Insert Outlandish Statement Here

As I head over to ESPN today to do my daily news gathering as well as hope that Bill Simmons may once again write an article, and not one about Boston, I notice that the headline is a comparison of the Dream Team vs. the Redeem Team. This is not the first time I've seen the article, but I have yet to read an actual breakdown. So I'll do one, keep in consideration that I'm basing most of the Dream Team analysis on the 90, 91, and 92 seasons, which is when most of the guys were in their prime.

Point Guards:

Magic Johnson and John Stockton vs. Chris Paul and Deron Williams.
I assume the Dream Team would play Stockton when Paul was on the court and Magic when Williams was in. Paul is better at drving to the basket and scoring, but Stockton was averaging a ridiculous 14 assists at the time. They are both on the All NBA Defensive Team and of similar heights. On a team of superstars, I might prefer Stockton's superior passing ability, but they are about equal. The reak advantage comes when Williams matches up with Magic. Williams' greatest asset is his size at point guard, which he uses to bully or simply shoot over smaller guards. Magic is 6'8". Williams' would be completely locked down on the offensive end. It would be interesting to see how Johnson would match up with a smaller, quicker Chris Paul. I personally see Stockton as a better match for him.

Advantage: Dream.

Shotting Guards:

Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler vs. Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade.
Michael Jordan would crush Kobe Bryant in every facet of the game, to the point where Kobe would feel the need to re-masculate himself in a Colorado hotel room (you decide what that means). I am so sick of hearing any conversation that remotely compares the two. Jordan was so far a superior scorer, but people rarely realize that because their points per game totals are similar. What people don't realize is that Kobe's peak FG percentage is around 45 while Jordan at his peak shot around 52 percent from the field. To put 7 percent in perspective, that's the difference between Kobe and Larry Hughes. Michael Jordan was one of the best defenders ever, Kobe is second on his team to a man named Sasha. Michael Jordan also makes his teammates a lot better. I'm not about to compare Scottie Pippen to Lamar Odom, but I will say that Odom has a lot of the tools (size, shooting touch, ability to play multiple positions) that Pippen had and I belive Jordan would at least make him a viable all-star candidate. Look at the 1997-98 Bulls, the greatest team ever. They had Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, and a ton of role players. You could possible even count Rodman as the greatest role player ever, the perfect rebound/defense man. Kukoc couldn't defend me, Luc Longley was a stiff, Ron Harper was about the same as this year's Derek Fisher, and nobody else has more than one dimension. That team was the best ever. Kobe had a top 5 center, a more dynamic third option than Kukoc, similar caliber role players, and couldn't make the finals all that interesting. So there's my rant. Drexler and Wade are about even, I don't really care that much about them.

Advantage: Dream Team

Small Forwards:
Scottie Pippen, Larry Bird, and Chris Mullin vs. LeBron James, Tayshaun Prince, and Michael Redd.
I'd like to see Pippen vs. Lebron. Lebron has an inch and 20 pounds on Scottie, but Scottie is a far superior defender and had a much more refined game. It would be good. And even if LeBron simply overpowered him, I expect Chuck Daly would switch Charles Barkley on to him and let's see what happens when LeBron tries to run him over (it's his only move). I'd be willing to bet it's something sneaky and painful. I don't think Prince could match up with Bird's 20, 10, and 7. Bird's game is simply too polished and he can come at you in so many different ways. Both Redd and Mullin are SG/SF combos who can drain from the outside. Mullin however was All NBA in '92 while Redd was a good scoring threat on an awful team.

Advantage: slight Dream Team.

Power Forwards:
Karl Malone and Charles Barkley vs. Carmello Anthony and Carlos Boozer.
It's funny, Malone going up the heir to his throne. They also both happen to be 6'9", put up nearly identical numbers, specialize in the pick and roll, and have had trouble reaching the summit. Barkley vs. Anthony would be another fantastic matchup. Anthony would try to take him outside, while Barkley would pound him in the post.

Advantage: None.

Centers:
Patrick Ewing and David Robinson vs. Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh.
The Dream Team has a small size advantage while the Redeem Team has a significant athleticism advantage. I think Howard wins his matchup against Ewing because of his freakish athleticism and leaping ability. A young David Robinson was a little better than Chris Bosh, but not that much.

Advantage: slight Redeem Team.

I feel that Dream Team was a better team, but it would be a good game. They have a bigger advantage in international play because the Dream Team featured better 3-point shooters, but we wouldn't play like that because you should get to play by your own rules when you invent the game. Kudos to the US Basketball team for bringing home gold, as well as all the other medalists who gave the US a 10 medal victory over a country that was cheating. Good day.