Make no mistake about it, this is not going to have a Mason Dixon versus a resurgent Rocky Balboa type of ending. The debate to the 1992 Dream Team versus the 2012 US Olympic Team will have to be settled in the media and on paper. You can hold off on the training montage music. Charles Barkley will not be chasing chickens, unless they are boneless, skinless chicken breasts that net less than 8 Weight Watchers points. Michael Jordan is too busy smoking cigars and playing golf to run up the steps to a heroic fist pump. Larry Bird will not build pure blunt force trauma and suddenly take out Kevin Durrant. Sparring is definitely out.
What we have instead, is a generational debate that those voting for the current 2012 team do not seem to understand. The modern assumption that whatever is done today is automatically the first, best, strongest, sexiest and fastest thing ever, does not hold true with this argument. While the current Olympians certainly are fast, the argument ends there (I'm not commenting on the sex appeal of Anthony "Unibrow" Davis).
The word being used to describe this year's Olympic team is "versatile." Coach K, commentators and players alike have fallen in love with this word as if by sheer volume of use it will convince spectators it is the most important factor of a basketball team. It's great that LeBron and Kevin Love can slide into the center position if needed. It's great versatility, but neither matches up with true, all-time great centers like Robinson and Ewing.
The 2012 team has a tremendous stable of point guards including Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook. The problem, that they all play the same position, and are the 2nd, 3rd and 4th best players at their position in the current Association, with injured Derrick Rose sitting out with injury. Well, that, and the issue that they all play the same position, and not nearly at the level of Magic Johnson.
I have a better word, one that describes the 1992 Dream Team - Legendary. Eleven Hall-of-Famers on the 1992 squad, including the best ever leading the way. Line up the teams top to bottom, and from my estimation, the 1992 team wins at all eleven roster spots. Jordan > Kobe, Magic > LeBron all the way to Drexler > Iguodala and Mullin > Harden.
The last word in this debate - Blowout. This game will never be played, but that does not hinder my confidence. Dream Team -14.5.
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