Was Colangelo out of his gourd?

Or could the 2012 team really stack up with what many call the Greatest team ever assembled?

One thing that has changed in recent time is the inclusion of role players.  Tayshaun Prince was on the 2010 National team, and the current team features Tyson Chandler.  While both are excellent defenders, their offensive skill sets pale in comparison to every one of the 92 members, Christian Laettner included…We could speculate all day why Laettner was included on the team instead of the fresh faced LSU underclassman Shaquille O’Neal, but our answers would include the fact that Laettner both graduated and led Duke to a National Title, so maybe speculation there is unnecessary.

The 92 team was not without its head scratchers.  I wrote an article for Bleacher Report in 2010 that racism may have been a deciding factor in choosing an All American white boy like Chris Mullin over the much better and proven Isiah Thomas or even Dominique Wilkins, but we’re again going to stray from the lack of inclusion issues with the 1992 team, because what it did feature was a cast of legends:

David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson (…and Christian Laettner).

Every single member of the 1992 team, with the sole exception of Laettner, is in the Hall of Fame.  All of them are included in the top 50 greatest players of all time.  As for whether the current team will include such a hallmark of resumes when everyone’s careers are completed is a matter of debate.

The 92 team also included the greatest player ever.  Michael Jordan’s excellence has been unequaled, and the closest thing the 12 team has to Jordan is Kobe Bryant.  What I fear is that Jordan could SHUT DOWN Kobe.  Jordan’s defense was equally as impressive as his offense, and even a prime Kobe would have trouble getting his usual array of shots off against a defender like MJ.

The 2012 roster includes: Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant, Tyson Chandler, Anthony Davis (The NCAA selection), Kevin Durant, Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James, Kevin Love, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Deron Williams.

Could any of those players step toe to toe with the guys in 92?  For starters, the lack of Dwight Howard would make neutralizing David Robinson and Patrick Ewing next to impossible.  Had Olajuwon participated, and not been a resident of Nigeria, I would fear for Dwight Howard’s life.  I wrote for Yahoo! that there’s just no way Howard could compare with the players of that era, and facing two of them in one game would give him fits.  It may be irrelevant with Howard not competing, but it needs to be considered, if you really want to even think a team like the 2012 team could match up down low.

Let’s try to look at this from a rational standpoint, comparing players on a per player basis:

92 Centers:  David Robinson & Patrick Ewing

2012 Centers:  Kevin Love & Tyson Chandler & Anthony Davis

Let’s be real:  Love and Chandler would have a lot of problems with Robinson and Ewing; both are far too talented offensively and Robinson has a tremendous speed advantage vs. them, and indeed any center in the modern era.  Robinson’s acumen facing up would give Love all he could handle to say the least, and Chandler would foul out in no time at all.  The 92 team is going to have a serious advantage on the blocks.  Davis would be all but shut down by the two legends.

92 Forwards:  Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, Christian Laettner, Karl Malone

2012 Forwards:  Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James

Think about this:  Bird, Barkley, and Malone are all probably in the top 25 players to have ever played. Pippen may even enter that realm in the eyes of many.

Chris Mullin would function primarily as a spot up shooter in any scenario with such a talented team, but the fact that Dominique Wilkins wasn’t on the team is another debate all for itself.

Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, and Blake Griffin are all dynamic scorers, but Pippen could give any of them headaches, and Griffin wouldn’t get to the rim as easy for rebounds with someone like Karl Malone boxing him out all of the time.  LeBron James is the one trump card here, because I think Pippen could potentially have trouble with The King, but who on the 2012 squad could cover Sir Charles?

Even with six forwards, and very good defenders like James and Iguodala, I have a lot of trouble believing the ’12 squad could do much defensively to slow the Dream Team.

92 Guards:  Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, John Stockton, Magic Johnson

2012 Guards:  Kobe Bryant, Eric Gordon, James Harden, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook

Jordan and Magic are almost unarguably two of the five greatest players ever to touch a basketball.  Kobe Bryant is in that realm, but Gordon, Harden, Paul, and Westbrook are nowhere close.  The best we could give any of them is Drexler and Stockton level, and even that is pushing it, to be sure.

Will Chris Paul ever equal Stockton in assists?  It’s possible, and he might get there in steals too, but why wouldn’t we go with what has already been proven?

Harden, Gordon, and Westbrook all have yet to reach their full potential, but I don’t see anyone other than Kobe being able to hold a candle to the guys on the 92 squad, and I don’t mean just Jordan and Magic.

Kobe is better than Stockton and Drexler, but he’s just not paired with the guards to compare these backcourts.

Overall, I think you see the 92 team is just superior in all aspects.  Is the 2012 team very good?  Yes, you bet your butt they are, but they just aren’t proven Hall of Famers, and many of them never will be.  They’ll romp through their competition, and the ultimate measure might not be in box scores anyway, since the competition globally in 1992 was just far weaker.  Teams like Italy, Argentina, Greece, Turkey, Serbia Montenegro, and many others have just amassed a world’s more talent in the last two decades, and the game has become more global.  So, of course the 2012 squad will be unable to replicate the lopsided scores the 92 team did.

