While Kidd is on his last legs, the rest of this
team will have plenty of time to add to these numbers.

On The Court:

It’s easy to look at a roster of guys that are already in the Hall-of-Fame and
say that they are better than guys who still have a lot of career left.

But let’s compare them as they were when standing on that stage accepting their
gold medals.

(Note: In 1992, most of the Dream Team were hitting the end of their physical
primes. They had some physical drawbacks that don’t show up on paper along with
names and accolades. Magic Johnson had already retired, Larry Bird’s back was
shot, and John Stockton was injured as well.)

Athleticism: The Dream Team had some incredible athletes (Jordan, Drexler,
Pippen, and Robinson), but they cannot run with the Redeem Team. This is where
2008’s youth will benefit them. Bird, Mullin, Laettner, Stockton (injured), Magic,
and Ewing could never hope to run with this team, so their minutes would have
to be limited. Furthermore, no one on the Dream Team possessed the combination
of size, strength, speed, and agility that LeBron does. He would be a nightmare
for them.

Advantage: Redeem Team

Perimeter: Jordan is the best player
of all-time; he wins a match-up against any player on the Redeem Team. Kidd at
35 vs. an injured John Stockton is a wash. After that, it’s hard not to give the
advantage to 2008. As mentioned above, LeBron would give every perimeter player
on the Dream Team fits. And with the way Dwyane Wade looked in these Games, it’s
not unreasonable to think that he’d be an impossible guard for the older guards
and wings trying to match up with him. Neither Bird nor Magic could defend anyone
opposing them except for Redd or Prince (and they wouldn’t play in this game,
so it wouldn’t matter). Paul and Williams would give two very different looks
at the point.

	Dwyane Wade

Advantage: Redeem Team

Frontcourt: Barkley, Malone, Ewing, and Robinson vs. Howard, Bosh, and Boozer.
It’s not close.

Advantage: Dream Team

Half-court Offense: It might be that the Redeem Team didn’t have to play in
the half-court all that much, but they lacked the shooting and post play to be
as effective as the Dream Team in this area. The question is whether or not they
would allow the pace of the game to slow down and let the Dream Team play this
style of basketball.

Advantage: Dream Team

Chemistry: With such a collection of veteran superstars, the Dream Team didn’t
need much chemistry to succeed against such inferior competition. But against
the Redeem Team? This 2008 squad has been playing together for three years and
has gotten to know each other much better than the Dream Team did. In a game between
these two teams, chemistry would be a huge concern.

Advantage: Redeem Team

International Experience: It truly is a different brand of basketball when
played under FIBA rules. The fact that these guys have been getting to know the
international rules over the past few years gives them an advantage. Furthermore,
the level of competition is much higher overseas than it was when the Dream Team
was winning by 40 every game. According to NBA.com, these Olympics featured 42
NBA Players (including drafted players that have yet to come over); in 1992, there
were less than ten. The Redeem Team faced more NBA talent in one game against
Spain than the Dream Team did in the entire Olympics. More international experience
+ better international competition =

Advantage: Redeem Team

Conclusion: The Dream Team is still the best team ever assembled on paper,
but that is all in hindsight. That is strictly looking at the names on a page
and taking into account what those players did over the course of their entire
careers. This 2008 US Olympic team is very young and, by the time their all done,
they will probably have similar statistical accomplishments and accolades. On
the court, the older Dream Team would have a very difficult time matching the
youth, energy, and athleticism of the Redeem Team. The young guards of 2008 would
give the elder statesmen of 1992 a great deal of trouble. Finally, don’t let the
statistics fool you: If you put the Dream Team’s performance in Barcelona side-by-side
with the Redeem Team’s Beijing campaign, the Dream Team is better in every team
statistical category, but it is against much worse competition. The game has changed
a great deal over the years, and this 2008 team is simply better suited to win.

Counter Arguement: Dream Team