There is a lot of talk about how The DREAM Team would beat todays Team USA. I generally think it would be a good game, and I will break down how I think a 7 game series would go.
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First I want to break down the guard play from the Dream Team.
DREAM TEAM GUARDS STATS BASED ON AVERAGE CAREER SEASON TOTAL
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MIN FG% 3P% FT% REB AST BLK STL TO PTS
35 50 33 82 5.5 8.1 .5 2.1 3 21
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The Dream team had a total of 4 “Guards”
2012 TEAM USA GUARDS STATS BASED ON AVERAGE CAREER SEASON TOTAL
MIN FG% 3P% FT% REB AST BLK STL TO PTS
36 45 34 84 4.9 6.7 .4 1.6 3 21
TEAM USA has a total of 5 “Guards” I am leaving James Harden out of the AVG because he is not a starter and just a 6th man.
Before looking at all the numbers I give today’s players a slight edge based on overall talent. In 1991 The NBA averaged 105 points a game. Today in 2012 our average points per game was 96. Most stats are pretty even across the board between the two NBA years.(team average stats are at the bottom of page) Back in 1991 They shot better, as the league average was 41% FG%. 2012 we averaged 36% FG%. As a general rule it is just harder to score in today’s game. Also backed by the numbers, the average score is down 9 points a game since 1991. I feel that back then the STAR players stood out more! as there were not as many and the league was easier. It is just a tougher league all around. Today they take better supplements, they work out MANDATORY. The league is just bigger, faster and stronger in today’s game.
Let’s crunch the numbers. As you can see both team’s guards score an average of 21 points per game. The FT% goes to TEAM USA 2012. This is a bad thing for The Dream Team as they played a rougher basketball game back then and were at the free throw line more than today. With today’s rules our old timers would be sending guys to the line A LOT. So today TEAM USA would win the free throw battle, which is huge thing in basketball (if you saw the OKC vs Heat series you know what I am talking about). As you can see based on the numbers in the guard field, they played better defense back then based on numbers. Not to mention John Stockton arguably one of the best defenders of all time. (based on stats I totally disagree based on talent) The Dream Team wins the REB, AST and STL categories by a large amount. To me what’s most important out of your guards is PTS, STL, AST and FG%. The Dream Team wins this based on numbers. After crunching the numbers and knowing that the best guard of all time, is on the Dream Team, in MJ. Jordan averaged 30 points per game! I would have to say in a 7 game series The Dream Team would get more production out of their guards. (based on numbers)
Let’s talk match ups in the guard field, not numbers. Magic Johnson would be a complete mismatch for any of team USA’s guards if they did not have Kevin Durant or LeBron James. Durant is 6’10” possibly 6’11” he could match up very well vs Magic. The highest career turnover average from both teams was owned by Magic Johnson. He averaged 4 turnovers a game. The Dream team had very good balance at the guard position.
They had two assist guys in Magic Johnson and John Stockton who averaged around 11 assist per game. The Dream Team also had two great scorers. Michael Jordan is the best scorer of all time. Alongside him is Clyde Drexler another great scorer. Drexler averaged 20 points a game, which was higher than all of Team USA’s guards beside Durant and Kobe. Now Kobe Bryant is considered the Jordan of today. In my eyes he is doing it against a bigger and faster league. This would be the match up the whole world wants to see. I think both guys were great leaders and pushed their teams positively and in the right direction. This would be a match up in a 7 game series where both 6’6″ Jordan and 6’7″ Kobe would even out. They both played similar games, and are same speed and jumping ability.
Taking away the 4 best guards on the court, as I feel they would balance out, meaning Kobe vs Jordan and Durant vs Magic. This is where I feel the head ache starts for The Dream Team. Team USA has elite guards in Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook. I do not feel both, Clyde Drexler or John Stockton match up with any of these guys. Yes Stockton is in the top in career steals, but he does not have the speed and strength to play with guards today. Based on talent and athletic ability, I think Jordan will have a small edge on Kobe. Durant and Magic Johnson will balance out. Durant will make up for any extra points MJ gets on Kobe. He is one of the league’s best and most clutch scorers we have seen since Jordan. He also is today’s scoring champion.
