[nateoak10Participant]

 My 13 are :

PG: Steph, CP3, Kyrie

SG: Harden, Klay, Westbrook

SF: LeBron, Kawhi

PF: KD, Draymond

C: Davis, Cousins, Aldridge

I went with a small ball starting five in hopes to space out the dream team, taking away the defensive advantage of their size. I also would put Russ at SG, I don’t want his decision making to be a factor, just his open court ability. I think this team could win based on their shooting ability , I’d trust Draymond and Davis to be effective against Robinson and Ewing down low after watching Draymond play Davis himself really tough (AD’s splits when Draymond was on him is ugly) and Davis’s length and defense is undeniable as an athletic big. It would also on the other end make the dream team uncomfortable as they probably couldn’t play two traditional bigs when KD or Bron slid to PF. Simply put, the optimal modern lineup could out shoot the older team and make them play a style they would not be ready for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nateoak10Participant]

The risk however is if the dream team bigs adapt and show that they could guard on the perimeter, then the size becomes an issue. I also worry about guarding Jordan as Harden would not do it. Klay is my best two defender but I think my best chance is Kawhi. The game probably comes down to Curry, Kawhi, Bron, KD and Davis against Magic, Jordan, Bird, Pippen, Robinson. Modern guys win if Curry starts nailing a ton of threes as the dream team likely couldn’t match that out put. If it becomes a game of twos, dream team may take it. Curry probably ends up guarding Bird as well, size is an issue but he’s the slowest one there is and Curry is a good team defender, it’s just if Bird was gonna keep shooting over him which he could.

[timinator1Participant]

…Curry guards Larry Bird. Bird DOMINATES that mismatch, to the point where they either have to change the matchup, or Steph has to come out.  

[BallerScriptParticipant]

I think most people would agree with the team you’ve put together there

Just because I pretty much agree with you and want to make my own team..

Here is their opposition

G – Dragic, Simmons, Schroder
G – Murray, Wiggins
F – Antetokounmpo, Gallinari, Batum
F – Porzingis, Horford, Jokic
C- Towns, Embiid, Gobert

 

 

 

 

 

[ZachAttackParticipant]

 You would put Town over both Embiid and Gobert? If I were choosing out of those 3, I would go with Embiid, Gobert, Towns.

[The GoatParticipant]

 Nateoak10’s squad is spot on. Id go with the death lineup of LeBron at point, Kawhi and KD on the wings, Draymond and Davis up front. Can it beat a Magic, MJ, Pippen, Bird and Barkley small ball vintage Dream Team death lineup? I dont know, but id like to watch a best of 7!

I like BallerScripts international team too, but it shows the game has grown internationally if you cant find room for  guys like Marc Gasol, Clint Capela, Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, Ricky Rubio, Evan Fournier, the list goes on.. 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 What era’s rules are we playing with? If we’re allowing hand checking, taking away flopping and making it more of a half court game then I’m going OGDT. If we’re playing today’s All-Star ball where you can’t hit anybody, can blatantly travel non-stop, act like you got shot when someone bumps you and can shoot 50 3’s in a game I’d probably go with today’s line-up. 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Not sure why I got negged, was being completely serious. If you add hand checking and more physical defense then Harden, Curry and Irving aren’t gonna be given space to dance with the ball. Curry’s ability to spot up from deep and shoot the mid-range will still be valuable, and Irving would be a lesser version of that, but Harden would be completely useless without the ability to dribble the air out of the ball, travel his way to step-backs and inability to get by his man or finish in a clogged up lane. The big’s not switching to give him an iso thirty feet from the bucket with a clear lane in the 90’s.

 

 LBJ has never finished over bigs well and doesn’t have much of a post game, and Robinson and Ewing are making life around the rim he’ll for anyone who tries to attack. I could go on and on. Dream Team kills ’em if they play 90’s ball.

[nateoak10Participant]

 Curry gets mauled as is off the ball and never gets a call. He still gets open and shoots the way he does. Hand checking from 30 feet out guarding a pick and pop with KD and Steph is an easy way to get blown by. When watching old 80’s and 90’s footage, ya some of the fouls were harder but the play to play physicality wasn’t as crazy as people like to make it seem. Heck, people used to joke that you couldn’t breath on MJ or you’d be called for a foul, its really just nostalgia to think that a modern player couldn’t adjust to hand checking. Especially considering that the modern player on average is a better athlete than the older ones. Modern ball handling skills are also so much better, and there have been plenty of instances where Kyrie, Steph and Harden have handled the ball under physical play just fine. It’s not like they’re going to get stiff armed to the face with no call. And the other thing to consider is that the modern players will be allowed the same rules, meaning Lebron is gonna be allowed to be more physical, so is Draymond, so is Cousins and so is KD with his long arms.

