96 Dream team vs All USA team today

[gouki88]

Do you mean if the Dream Team from '96 at their ages today versus the current squad? That still might be close.

If not, '96 is considerably better...obviously.

I want to see 50 year-old Shaq against Bam

[GreenEnvy]

1996 Dream Team Roster

Shaq,  David Robinson
Hakeem,  Barkley,  Malone
Pippen, Grant Hill
Reggie Miller, Mich Richmond
Gary Payton, John Stockton,  Penny Hardaway

Sans the SG position, those are some of the most talented players ever assembled. That frontcourt is absolutely ridiculous.

[Donoghus]

'96 Dream Team and probably in a sweep. 

That team was just ridiculously stacked.

[Roy H.]

'96 Dream Team and probably in a sweep. 

That team was just ridiculously stacked.

How soon until all of the 2021 bigs fouled out?

That team is literally unstoppable up front.

[RJ87]

Also in the running are

 Towns
Zion and Sabonis
Tatum
Booker and Beal
Trey young and Irving

Towns plays for the Dominican Republic.

The most talented bigs in the NBA today don't play for the US.

[Donoghus]

'96 Dream Team and probably in a sweep. 

That team was just ridiculously stacked.

How soon until all of the 2021 bigs fouled out?

That team is literally unstoppable up front.

It really is.  It's pick your poison with Hakeem, Shaq, & the Admiral.  Each can destroy you a different way.

Barkley/Zion would be fun to watch.

[boscel33]

1996 Dream Team Roster

Shaq,  David Robinson
Hakeem,  Barkley,  Malone
Pippen, Grant Hill
Reggie Miller, Mich Richmond
Gary Payton, John Stockton,  Penny Hardaway

The 1996 Dream Team is the second-best basketball team ever assembled behind only the 92.

https://clutchpoints.com/the-1996-dream-team-is-the-second-best-basketball-team-ever-assembled/

I take 96 in five.

[Moranis]

I have a hard time believing Shaq could guard out to the 3 point line (even slimmer 96 Shaq).  Same with older Hakeem and DRob.  Even Barkley and Malone would struggle staying with guys like Durant.  Now obviously the modern team would just have to throw bodies at Shaq, DRob, and Hakeem in the paint, but I think that is where someone like Dwight Howard could still be very effective.  And if the 96 team can have Hakeem, why can't the modern team have Embiid or Giannis?  Even without one of those guys, I wouldn't count this team out

PG - Curry, Lillard
SG - Harden, Butler, Brown
SF - Durant, Leonard
PF - James, Sabonis, Williamson
C - Davis, Howard

I think that team would handle itself pretty well.  The 3 point shooting would be a real problem for the 96 team as really only Miller, Richmond, and Stockton were good shooters from the old guys.  And the modern team would dominate the SG's and SF's on both ends of the floor. 

[Roy H.]

I have a hard time believing Shaq could guard out to the 3 point line (even slimmer 96 Shaq).  Same with older Hakeem and DRob.  Even Barkley and Malone would struggle staying with guys like Durant.  Now obviously the modern team would just have to throw bodies at Shaq, DRob, and Hakeem in the paint, but I think that is where someone like Dwight Howard could still be very effective.  And if the 96 team can have Hakeem, why can't the modern team have Embiid or Giannis?  Even without one of those guys, I wouldn't count this team out

PG - Curry, Lillard
SG - Harden, Butler, Brown
SF - Durant, Leonard
PF - James, Sabonis, Williamson
C - Davis, Howard

I think that team would handle itself pretty well.  The 3 point shooting would be a real problem for the 96 team as really only Miller, Richmond, and Stockton were good shooters from the old guys.  And the modern team would dominate the SG's and SF's on both ends of the floor.

I respect the attempt at being a contrarian, but Howard is hardly a good enough defender at this point to slow down any of the 96 Team's big men. 

And, no, Scottie Pippen would not be "dominated at both ends of the floor".

[gouki88]

I have a hard time believing Shaq could guard out to the 3 point line (even slimmer 96 Shaq).  Same with older Hakeem and DRob.  Even Barkley and Malone would struggle staying with guys like Durant.  Now obviously the modern team would just have to throw bodies at Shaq, DRob, and Hakeem in the paint, but I think that is where someone like Dwight Howard could still be very effective.  And if the 96 team can have Hakeem, why can't the modern team have Embiid or Giannis?  Even without one of those guys, I wouldn't count this team out

PG - Curry, Lillard
SG - Harden, Butler, Brown
SF - Durant, Leonard
PF - James, Sabonis, Williamson
C - Davis, Howard

I think that team would handle itself pretty well.  The 3 point shooting would be a real problem for the 96 team as really only Miller, Richmond, and Stockton were good shooters from the old guys.  And the modern team would dominate the SG's and SF's on both ends of the floor.