I feel the rest of Team USA’s guards will rise above John Stockton and Clyde Drexler. This would be the difference maker in a 7 game series based on guard play. Now coaching also would come in huge, because The Dream Team has two guards who averaged double digits in assist. If you have the best scoring guard to ever play, and two guys that are the best in the world at getting it to him! That might be very tough to defend.
Now on the flip side, Team USA has the next to best scoring guys in line with Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. So as an overall assessment in a 7 game series, I think coaching plays a huge part in the game. Also I think you would see a little more street ball type of basketball game, come from Team USA. The Dream Team you are going to see a lot of hard fouls, hard takes and a lot of ball movement. It would be really cool to watch! Based on talent I would say very even. Since I broke this down and figure my assessment of talent, I consider both teams guard play very even. I will give MJ and Magic Johnson the edge here over Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant because they do win the numbers game. Also across the board The Dream Team put up better numbers in whole. (in the guard field)
Now we move on to the big men of the league. In this section this will include all forwards and centers. I come from a basketball family and we have always said “to win a championship you must have a great big man” First we will talk the numbers and see how they play out. Now in this section I am only focusing on the numbers that matter from your big men. Which are as follows; FG%, FT%, REB, BLK, STL, and PTS.
DREAM TEAM BIG MEN STATS BASED ON AVERAGE CAREER SEASON TOTAL
MIN FG% FT% REB AST BLK STL PTS
34 50 76 8.7 3.8 1.3 1.5 18
2012 TEAM USA BIG MEN STATS BASED ON AVERAGE CAREER SEASON TOTAL
MIN FG% FT% REB AST BLK STL PTS
35 51 73 8.3 3.1 1.4 1.2 17.7
So let’s crunch the numbers. Across the board basically The Dream Team wins again. The only category Team USA wins is blocks and by a small margin. They also shot the ball 1% better. To me points and rebounds are the most important out of these players. As you can see The Dream Team gets way more rebounds than Team USA and the point average is pretty close. Now here is something I was wrong about. I had thought just based on theory that Team USA was much bigger and faster all around. The Dream Team had two guys 7 feet and above. Also, all of their forwards are tall and lanky players. This backs up their stats on defense, especially at an average of 1.5 steals per game. One key stat is the FT% Team USA does not shoot as well as The Dream Team from the line. They averaged only 73% FT%. The Dream Team averaged 76% from the line. As I said in my opening statement I think the numbers are in the Dream Teams favor. Simply the stars back then played in an easier league. So their numbers stood out a little more. That aside you can see based on numbers the edge goes again to The Dream Team. (based on numbers)
Now on to the match ups. I think this is a game that could go either way based on the big men. Coaching would play a huge role in this match up. As Team USA has a majority of quick flashy scoring players. The Dream Team has brute big men who would force the ball into the paint and play tough defense. There will be no free buckets vs The Dream Team!!! First I would rank LeBron James the top of the big men, and the #1 player in this game. He plays all 5 positions and fills every stat category.
Falling right behind him I would have to give it to David Robinson, a 7 footer that would give Team USA a hard time. This is where the match up gets juicy. Tyson Chandler is an amazing defender. One of the best the NBA has seen in the 20th century. He would be able to hold down the paint and he is big enough to defend David Robinson. For the rest of the field based on numbers and athletic ability I would say, is fairly even. With an edge to Team USA as they have much better scoring line up. The numbers do not say so, but their ability to go to the hoop does.
Kevin Love and Larry Bird would be a great match up. They do similar things can shoot, rebound, assist and play great defense. Barkley, Malone, Ewing and Mullen all play a similar game and would be the same type of match up for any of the Team USA players. Andre Iguodala, Carmelo Anthony are flashy scorers who would be tough match ups for the slow Dream Team.