But that isn’t proof of any equality.  The teams just don’t stack up, and I don’t believe players are any better today than they were 20 years ago.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure all of the members of the 2012 squad could have flourished then, too, but as I wrote in the Howard article for Yahoo!, I don’t believe all of their dominance would have been quite as pronounced, and for this reason, I have to favor that 1992 team as the greatest team ever assembled in sports, all sports.

Here we go:

1. Nene, C, Nuggets 

Nene is the prize of the 2011 free agent class. Nene is a plus defender that can score. This past season in 75 games played, Nene averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Nene is often labeled as an injury risk, but the veteran big man has only missed 12 games over the last three seasons. Playoff experience and the combination of offense and defense outweigh the downside of being 29 and on the verge of signing him to a long-term contract. Since capable centers are rare, expect many teams to be making a run at him.

2. Tyson Chandler, C, Mavericks

Chandler is coming off of a championship season and established himself as an elite defender by really taking his game to the next level during the post season. The Mavericks have to resign him if they hope to make another legit run at the title. The Mavs have made resigning him their number one priority, but all indications point to Chandler leaving town. The veteran defender is not getting any younger and has had his fair share of injuries over the years. However, he has proven that he can be what it takes to be that missing piece to the championship puzzle. In 74 games played this past season, Chandler averaged 10.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

3. David West, PF, Hornets 

The veteran former all star surely did benefit from the lockout and got a few extra months to allow his surgically repaired knee to heal. West is not short on scoring and his above average mid-range jumper helps GM’s feel better about signing him to a deal given his age. In 70 games played this season, West averaged 18.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

4. Marc Gasol, C, Grizzlies (restricted)

Gasol helped the Grizzlies reach Game 7 of the conference semifinals and would be the number one overall free agent if he weren’t restricted. Besides all that, he is now the number one Gasol in the league. The Grizzlies will have to shell out a lot of money and intend on matching offers to keep Gasol in Memphis for the long haul. At only 26 years old, Gasol has plenty of upside and is on the verge of becoming a superstar in his own right. In 81 games played this past season, Gasol averaged 11.7 points and 7 rebounds per game. Those numbers jumped up to 15 and 11.2 during the post season.

5. Jeff Green, F, Celtics (r)

Green has a tremendous amount of talent, but at what position? The ultimate tweener has plenty of scoring capabilities, but needs to work on his all around game in order to make a legitimate contribution on a nightly basis. All indications have Green returning to the Celtics and this seems to the perfect place for him to shine. In Boston, Green will not be counted on to start and can put up plenty of minutes either at guard or forward for the aging Green Team. In 75 games played this past season, Green averaged 13.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

6. DeAndre Jordan, C, Clippers (r)

Jordan is another player that would be rated much higher had he not have been restricted. He can block shots, rebound and play decent defense. While he is limited offensively, he could be extremely valuable to teams like Boston, New York, Miami or Dallas where he would not be counted on to score and can contribute in the areas where he excels. The Clippers are committed to matching offers, but just how high they plan to match is not known. In 80 games played this past season, Jordan averaged 7.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.

7. Kris Humphries, F, Nets 

(Insert joke about marriage here) All kidding aside, Humphries is a legitimate double double guy and a player worth taking a flier on in free agency. Bigs that can score and rebound don’t come around too often. Some say the numbers are inflated due to playing extended minutes on a bad team, but the kid can rebound and that is something teams will pay a lot of money for in any off season. In 74 games played this past season, Humphries averaged 10 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.

8. Thaddeus Young, F, 76ers (r)

Young can play a multitude of positions and his flexibility helped the rise of the 76ers this past season. Seen as more of a sixth man, the 76ers would be foolish to let him hit the open market. Still, at only 23, Young can score and rebound with the best of them and would be a valuable addition to just about any team looking to make run at the championship. In 82 games played this past season, Young averaged 12.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game averaging only 26 minutes played.

9. Grant Hill, F, Suns

Over the past three seasons, Hill has averaged at least 80 games played, 12.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. With the Suns looking to rebuild, Hill could be on the move. Hill may not be the dominating player he once was, but his experience and leadership qualities make him a valuable pickup for team looking to put together a complete all around club.

10. Glen Davis, PF, Celtics

Big Baby shined in Boston and the Celtics were able to get the most out of his ability. Davis is best suited to be the first man off the bench. Davis is capable of scoring; rebounding and providing the all around spark a team needs at times. Being that Davis is not seen as a starter in the league may hurt his chances in free agency, but a return to a team like the Celtics could be mutually beneficial. In 78 games played this past season, Davis averaged 11.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.