If we are going to talk about hand checking, we at least need to acknowledge that some modern players would be extremely physical with it, maybe more so given how physical they are even today. Draymond for example would fit right in, except he can guard all 5 spots with that same physical prescence. It’s not like the dream team would be allowed to push more and the modern guys wouldn’t. 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 You’re obviously young, ’cause you clearly don’t understand hand checking. Why do you think no one back then danced with the ball like Curry or Harden? It’s not because they we incapable, it’s ’cause someone was in their jersey with them, sometimes for all 94 feet. Today’s basketball is almost an entirely different game. If someone like Harden who uses bs ref bailouts to get 10 ft’s a game can’t shoot stepbacks or get to the rim ’cause Scottie Pippen is LITERALLY holding onto him, you think he’s gonna adapt? There’s Very few modern players that could hold up to the physicality of 90’s ball. Arguing otherwise shows a profound lack of understanding of basketball.

 

[nateoak10Participant]

 Why couldn’t they adapt ? Sure people did dance with the ball the same way, but because of that they never developed the same handles they have today. And if Pippen wants to play 94 feet good luck with LeBron being able to be physical right back at you. Curry also is onnrecord for dead lifting the 2nd most on the Ws, the only guy with a recorded better lift was Ezeli, a huge Center. And Harden isn’t skinny either by any means, they’d be able to take the hits. If Reggie Miller could be a star during this era and get his shot off imagine what Curry could do. Heck if we wanna get super specific in 95 the three point line was shortened, if we wanna play by 90s rules the modern guys are shooting mid range jumpers for three? That’s not good for the dream team. And even if they were grabbing and holding , it’s nothing Steph isn’t used to off the ball for one , and two if guys like Isaiah Thomas could survive handling the ball so could modern PGs with more advanced shooting and handling. Worst case scenario, Lebron plays PG and Curry runs around off screens 

[whiteflashParticipant]

Again, these guys were handling the ball while constantly being hit and grabbed. NO ONE is allowed to even be physical today. It’s literally two completely different things. Harden can’t take hits now, and you think he’d be able to do it when it was an integral part of the game? What does Curry deadlifting have to do with anything? Also, they moved the line in by a foot to make it a uniform distance, so it wouldn’t be "midrange". If LBJ plays point he gets ripped about ten times in a row. We don’t know if Curry had a better handle than Thomas, because, again, he wasn’t allowed to dance with the ball. Someone was in his jersey pretty much the whole game. Why do you think Steve Nash went from mediocre to All-Star? That’s exactly what we’re dealing with here.

[nateoak10Participant]

 Tonsay a modern player could physically adapt , when physical freaks like AD, Lebron, Giannis , KD, Cousins, Embiid, Simmons, Westbrook, Gobert and Kawhi are thriving seems like not giving these guys enough credit for how athletic they are. Your average player today certainly weighs more and has better training. KD is listed at 240, compared that to anyone on showtime and you’ll be shocked by how big KD really is. Now, drop these guys in the 90s and tell them they are now allowed to push and hold. It will benefit them on defense the same way it benefits old players. 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Dream Team 2018:

PG: Steph, CP3

SG: Harden, Klay, Donovan Mitchell

SF: LeBron, Durant, Kawhi

PF: Anthony Davis, Kevin Love

C: Draymond Green

Collegian: Mohamed Bamba

Great well rounded team. Rules? In the modern era, obviously this team would be great. But MJ would average 45 a night without hand checking.  Sir Charles would be a beast (although you could lay off him and force him to shoot jumpers).

Oh yeah, and this team would have tons of Harden, Klay, KD, LeBron, and AD death lineups.

Good mix of offense and defense on this team.

My alternate would probably be Kevin Love.

Donovan Mitchell is the last guy in since he can just flat out score.  Explosive.  Gives me an IDEAL fifth guard.

The 1992 team had a college player — although it shoulda been Shaq.  

This one has Mo Bamba to be the team’s shot blocker/rim protector, and alley-oop artist.

A great rebounder, but not much of a scorer, but this team already has a TON of scoring.

Not saying it’s the perfect team — but it’s close.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 If I am loading up the 1992 team, maybe I don’t have Bird.  A living legend no doubt but he was running on fumes against glorified rec league teams.

Gimme Shaq to replace the Dookie.

Gimme Dennis Rodman to haul in boards and play lock down defense (and mind games).

Gimme a defensive-minded death lineup of Stockton, Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, and David Robinson.  

Rodman can guard everybody in 2018 — LeBron, Durant, Anthony Davis, Harden, CP3, Steph, Klay, Draymond Green, and Kevin Love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MJBrownParticipant]

 Not sure how to rationalize this team beating the dream team. This team has a couple players that will go down as legends, the dream team is a team made up of legends. The dream team can play whatever style they want and win. I’d even go as far as saying that 6-10 on the dream team gives the modern team a run for their money. 

[timinator1Participant]

…the 2nd Unit of the 1992 Dream Team was John Stockton, Karl Malone, Clyde Drexler, Chris Mullin and David Robinson. The moderns would have a tough time handling even that lineup, if we played by modern NBA rules. Stockton and Malone run pick and role to death, or drive and kick to Mullin, be best shooter of his generation next to Reggie Miller. Robinson is there for lobs and to protect the rim, and Clyde is your athletic high flyer.  

[Author]

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