Time travel 1992 Dream Team to a series vs the Nets with modern rules

[hiphopanonymous]

Fully modern rules (meaning the dream team has no preliminary practice time outside of their prep for what they thought was international olympic play - other than a shoot around before game 1 to implement the modern 3 game / screens / defensive sets / "extra" gather steps etc). It will all be up to their basketball fundamentals to make any adjustments they need on the fly. Nets are healthy in this scenario as well.

The rules favor the nets. The talent depth favors the Dream team.

Who would you bet on if you had to bet that one of them would be victorious in a 7 game series in this context and why?

[Xiao Yao You]

sweep. Too much talent for Dream team. Better D

[Airupthere]

Dream team would foul out and lose. Remember they lost against a bunch of college kids their first time playing. Give them time to adjust, its a different story.

[hiphopanonymous]

Dream team would foul out and lose. Remember they lost against a bunch of college kids their first time playing. Give them time to adjust, its a different story.
This is true and that was a big wake up call moment for that team. In this scenario that wake up call has already happened so they should at least be playing more alert already

[Reggie43]

Goat level bigs plus the best perimeter defenders ever in Jordan, Pippen. No amount of rule changes would make the series close because both teams would be benefitting from them.

[hiphopanonymous]

Goat level bigs plus the best perimeter defenders ever in Jordan, Pippen. No amount of rule changes would make the series close because both teams would be benefitting from them.

How well do you think Jordan and Pippen defend Durant, Harden and Kyrie - with modern "hands off" rules though? Aren't those guys all but impossible to guard too?

[kawhileonard2]

Current Nets would lose to the 1992 Croatia team.

[Reggie43]

How well do you think Jordan and Pippen defend Durant, Harden and Kyrie - with modern "hands off" rules though? Aren't those guys all but impossible to guard too?

Regardless of the rule changes these guys could still be affected by strong perimeter defenders and they would be facing the very best in Nba history not to mention goat level rim protectors in Drob and Ewing. All defense guys like Kawhi, Simmons etc still are high impact defensive players even with the rule changes in the modern era and Jordan and Pippen are clearly better than both.

The real question is how does the nets stop Mvp level bigs like Barkley, Malone, Drob and even Ewing when they already have their hands full against the Goat? I could see Deandre fouling out in the first quarter because of the Nets extremely poor defense leaving Jeff Green and Durant to handle the relentless attack of Barkley, Malone, Drob etc.

[Real Men Wear Green]

How well do you think Jordan and Pippen defend Durant, Harden and Kyrie - with modern "hands off" rules though? Aren't those guys all but impossible to guard too?
Pippen might be the best best possible defender for Durant (him or young Kevin Garnett). No one is going to shut KD down but he will defend Durant better whoever the Nets put on Jordan (probably Durant). Durant is the only Net that would be a real match for a DTeamer on the perimeter defensively. DeAndre Jordan might do better than he normally does guarding bigs that stay in the paint but in the end how do the Nets contain Jordan and how does their bench come anywhere near a team bringing HoFers off the bench?

[Xiao Yao You]

Dream team would foul out and lose. Remember they lost against a bunch of college kids their first time playing. Give them time to adjust, its a different story.

12 guys foul out? Deepest team ever :facepalm

[Airupthere]

This is true and that was a big wake up call moment for that team. In this scenario that wake up call has already happened so they should at least be playing more alert already

My response was based on one game. I didnt read the entire post. In a 7 game series, 1992 dream team no doubt, even with modern rules. First game, right off the bat with a lot of rules changes, 92 can certainly lose.

[3ball]

Nets win easily

The Dream Team wouldn't be able to learn today's 3-point strategy sufficiently in one 7 game series... It would take more time - not much more, but more than 1 series

But eventually, they would learn how to use the goat PNR player and goat passer (Stockton), while Jordan starts shrugging his shoulders... And it would be blowout city.

[hiphopanonymous]

Nets win easily

The Dream Team wouldn't be able to learn today's 3-point strategy sufficiently in one 7 game series... It would take more time - not much more, but more than 1 series

But eventually, they would learn how to use the goat PNR player and goat passer (Stockton), while Jordan starts shrugging his shoulders... And it would be blowout city.

