1992 Dream Team

[Blues4Life]

The 1992 USA Dream Team

C David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Brad Daugherty, Robert Parish, Bill Laimbeer
PF Karl Malone, Dennis Rodman, Charles Barkley, Buck Williams, James Worthy, Kevin McHale
SF Scottie Pippen, Chris Mullin, Larry Bird, Dominique Wilkens, Bernard King
SG Michael Jordan, Joe Dumars, Clyde Drexler, Reggie Miller
PG Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, Kevin Johnson, Tim Hardaway, Terry Porter

College: Christian Laettner, Shaquille O'Neal

Ok the players selected are in bold and I've placed them in order that Chuck Daly wanted them back in around 1991. The most suprising thing to me was how highly he rated Rodman and Dumars, his own players on the Pistons that didn't end up making the team. Rodman was too one dimensial and Dumars was a shooter they wouldn't need if Mullin, Bird and Jordan played. Bird was unlikely to play at the team and explains why his rating was only third at his position.

If I could make one change to that team (keeping in mind one college player has to go), I'd obviously replace Laettner with Shaq. Wilkens was unlucky IMO but I don't think I could justify leaving Mullin or Pippen out over him. Thomas I'd leave out for chemistry reasons and to keep Jordan happy, and in the end Stockton went on to have a legendry career so it wasn't such a bad decision.

Would anyone change the team at all?

 

[hans moleman]

i don't think i'd change the team at all.

i think the biggest aberration at the time was thomas missing out - but you hit the nail on the head - i'm pretty sure jordan was a factor in keeping him off the team. oh, and stockton was already having a 'legendary' career at that point, having been the leader in assists per game for a while.
also, people thought pippen shouldn't have been there, but he deseverd his spot. laettner was the golden boy of college bball at the time so you can understand his selection.

btw, where'd you get this info?

 

[Portmanteau]

MJ for Buck Williams should just about do it.

 

[Blues4Life]

It's from a book called The Golden Boys, very very good read if your interested in how the team was picked and some really good player bios and Olympic game summaries.

Pippen was a tough one, he'd only really had one (or two??) good year(s) at the time, but Pip had an awesome playoff series against the Pistons who Daly was coaching at the time I guess that burned into his memory. Hardaway apparently would've been Magic's replacement if he wasn't fit to play, which would've hurt the longterm image of the team IMO (Hardaway = good, definetly not great though like the other Dreamers)

Laettner got picked because he played all those rep games for the USA junior teams, so I spose the committee thought he had earnt his spot over Shaq due to hisra work.

I agree, I don't think I'd change the team except for Laettner.

 

[coxon]

i.thomas over s.pippen...

 

[Blues4Life]

Originally posted by coxon
i.thomas over s.pippen...

But Thomas over Jordan? I spose that was the ultimate question they considered. If there was no bs between them I'd say Thomas over Mullin.

 

[Portmagpies]

There's an extremely strong case to be made for Isiah.

Only Magic, Michael and Larry had better careers.

 

[Blues4Life]

Originally posted by Portmagpies
There's an extremely strong case to be made for Isiah.

Only Magic, Michael and Larry had better careers.

I agree, though thats why retrospective is a great thing. Though IMO only championships seperates Thomas from Barkley, Malone and Stockton, and you could've made a strong case for one of them to grab a title back in 1992.

 

[jod23]

Isiah Thomas deserved a spot. Everyone in the basketball world knew he deserved a spot. The only reason he didnt get a spot was because of his fued with MJ. MJ being the god of basketball, it was obvious he was going to get the nod. Bad luck for Isiah. He shouldnt have frozen MJ out of that All Star game....

If I could change the team, only one change needs to be made. Isiah Thomas for John Stockton.