Now this is the wild card and reason I think Team USA would beats the DREAM TEAM, a guy named KING JAMES!
This guy is one of the best athletes we have seen in any of our major sports. He is 6’9″ (i have seen in person court side at the pistons) around 270 LBS and ranked in the top 25 fastest NBA players. The guy is a freak and in today’s game the MVP of the league. In my personal opinion the best talent and most dominant player the NBA has ever seen. So here is where the nightmare begins for The Dream Team. They do not have 1 guard previously talked about that could match up with LeBron James. Magic Johnson because of size would be able to play solid defense, but they would need a guard like player to guard Durant. So Magic would have to stay there and do that job. You can exclude all of the Centers Robinson, Malone and Ewing. They would not have the speed to check LeBron James. On the flip side LeBron has the size and strength to play with and defend all 3 centers. This job would have to be done by one of The Dream Teams power/small forwards. Larry Bird was a great player all around on the court. He did not have the size, strength or speed to check LeBron. Also Charles Barkley was to small and way to slow for KING JAMES. The Dream Team would have to find a way to defend Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Scottie Pippen is by far the tallest best match up for LeBron. I do not feel he could go all 48 minutes toe to toe with Lebron James. He also is shorter and not as fast or strong. He is a great defender and dominated back for the Chicago Bulls, but LeBron would be too much to handle. Remember The Dream Team didn’t even know what zone defense was. So my guess is they would not be in a zone vs Team USA. James has shown he can play all 48 minutes as well. The only players on The Dream Team that would make sense guarding these two would be; Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Clyde Drexler. All of which were great defenders but the size is not there. Team USA would strive on the play of both LeBron James and Kevin Durant. I feel in a 7 game series LeBron James and Kevin Durant would hit their averages, even though some of the best players of all time would be on this court.
The Decision: Here below are the teams total averages in each stat category.
DREAM TEAM STATS BASED ON AVERAGE CAREER SEASON TOTAL
MIN FG% 3P% FT% REB AST BLK STL TO PTS
34 50 30 78 7.5 5.4 1 1.7 2.9 21
2012 TEAM USA STATS BASED ON AVERAGE CAREER SEASON TOTAL
MIN FG% 3P% FT% REB AST BLK STL TO PTS
35 48 32 78 6.5 5.3 .85 1.3 2.4 18.6
In a 7 game series as if it was the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. I would have to say Team USA in 6. I think they would beat The Dream Team 4-2. This would be an amazing series obviously to watch.
I think from The Dream Team you would see a lot of hard basketball. Good ball movement and open jump shots. The Dream Team would try to pound the ball inside and get dunks. Team USA would run the ball up and down the court at fast speeds. A lot of transition scores and dunks. Team USA would be the more athletic team but I think you would see them shoot a lot more as well. Based on numbers you should say that the Dream Team would barely win in a 7 game series. Numbers show it would go 7 games and be very close. It’s hard to go against the most clutch player to ever play the game, and the best guy in history. I just feel there is an x factor in this match up.
LeBron James and Kevin Durant would be way to hard to defend. LeBron can play all 48 minutes and while he and Durant are on the court, it creates matchup nightmares. Durant has proven he’s clutch and one of the best scorers we have ever seen. In today’s game he is our scoring champion. Magic Johnson would be a great guy to use but that’s all they had for size and speed. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are the X factor based on their size and how athletic they are. It’s a new game today and our players are bigger, faster and stronger. Right alongside them (I believe Kobe could have taken scoring title this year if he wanted to) is Kobe Bryant one of the best scoring guards of all time. He is compared to Michael Jordan in a lot of aspects. Jordan may outshine Kobe in this game, but that slack will be picked up by the efforts of KING JAMES and KD.
Follow Jorel Petree on Twitter @JorelPetree
