One of my friends suggested and requested I tackle this topic so I will do my best.
First of all stats for the two teams are for the most part irrelevant because the level of competition that is playing around the world today is much tougher than the opponents that the Dream Team faced so we can through out points per game, all around offensive and defensive statistics.
I understand that the Dream Team was full of amazing players, but the Redeem team had their fair share of great players too. So lets start matching up starters.
Dream Team starters Magic, Jordan, Bird, Barkley, and Ewing
Redeem Team starters Kidd, Bryant, James, Anthony, and Howard
Right away there are are a couple match-up issues with both teams and it would come down to who decided to guard who. Kidd would struggle guarding anyone one the court but, the same could be said for an older Larry Bird. By position Bird would guard LeBron and that would not be great for the Dream Team. Bryant and Jordan is mostly a push. the Dream team would need to start Pippen to try to guard LeBron with little success. Anthony and Barkley would struggle guarding each other Barkley is too strong for Melo, but Melo would pull Barkley away from the hoop and beat him off the dribble. Howard vs Ewing is a tough battle Howard I think has the size to play with another older player.
The bench for the Redeem team is much deeper at guard and could put in a more threatening guard such as Paul or Williams while Stockton was the back up point guard and had a leg injury during Barcelona. Creating an advantage for the Redeem Team.
The Dream team is much deeper in the post with Malone and Robinson. This would create trouble for Howard if he fouls and none of the Power Forwards for the Redeem team match up against the size and strength of the Dream Team.
Some issues I have with the match up are things like people saying Micheal Jordan would not accept defeat this is not an argument this is something that people who live in the past and were obsessed with the older generation of players say. Kobe has the same killer instinct as Jordan that argument is a push. Another thing is people think of these older players in their prime people forget to understand that Ewing, Stockton, and Bird where all either old and not in their prime or injured. Other people forget the fact that Magic Johnson won of the key factors had not played basketball in a year and was almost 33 years old.
The issue with the argument is neither team was built to play each other. The 2012 team appears to make more sense for comparisons sake and the 2012 team would have more than one true center and add some great point guards and a guy named Kevin Durant
I am bias I understand, but I am going to have to go with the Redeem Team because their speed and athleticism would create so many problems for some of the older players on the Dream Team meaning 3 of the Dream Team starters would have limited minutes. Dwight can play with the big men of the Dream Team, but chanced are he would foul out giving the Dream Team a great shot.
Despite my decision both teams are full of great players and as much as everyone would want to see this match up it will not happen. Please feel free to comment and let me hear what you think. This is my opinion on the match up and I am not a professional so let me hear your opinions.
The Dream Team would absolutely crush the Redeem Team, no questions asked and here is why. Kobe is a scorer, but Michael Jordan's defense is legendary so point production for Kobe would be limited. No one, and I mean no one, could stop Jordan. It just doesn't happen. Lebron's at his best when he gets to the basket, but the problem with the Redeem Team is their lack of skilled perimeter players. Thus, Lebron's abilities to penetrate the lane would suffer as a result of the crowded paint area. Magic Johnson and Lebron have similar skill sets, but with a much older, slower Jason Kidd guarding him, Magic would exploit that match up. Larry Bird is an underrated defender to be honest, and with Patrick Ewing being the machine that he was defensively, if Lebron drove the lane, he would have to deal with multiple defenders every time. The dish to Howard would most likely not be available because, as a collective unit, the Dream Team stressed unified team defense, something that players in today's league do not understand (with the exception of the Chicago Bulls perhaps).
ReplyDeleteThey always say defense wins championships, and whenever you have Melo on the floor, especially against a bigger man like Charles Barkley (only 6'6' but 250+ lbs), that match up would be a nightmare. If you look at Barkley's production, especially in clutch situations (i.e. playoff series'), he put up monster numbers. Whenever he played against the Bulls in the playoffs (Michael Jordan's Bulls), he would average close to 30 points, 15 rebounds. The guy was a machine, and that match up would be exploited on almost every possession.
Overall, the teams are both very athletic and gifted, but truth be told, the game would be won by at least 20 points. It's impossible to compare a team playing Michael Jordan because he is literally the best to ever play the game. Anyone who argues is either foolish or just doing it for the sake of arguing.
But Tim, I definitely think you present some valid points about the match ups. Personally, I think if you put some better defenders on the floor (Kobe is a great defender, Lebron as well, Howard as well, but Melo and Kidd, not so much), then we'd have a much closer game. I'm thinking Derrick Rose at the point and then you'd need to get a bigger 4 then Melo. If Tim Duncan was in his prime, he was a vastly underrated defender. It'd be interesting to see with that match up.
I do need comments so part of it was done for argument sake, but the change in the international game made the US put together a team to win the Olympic Gold not just to be compared. That is why just seeing the preliminary roster for the 2012 I think there is a better chance for comparison. I do agree that Melo and Kidd are weak defenders, but many people forget and cannot grasp the idea of some of these AMAZING Dream Team players playing the game when they were not in their prime.
ReplyDeleteThe inside play of the Dream Team is unreal, you have Ewing, Robinson, Barkley and Malone that is a front line that nobody can match up with. Dwight is a beast on defense, but he cant really score, especially against these guys. The thing about these posts is they can stretch the floor more than people think so Howard would be pulled away from the hoop on defense where he is most effective. Scottie Pippen coming in to guard LeBron is honestly a great match-up. Pippen one of the best defenders of all time, if not the best, guarding LeBron who does a little bit of everything would be very interesting to watch. MJ lets be real here in 92 couldnt be stopped the man is an absolute beast, however Kobe can counter-act some of that because Kobe is great in his own right. Both benches are able to put in some great players also, which is another huge element of the game itself. The game back in the day was way more physical than it is today, which obviously favors the bigs of the Dream Team, and honestly if this was played on Olympic stage we know that international refs are horrible and let the game get rather physical on occasion. You cant underestimate all the winners that the Dream Team had, Bird may have had a broken back and what not but he was one of the most saavy players of all time and he knew how to win, Robinson, Bird, Magic, Pippen and Jordan all have multiple championships and of course Drexler has one of his own. Im not saying the Redeem Team couldnt hang because they have so much talent of their own, but its hard to bet against the great names and players on the Dream Team.
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