I respect the attempt at being a contrarian, but Howard is hardly a good enough defender at this point to slow down any of the 96 Team's big men. 

And, no, Scottie Pippen would not be "dominated at both ends of the floor".

Just ridiculous. Howard would be fouled out within 3 minutes.

[KG Living Legend]

 If you want to make one tweak to the 96 roster to combat the 3 point barrage. It's replace Glen Rice with one of the big men.

 Now you can have say

Hakeem
Glen Rice
Reggie Miller
Mich Richmond
Stockton

 If you need to space the court. The current team has no answer dot the 96s inside dominance.

[Roy H.]

 If you want to make one tweak to the 96 roster to combat the 3 point barrage. It's replace Glen Rice with one of the big men.

 Now you can have say

Hakeem
Glen Rice
Reggie Miller
Mich Richmond
Stockton

 If you need to space the court. The current team has no answer dot the 96s inside dominance.

I wouldn't bother.  Play to Team USA's strengths.  Shooting 60% inside is going to win over shooting 40% outside.  With a 12 man roster, the All-NBA team can't afford foul trouble.

[nickagneta]

I have a hard time believing Shaq could guard out to the 3 point line (even slimmer 96 Shaq).  Same with older Hakeem and DRob.  Even Barkley and Malone would struggle staying with guys like Durant.  Now obviously the modern team would just have to throw bodies at Shaq, DRob, and Hakeem in the paint, but I think that is where someone like Dwight Howard could still be very effective.  And if the 96 team can have Hakeem, why can't the modern team have Embiid or Giannis?  Even without one of those guys, I wouldn't count this team out

PG - Curry, Lillard
SG - Harden, Butler, Brown
SF - Durant, Leonard
PF - James, Sabonis, Williamson
C - Davis, Howard

I think that team would handle itself pretty well.  The 3 point shooting would be a real problem for the 96 team as really only Miller, Richmond, and Stockton were good shooters from the old guys.  And the modern team would dominate the SG's and SF's on both ends of the floor.

I respect the attempt at being a contrarian, but Howard is hardly a good enough defender at this point to slow down any of the 96 Team's big men. 

And, no, Scottie Pippen would not be "dominated at both ends of the floor".

1996 Grant Hill was a phenomenal player on the wing. He would not have been dominated on both ends either.

Gotta remember, that was pre-injury Grant who was putting up 20 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists a game while playing great defense.  Without that injury, Hill may have gone on to be a top 25-30 player all-time.

[gouki88]

I have a hard time believing Shaq could guard out to the 3 point line (even slimmer 96 Shaq).  Same with older Hakeem and DRob.  Even Barkley and Malone would struggle staying with guys like Durant.  Now obviously the modern team would just have to throw bodies at Shaq, DRob, and Hakeem in the paint, but I think that is where someone like Dwight Howard could still be very effective.  And if the 96 team can have Hakeem, why can't the modern team have Embiid or Giannis?  Even without one of those guys, I wouldn't count this team out

PG - Curry, Lillard
SG - Harden, Butler, Brown
SF - Durant, Leonard
PF - James, Sabonis, Williamson
C - Davis, Howard

I think that team would handle itself pretty well.  The 3 point shooting would be a real problem for the 96 team as really only Miller, Richmond, and Stockton were good shooters from the old guys.  And the modern team would dominate the SG's and SF's on both ends of the floor.

I respect the attempt at being a contrarian, but Howard is hardly a good enough defender at this point to slow down any of the 96 Team's big men. 

And, no, Scottie Pippen would not be "dominated at both ends of the floor".

1996 Grant Hill was a phenomenal player on the wing. He would not have been dominated on both ends either.

Gotta remember, that was pre-injury Grant who was putting up 20 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists a game while playing great defense.  Without that injury, Hill may have gone on to be a top 25-30 player all-time.

Yeah, Grant was really legit in the mid-90s. Hyper athletic point forward alongside Pippen, another hyper athletic point forward type. Pip was also shooting 5.2 threes a game at 37% from 95-97.

That's certainly not a wing duo to scoff at.

[JBcat]

As hard as it might be it could be fun to try and rank team USA teams from 1992 onward.

What this exercise shows is team USA has not been deep with elite centers and big men in a long time it seems.  The 96 team could throw out 2 elite big men out there at all times, and the current team would have no chance stopping them down low.

A sidenote Zion verses Barkley though an older Barkley at this point would be fun to watch.