NBA Predictions: Could 2012 Olympic Roster Be Better Than 1992 Dream Team?

The 20 finalists for the 12-man USA national team roster have been announced, and the speculation on which 12 players will make the final cut is in full effect.

While we unfortunately have to wait until June 12 to find out who will make the cut, it's never too early to start comparing the current Olympic roster to the original 1992 "Dream Team."

Let's start off by saving USA Basketball some time by selecting the 12-man roster for the USA National Basketball Team for it.  Here's the unofficial 12-man USA roster (starting five are in bold).

(PG)  Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)
(SG)  Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)
(SF/SG)  Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder)
(SF)  LeBron James (Miami Heat)
(C)  Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)
(PG)  Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers)
(SG)  Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat)
(SF)  Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks)
(SF)  Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies)
(PF)  Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers)
(C)  Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves)
(C)  LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trailblazers)

The one word that comes to mind describing that roster is "epic," but does that potential roster have the potential to be more epic than the original "dream team"? The 1992 team of NBA superstars went on to beat all other Olympic competition by an average margin of 43.8 points.

While conventional wisdom tells us there's no way any team of NBA players will ever be able to replicate that kind of performance, I say that this year's 12-man roster surely stands a chance.

Let's compare the positional matchup between the 1992 dream team and the potential 2012 roster to see which group of NBA stars gets the advantage.

(PG) Derrick Rose vs. (PG) Magic Johnson

It's not fair to compare the young Derrick Rose to the Hall of Famer Magic Johnson at this point in his career.  Magic gets the advantage here over almost every player on the potential 2012 roster, mainly because he's the most versatile player on the roster.  Magic could technically play any position needed of him, and that's what makes him so dangerous.   

Advantage: 1992 Dream Team.

(SG) Kobe Bryant vs. (SG) Michael Jordan

This one could really go either way, based on whom you're a fan of.  Personally, I have to give Jordan the slight edge, simply because he's a little bit more of a complete player than Kobe, averaging more rebounds and assists in his career. 

Advantage: 1992 Dream Team.

(SF/SG) Kevin Durant vs. (SF) Larry Bird

Here's another matchup that is extremely close, with both players being two of the purest scorers to ever play the game, but the push goes once again to the more complete player, which is Larry Bird.  Larry Bird averaged a double-double (24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG) for his career, which results in:

Advantage: 1992 Dream Team.

(SF) LeBron James vs. (PF) Charles Barkley

While this comparison isn't necessarily fair because both players play different styles of game, the clear advantage goes to LeBron James, who is more athletic and more explosive than Barkley.  LeBron is shockingly slightly larger than Barkley and is yet more versatile than Barkley as well.   

Advantage: 2012 USA Team.

(C) Dwight Howard vs. (C) Patrick Ewing

Another matchup that is difficult to pick because both players are similar.  Patrick Ewing has a more polished jumper, but Howard is freakishly athletic, which is something you just can't teach.  The advantage here goes to Dwight Howard based on his ability to overpower players in the paint.   

Advantage: 2012 USA Team.

(PG) Chris Paul vs. (PG) John Stockton

No disrespect to John Stockton, but Chris Paul is the more complete point guard and easily gets the nod here.  Paul is a more elite scorer than Stockton and he is just about as lethal as an assists man as Stockton, which makes him that much more of a complete player.   

Advantage: 2012 USA Team.

(SG) Dwyane Wade vs (SG) Clyde Drexler

Here's a matchup that could go either way, because while Wade and Drexler are similar players, Drexler is slightly more athletic and Wade is a slightly better shooter.  Ultimately, this matchup comes down to who is the better pure scorer, and that is Dwyane Wade.   

Advantage: 2012 USA Team.

(SF) Carmelo Anthony vs. (SF) Chris Mullen

Chris Mullen made his living by being one of the best shooters in the NBA, with a career average of 50.2 percent.  The one thing Mullen never had, though, was the athleticism that other players during his day had, and that is what gives Carmelo Anthony the advantage. Anthony also happens to be a more complete scorer.   

Advantage: 2012 USA Team.

(PF) Blake Griffin vs. (PF) Karl Malone

This matchup is as close as it gets.  Two power forwards who made/make their living by overpowering other players and relying on their athleticism.  Karl Malone gets the advantage here because of his increased offensive polish, which Griffin has yet to add to his game.  I'd love to see these two power forwards battle it out.   

Advantage: 1992 Dream Team.

(C/PF) Kevin Love vs. (C) David Robinson

Love vs. Robinson isn't necessarily a fair comparison because both players play different styles of the game, but ultimately this matchup goes to Kevin Love because of his insane versatility and ability to create mismatches that he brings to the court.  Kevin Love can spread the floor like no other center in the NBA, including past greats like David Robinson.   

Advantage: 2012 USA Team.

(SF) Rudy Gay vs. (SF) Scottie Pippen

Rudy Gay is an athletic small forward who hasn't really reached his true potential yet, unlike Scottie Pippen, who developed into a complete player during the prime of his career.  Pippen gets the nod here because he's a more polished passer and player in the transition game than Gay is.   

Advantage: 1992 Dream Team.

(C) LaMarcus Aldridge vs. (PF) Christian Laettner

Here's another matchup that might not be completely fair, because Laettner and Aldridge are different players, but there's no doubt that Aldridge is the more athletic and slightly more complete player here.  The major difference maker between these two players is Aldridge's defensive presence, which gives him the advantage.   

Advantage: 2012 USA Team.

So there you have it, the unofficial 2012 USA team gets the nod (7-5) here when it comes to each individual player on the roster, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the 2012 team as a whole can perform at a higher level than the classic 1992 Dream Team.

One of the major reasons why many believe no USA Olympic team will ever have the same success as the dream team is because of the increased talent coming into the NBA out of different countries that USA competes against in the 2012 Olympic Games.

The other countries are more prepared for the incredible talent on the USA roster and the overall gap in competitiveness is being minimized by the international players that are finding their way into the NBA.  Out of any USA rosters in the past, the talent that is vying for the 12-man 2012 USA roster has the potential to be one of the most athletic and transition focused teams in recent memory, which is one of the main facets of the 1992 Dream Team that made it stand apart so much from its competition. 

While we'll ultimately have to wait until late July for the start of the 2012 Olympic Games in London to see what the current "dream team" is made of, there's no doubt the talent, youth and athleticism that could make the roster gives us plenty of reason to be excited.

Weigh in with your opinion in the comment section below, on whether or not you think any USA team will ever be capable of achieving the dominant success of the 1992 Dream Team, and whether or not you think the 2012 USA team has any chance of achieving that level of success.

Thanks for the read. Follow me on Twitter @peteremerick.