Interesting take - so you think the 3 game as it is played today is so refined and effective that it outweighs a team of deeper talent that hasn't yet practiced such a system? Care to elaborate on any nuances about this that brought you to that conclusion?

[SATAN]

Michael Jordan went 1-11 for 4 points vs Puerto Rico. He would be held scoreless in OPs' scenario. The only way Dream Team win is if Barkley goes nuclear and carries them again.

[3ball]

Interesting take - so you think the 3 game as it is played today is so refined and effective that it outweighs a team of deeper talent that hasn't yet practiced such a system? Care to elaborate on any nuances about this that brought you to that conclusion?


Today's 3-point strategy is the most effective brand under today's rules of open paints (defensive 3) and automatic penetration (hands off).

So the Dream Team would throw games away playing an inferior brand... And they can't just buckle down and "play basketball" to comeback and win - the rules don't allow it on defense, and offensively, the rules make a technique (threes and layups) more effective than actual basketball/sport (getting buckets with defenders in the way)

Ultimately, the Dream Team would destroy the Nets after getting used to the new format, because the format enhances great players - everything is easier with spacing

[Thenameless]

The Dream Team would win easily.

The guys arguing that the Dream Team couldn't play its own brand of defense with hand checking are forgetting the human element of the game. No referee is going to call a lopsided game with 60 fouls on one team and 10 on the other. They would look like they were being paid off.

There's way too much talent on Dream Team. You're talking about some of the greatest scorers that ever lived, going up against a regular NBA team (yes with three superstars, but still a regular team with normal depth issues) with a very sub-par defense. On the other side of the coin, if Dream Team noticed that this modern team was pretty good at shooting threes, they would adjust very quickly on defense and lock down space around the arc; and you'd still have David Robinson and Ewing to prevent anything easy in the paint. Even if the Nets were able to keep it close for a while, their Big 3 have to rest or suffer fatigue having to play against a constant barrage of some of the best players of all time coming off the bench. It would feel like an all star game to the Dream Team in the second half, with the lack of defense from their opponents.

You still have to play the game, but I don't think it would be particularly close.

[Shooter]

Dream team would foul out and lose. Remember they lost against a bunch of college kids their first time playing. Give them time to adjust, its a different story.

+1

[iamgine]

Fully modern rules (meaning the dream team has no preliminary practice time outside of their prep for what they thought was international olympic play - other than a shoot around before game 1 to implement the modern 3 game / screens / defensive sets / "extra" gather steps etc). It will all be up to their basketball fundamentals to make any adjustments they need on the fly. Nets are healthy in this scenario as well.

The rules favor the nets. The talent depth favors the Dream team.

Who would you bet on if you had to bet that one of them would be victorious in a 7 game series in this context and why?

This would be a sweep for the Nets. And not a close one either. Probably a blow out every game.

First off, the 1992 Dream Team wasn't that great of a "team". A real team like 1992 Chicago Bulls would probably beat them handily.

Second, the 1992 Dream Team don't know the rules well or how to defend the way today players play with the 3 point bombs. This is huge.


Even in soccer, this is why we see huge dip in quality between international teams and club teams. Yes it's fun to see the stars play together but they won't beat a real team.

[Gimmedarock]

Nets. Too many outside scorers. Other than Pippen, Jordan, & maybe Drexler, there’s not many athletic guys on the team. Ewing, Malone, & Barkley ain’t staying in front of anyone and they wouldn’t score enough.

[Airupthere]

Nets. Too many outside scorers. Other than Pippen, Jordan, & maybe Drexler, there’s not many athletic guys on the team. Ewing, Malone, & Barkley ain’t staying in front of anyone and they wouldn’t score enough.

You haven't even mentioned mullin who was a solid shooter/scorer.

Lol at barkley, for one, not being able to score enough. Did you see how old barkley played against prime duncan? No one in the nets would be stopping barkley. I imagine this game to be offense vs offense with the nets having the edge with 3s, 92 dream team will dominate the inside.

