Nice read: The forgotten Dream Team

[moaz]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2186790-dream-team-ii-the-us-team-that-time-forgot?utm_source=outbrain.com&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=special-projects

Its about 1994 US team in the FIBA World Championships in Toronto. I really didn't remember anything about this team.

The players:
Derrick Coleman, Joe Dumars, Kevin Johnson, Larry Johnson, Shawn Kemp, Dan Majerle, Reggie Miller, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal (1994 version), Mark Price, Steve Smith and Dominique Wilkins.

Just a reminder:
1992 Dream Team: Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson and John Stockton.

[AboutBuckets]

If you compare that squad to the 1992 original you can't even call it a Dream Team. They would have gotten straight rekt against our 1992 team

[JtotheIzzo]

it was a Beta dream team and marketed almost as such. They wanted to take deserving players who were left out the first time round and players they had pegged as future superstars.

[AboutBuckets]

it was a Beta dream team and marketed almost as such. They wanted to take deserving players who were left out the first time round and players they had pegged as future superstars.

Yeah for sure. K. Johnson / Miller / Wilkins / Coleman (at the time) /Shaq is a hell of a team but it's a joke compared to the real deal

[moaz]

If you compare that squad to the 1992 original you can't even call it a Dream Team. They would have gotten straight rekt against our 1992 team

Nique in the article:


Let me tell you: That Dream Team II could play with any of the other Dream Teams. :D

[SpecialQue]

The Dream Team 2 = The Korean War of Dream Teams

[Jef]

the Bleacher Report of dream teams

i remember their first game. i think it was against spain, and they only won by like 19 points or something. i 9 years old, and i was ****ing pissed about that at the time. i had to watch that game in my grandmother's basement in ohio.

i was more outraged by that performance than anything our country as a whole has done since, apart from perhaps the whole rap/rock thing.

[L.Kizzle]

If you compare that squad to the 1992 original you can't even call it a Dream Team. They would have gotten straight rekt against our 1992 team
Bird, Magic, Christian were not in their primes, everyone else was or damn near close to it.


Derrick Coleman, Joe Dumars, Kevin Johnson, Larry Johnson, Shawn Kemp, Dan Majerle, Reggie Miller, Mark Price were all in their primes or damn near close to it.

Steve Smith was a few years from his peak, Wilkins a few years after. Zo and Shaq were not yet the dominant players they'd be a few years from now.

It would be close.

[Jlamb47]

Bird, Magic, Christian were not in their primes, everyone else was or damn near close to it.


Derrick Coleman, Joe Dumars, Kevin Johnson, Larry Johnson, Shawn Kemp, Dan Majerle, Reggie Miller, Mark Price were all in their primes or damn near close to it.

Steve Smith was a few years from his peak, Wilkins a few years after. Zo and Shaq were not yet the dominant players they'd be a few years from now.

It would be close.

Jordan
Drexler
Stockton
Malone
Barkley
Robinson
Ewing
Pippen
Mullins were basically in their primes or peaks, they would demolish this squad
Prime Robinson would outplay young shaq

[Jailblazers7]

The Dream Team 2 = The Korean War of Dream Teams

:oldlol:

[LAZERUSS]

The REAL Dream Team...

The '72 USA Team, and what could have been...

Dr. J
Barry
McAdoo
Archibald
West
Maravich
Havlicek
Cowens
Haywood
Gilmore
Kareem
Wilt

[Real14]

non-Olympic team. who cares:confusedshrug:

[L.Kizzle]

Jordan
Drexler
Stockton
Malone
Barkley
Robinson
Ewing
Pippen
Mullins were basically in their primes or peaks, they would demolish this squad
Prime Robinson would outplay young shaq
They would not get demolished, it would be close. Dream Team demolished the other countries. They're not demolishing a team with HOF's in their own right.


Stockton and old Magic < KJ and Price
Jordan, Drexler >> Dumars, Miller and Smith
Mullin, Pippen and old Bird > Wilkins and Majerle
Barkley, Malone and Leattner = Kemp, LJ and Coleman
Ewing and Robinson > Shaq and Zo

And just imagine if they had the original squad with Tim Hardaway and/or Isiah Thomas?

[bizil]

Bird, Magic, Christian were not in their primes, everyone else was or damn near close to it.


Derrick Coleman, Joe Dumars, Kevin Johnson, Larry Johnson, Shawn Kemp, Dan Majerle, Reggie Miller, Mark Price were all in their primes or damn near close to it.

Steve Smith was a few years from his peak, Wilkins a few years after. Zo and Shaq were not yet the dominant players they'd be a few years from now.

It would be close.

I agree! It would be closer than what many people think. From a physical standpoint, Shaq was more beastly that Ewing and Robinson even then. Zo was a beast too. So physically, they wouldn't be overwhelmed by Robinson and Ewing. Kemp, Coleman, and Johnson COLLECTIVELY would give Barkley and Malone fits! Dream Team 2 also has better three point shooting from top to bottom too.

The main weakness I see was NOT HAVING the great, freak athletic do it all 6'6 to 6'7 player. DT1 had three of them in MJ, Pippen, and Drexler. I would favor DT 1 mainly due to having MJ, Pippen, and Drexler. Besides that, I think DT 2 matches up better than most people think.

[Psileas]

Really underrated, imo, due to the historical comparisons to the original Dream Team and due to appearing pretty arrogant and disrespectful compared to their '92 predecessors. They were not as great or constantly dominant as them, but, let's be real, they were still more dominant than any other team that followed, including the Atlanta squad and any other Olympic one. They handily beat Spain, Brazil, Russia without even trying, destroyed decent teams, like Puerto Rico, Australia by 50+, China by 50+, Greece by 39 while only playing well for 1 half, then humiliated Russia in the final. Yet, not even all their games exist on Youtube.
Imo, that team was, at least offensively, almost ideal for international tournaments, since they combined size difficult to match (Shaq, Zo, Coleman, LJ, Kemp) with incredible long range shooting (Miller, Price, Dumars, Majerle, Steve Smith) and with pretty nice slashing (KJ, Wilkins, Dumars at times).

[ProfessorMurder]

People talk shit about 94 because a bunch of those guys flamed out early. They would've competed with the 92 team.

If they played 10 times I could see 94 winning 4.

[bizil]

People talk shit about 94 because a bunch of those guys flamed out early. They would've competed with the 92 team.

If they played 10 times I could see 94 winning 4.

I agree! Looking at that team, LJ, Coleman, Kemp, Smith, Price, and KJ didn't have the careers they should have had due to injuries. Or Kemp's case just kicking it too hard. I think u could argue ALL OF THEM peak wise other than Smith were among the top 10-15 of all time at their respective positions.

[D-FENS]

Barkley, Malone and Leattner = Kemp, LJ and Coleman


WTF you smokin', bro?
http://www.blogto.com/upload/2014/04/20140430-Ford-Crack-Gawker.jpg

[L.Kizzle]

WTF you smokin', bro?
http://www.blogto.com/upload/2014/04/20140430-Ford-Crack-Gawker.jpg
If you dont think 94 Kemp, LJ and DC could keep up with Chuck and Mailman thatn you must have missed the early 90s. We're not comparing them all time.

[Dragonyeuw]

That team would keep up with them, but the two dream teams that would give the original the most fits? 1996 and 2008 versions...