[FKAri]

If we are assuming The Dream Team have had no practice with modern rules, they could lose unless the Nets are especially cold from 3. There'd be too much fouling and frustration. Full zone for the first time in years for a lot of them and with players they aren't familiar with. Also, it would be a high tempo game. High scoring. I doubt The Dream Team would be in as good shape(no EPO back then-just sayin) as the modern team.

[3ball]

Nets. Too many outside scorers. Other than Pippen, Jordan, & maybe Drexler, there’s not many athletic guys on the team. Ewing, Malone, & Barkley ain’t staying in front of anyone and they wouldn’t score enough.


The Dream Team would be overwhelming athletically - Ewing, Robinson, Malone, etc were great athletes, defenders, and physical forces that the Nets can't match

But they have no clue how to defend today's offenses, which is necessary since they would be trying to outscore the Nets with two's.

Ultimately, it's a silly question to ask who would win without any preparation.. the Nets or another good team should win easily against an unprepared Dream Team.

but in subsequent series, the dream team would win and it would be massive blowouts.. everything is easier with spacing, so the dream team would be more dominant than ever once they learn the rules

[TAZORAC]

92 Dream Team didn't have enough 3 point shooting.

But they would win some games...92 dream team was loaded at PF and C position.

[SouBeachTalents]

One game, sure, anything can happen. But anyone thinking the Nets are beating the Dream Team in a 7 game series is delusional. I'm honestly shocked how many people are picking the Nets, even the retard above who said the Nets win in a sweep :lol

The '92 team would have enough perimeter defenders to throw at them (Jordan, Pippen, Stockton), enough outside shooting for decent spacing (Mullin, Bird, Stockton), and the Nets would have literally nobody to defend the likes of Jordan, Robinson, Barkley, Malone, Ewing etc. Plus considering their depth they could rotate their players and keep them fresh and rested throughout the game, while the Nets big 3 would have to all play 40+ minutes a game to even have a chance of being competitive, good luck with that with fragile guys like Durant & Kyrie

[dankok8]

It's laughable to think the current Nets could beat the 1992 Dream Team. Heck I don't think any team ever assembled could beat them. Nets are among the worst defenses in the league and they'll stop those guys? Come on...

[FKAri]

It's laughable to think the current Nets could beat the 1992 Dream Team. Heck I don't think any team ever assembled could beat them. Nets are among the worst defenses in the league and they'll stop those guys? Come on...

It's laughable to think otherwise. I guess we'll never know. Dream Team would have trouble guarding any all time great team. It takes time to become a good defensive team no matter the talent. Especially when trying to defend in the modern rule set where team defense overrides individual defense.

[Kblaze8855]

The 92 team would literally foul out on the perimeter just playing off ball D they were used to. They would have to adjust on the fly and likely concede an awful lot of baskets. Jordan could walk to the basket at will and offense in general would be hard to slow but they wouldn’t be nearly what they should be on defense.

The difference in what Jordan, Pippen, and Stockton would do off instinct in such a matchup and what the refs would allow is hard to overstate. The defense they played is literally illegal. They would rack up a few early fouls just figuring out what the line was.

The Nets could win just off the adjustment period. In an nba season?

The dream team would go 75-7 after a season to adjust....let Bird retire....cut Laettner...have the wings focus on shooting outside for an offseason. Ewing would likely become a stretch 5....but Drob starting since he could move his feet better.

An adjusted Dream team would be hard to deal with obviously. Magic in 92 form would still be godly as a point forward.

Stockton
Jordan
Pippen/Mullin
Barkley/Magic
Drob

As a starting point?

They wouldn’t win the way you’re used to seeing teams win now but it would be overwhelming transition baskets and shots at the rim. Mullin would make 12-15 threes one night. They would get every rebound.

They could put some mean switch everything defenses out there if they had to. They would be looking for an extra guard with some size but they would cruise to the title obviously.

Day one?

Nets would have the edge.

Its a pickup game with one side in a totally new environment with friendly officials and years playing the style the rules cater to.

Cant drop guys in who grew up posting up to survey they floor and call them for 5 second back to the basket violations and expect a comfortable transition.

Its a whole new game.

[tpols]

Today's 3-point strategy is the most effective brand under today's rules of open paints (defensive 3) and automatic penetration (hands off).

So the Dream Team would throw games away playing an inferior brand... And they can't just buckle down and "play basketball" to comeback and win - the rules don't allow it on defense, and offensively, the rules make a technique (threes and layups) more effective than actual basketball/sport (getting buckets with defenders in the way)

Ultimately, the Dream Team would destroy the Nets after getting used to the new format, because the format enhances great players - everything is easier with spacing

It would take the dream team a lot longer to learn to hit the 3 like some of the shooters of today. Players back then simply didn't grow up practicing the 3 a lot. You can't just summon that quickly.

[AlternativeAcc.]

Anybody who doesn't pick the nets in a blowout can't be taken seriously

It's literally not even close. Not even a debate.

[3ball]

It would take the dream team a lot longer to learn to hit the 3 like some of the shooters of today. Players back then simply didn't grow up practicing the 3 a lot. You can't just summon that quickly.


Drexler, Jordan, Stockton, Bird, and Mullin would instantly adapt to taking 5-10 threes per game no problem

But it would take a series or two for the team to learn the plays - to learn the X's and O's of where to stand on PNR's etc - they can't get that cold turkey.. nobody could

Ultimately, they would end up dominating in short order because the spacing would enhance them - everything is easier with spacing, aka Magic's passing with spacing would be something we've never seen before, and ditto Jordan's scoring..

[r0drig0lac]

it's a joke right?

[r0drig0lac]

One game, sure, anything can happen. But anyone thinking the Nets are beating the Dream Team in a 7 game series is delusional. I'm honestly shocked how many people are picking the Nets, even the retard above who said the Nets win in a sweep :lol

The '92 team would have enough perimeter defenders to throw at them (Jordan, Pippen, Stockton), enough outside shooting for decent spacing (Mullin, Bird, Stockton), and the Nets would have literally nobody to defend the likes of Jordan, Robinson, Barkley, Malone, Ewing etc. Plus considering their depth they could rotate their players and keep them fresh and rested throughout the game, while the Nets big 3 would have to all play 40+ minutes a game to even have a chance of being competitive, good luck with that with fragile guys like Durant & Kyrie

I don’t, watching and understanding are different things, the difference in talent is so big that it wouldn’t even be worth an real answer.

[Kblaze8855]

I don’t, watching and understanding are different things, the difference in talent is so big that it wouldn’t even be worth an real answer.


A team with Lebron, Kobe, Wade, Kidd and like 7 more all stars went to the wire with Pau, Marc, and 10 role players. Comfort disparity with a style of play can absolutely make up for a talent difference.

[r0drig0lac]

A team with Lebron, Kobe, Wade, Kidd and like 7 more all stars went to the wire with Pau, Marc, and 10 role players. Comfort disparity with a style of play can absolutely make up for a talent difference.

the difference in talent between the bigs in this hypothetical match is actually much greater than in the beijing duel, and that will make a difference quickly

[Reggie43]

Anybody who thinks the Nets dont get overwhelmed inside the paint in a 7 game series regardless of the rules just doesnt know basketball. Not sure if they actually win one honestly because thats Deandre Jordan and Jeff Green vs Drob/Barkley and then Ewing/Malone off the bench lol.

I get that most replies here are far from serious but thats blasphemy to think these goat level bigs are getting stopped easily.

[bladefd]

Pippen might be the best best possible defender for Durant (him or young Kevin Garnett). No one is going to shut KD down but he will defend Durant better whoever the Nets put on Jordan (probably Durant). Durant is the only Net that would be a real match for a DTeamer on the perimeter defensively. DeAndre Jordan might do better than he normally does guarding bigs that stay in the paint but in the end how do the Nets contain Jordan and how does their bench come anywhere near a team bringing HoFers off the bench?

Yeah, dream team 2nd team would be all hall of famers lol. Even if somehow the starting 5 nets could somehow match the firepower, what is the nets backups going to do against hall of famers? Every single player on that dream team was a star and automatic starter for any NBA team.

[FKAri]

the difference in talent between the bigs in this hypothetical match is actually much greater than in the beijing duel, and that will make a difference quickly

The bigs(especially Barkley's) entire game would be warped by the rule changes. You can't throw them into something that isn't normal basketball vs professional players and expect them to instantly adapt without so much as a practice. They'd at least need a half time to figure out how to adjust to what's happening out there(especially on defense but a half-time won't be enough time to fix their D). Imo that adjustment would be give the ball to MJ and the guards and get outta the way. The bigs would need to put their egos aside and play to dominate the offensive glass which they easily could do and earn their own offense that way. Then there's the change in defensive rules where the Dream Team would completely struggle to handle without fouling.

It would turn into a high scoring game where they'd need to keep the pace up and use the open court so they can avoid having to play half court defense as much as possible. And on half court offense they should run as much as they can through MJ. After all, the modern rules are designed in part to make MJ lite's look good. The real thing would dominate.

Maybe some of y'all should take a look back and see what prime Tim Duncan looked like in FIBA despite having a mini training camp and several practices.

[Kblaze8855]

the difference in talent between the bigs in this hypothetical match is actually much greater than in the beijing duel, and that will make a difference quickly


Tim Duncan plus 3 all star bigs hardly overwhelmed. They lost to a team with only one NBA big...and that was Darius Songalia. KG, Zo, and several other all star bigs only beat the same team by a single jumper.

Lithuania was a single shot from beating team USA in back to back olympics with teams loaded with stars who did not miraculously overwhelm them inside.

As I said....when you can take peak Kobe, MVP Lebron, peak Wade a Dwight who was in contention with all of them at the time for best player in the league....a point like Kidd....and then like 6 more stars....and go to the wire with Pau and role players(even Marc wasn’t in the nba yet and he took years to peak when he got here)?

Its time to stop pretending play style and rules can’t make up for massive talent differences. And the Nets have several players who talent wise could have started on the dream team itself.

It would be the smallest talent disparity ever faced by a team USA opponent and have one of the widest gaps between play styles and rules.

1992 fiba style is a lot closer to 92 nba style than 92 nba style to 2021 nba style.

The Nets would have both the most talented top of the roster a team USA ever played and the biggest advantage in familiarity with the play style.

This isn’t about which side is better at basketball. That wouldn’t necessarily decide it. That’s been made clear 50 times over by teams that shouldn’t have had a chance in the front or backcourt.

[Reggie43]

Knew this would come up lol. One team having Tim Duncan who was never an overwhelming athlete, another had KG who is not really physically imposing and the last team losing with somebody like Dwight is self explanatory.

All of those is far different from having Barkley, Malone,Drob, Ewing in your team. Let us not pretend that Deandre and Green magically stops those guys in the paint just because they are unfamiliar with the rules.

If the goal of the other team is to stop only one great bigman or athlete I could understand them being able to stop them like what happened to Tim Duncan/KG/Dwight but having four of them in the same team wont be stopped by a bad defensive team like the Nets.

Just off the frontcourt advantage they would win and thats not even adding the goat level backcourt.

The premise of the 1992 team losing is based on the guys failing to adapt to the new rules but basketball is just a simple sport at its core and expecting that some of the smartest players in basketball history wont be able to adjust on the fly in a 7 game series is laughable.

[hiphopanonymous]

This thread has had some great discussions so far - I like the two camps of thought here illustrating their points. I still don't know which side of the fence I'd lean on. On the one hand I do understand that the best teams execute and what they execute is what the coaches and analysts figured out what "works" (and that's based on rules as much as talent). Execution is a huge part of the game. Nets would out-execute the Dream Team in the ways that are most beneficial to this eras rules for sure. The Dream Team I'm sure had their own "plays" written up, not for this era but I'd bet they could build up a couple of plays to execute themselves that would still be effective with maybe some minor adjustments but could they execute enough to compensate for the refined modern Nets playbook / team? Good question. Also a good question if the Nets depth would have problems with the Dream team just constantly rotating throwing naturally great high IQ players at them. Like 10 of them are basically at Kyrie / Harden / KD levels and the rest of the nets drop off a cliff after those guys. Is their playbook going to be enough? Idk. Great discussion though good points and counterpoints being made here.

[ralph_i_el]

I have to think the dream team would control the boards very easily in this game. They would shoot 10-15 more shots every game.