Picking the Perfect Team USA Roster: Who Would Be on Today's Dream Team?
Let's me be bluntly honest for a moment. There will never be another "Dream Team".
There can be a "Redeem Team", a "Supreme Team", or an "'Anything else that rhymes with team' team". But never another "Dream Team".
The United States' 1992 "Dream Team" was not just about the talent on the floor or the team's overall dominance.
The Dream Team's main significance was its worldwide cultural impact. It was about having opposing players walk up to members of the "Dream Team" and asking for autograph’s moments after being pounded by 50 points. It was about making basketball "cool" in countries where children never considered playing organized basketball. Most importantly, it was about showing developed countries how to play basketball the right way.
Now, there are more youth basketball associations worldwide than ever before. There are better international players than ever before. In fact, the state of basketball (the NBA's collective bargaining agreement notwithstanding) has never been in a better place worldwide.
And this cultural phenomenon was all sparked by the 1992 "Dream Team".
So when I say there cannot ever be another "Dream Team", I do so not because the1992 team's talent was too great to ever replicate, but because no team will ever make another cultural impact the way the "Dream Team" did.
With that said, I am just as obsessed as any other basketball fan with attempting to replicate the dominance of the 1992 Olympic squad.
Could we create a team of current NBA players who could defeat the "Dream Team"?
Well, I'm here to try.
Here is my attempt to create the "Dream Team" in 2010....
PG: Chris Paul (Starter)
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Some will lament the choice of Paul over Williams as Team USA's starting point guard following CP3's sub-par 2009-2010 campaign and Deron's season-long brilliance. Regardless, penciling Paul in as Team USA's starting point guard is a no-brainer to me.
He showed an undeniable bond with the pillars of the national team in Beijing and was truly the preferred point guard by the end of the 2008 Olympics. Paul's (nearly) undeniable status as basketball's second best passing point guard (behind Nash, of course) makes him a perfect fit as the distributor on a team filled with scorers and athletic freaks.
Finally, and most importantly, Chris Paul is simply a better player than Deron Williams.
Don't get me wrong—I love Deron. But look at Deron's "breakout" season compared to Paul's "down" season in 2009-2010:
Williams: 18.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 10.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 3.3 TOPG
Paul: 18.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 10.7 APG, 2.1 SPG, 2.49 TOPG
Am I crazy or does Paul's injury-riddled campaign compare favorably to Williams' season which seemingly vaulted him into the NBA elite?
I know stats only tell half of the story, but when stats and the seeing eye tell me Paul is the better player, I don't see how anyone (other than some angry Jazz fans) can argue with Paul as Team USA's starting point guard.
PG:Deron Williams
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After spending the last slide seemingly degrading Williams, it seems disingenuous to praise Williams in this section.
But, really, I feel like the previous slide is more of a testament to Williams' improvement than a critical appraisal of him as a player.
Let's put it this way: If I told you a year ago that Chris Paul would be my choice for starting point guard of Team USA, most responses would boil down to two words, "No s---".
One year later I have to write multiple paragraphs explaining myself, all while dodging rotten tomatoes hurled at me by angry Mormons.
Regardless, there is no arguing that Deron Williams currently holds the (back-handed) title of best backup point guard in the world.
And that puts Team USA in a beautiful place.
PG:Derrick Rose
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Rose was my last and most questionable addition to the team.
Many could argue that with LeBron James' ball handling ability and two superstar point guards already on the Team USA roster, that this spot is best suited for a gunner—such as Golden State's Steph Curry, Portland's Brandon Roy, or even the Clippers' Eric Gordon.
My argument (as you will see later) is that Team USA already has a super-gunner, so adding a stationary three-point stroker would be redundant.
Rose provides an excellent insurance policy for Paul and Williams, is an above average defender, and is athletic enough to vacillate between both guard positions whenever needed.
That combined with Rose's assumed position as starting point guard and his place one of the pillars for the 2016 Olympic team place him easily on my Dream Team roster.
(Even though I agree with the Blazer fans who will argue that Roy is the better player right now.)
SG: Kobe Bryant (Starter)
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If you ask me in two years whether I want Dwyane Wade or Kobe Bryant as the starting two-guard for Team USA, my answer may be different.
Regardless, despite semi-hypocrisy with the Derrick Rose pick, this is a list of who would be on the Dream Team right now—not two years from now.
Bryant was the obvious leader and crunch-time scorer of the 2008 Olympic gold medal team, commands respect in the huddle based on his handful of rings, and is a favorite of Team USA Coach Mike Krzyzewski—a feeling which Bryant reciprocates.
Problems may arise in 2012 when a 34 year-old Bryant is coming to grips with a reduced role on the new Team USA, but if you ask me to start a Dream Team from scratch for today Bryant is my No. 1 pick.
SG:Dwyane Wade
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Semi-shocking fact: Beijing's Super-Sixth Man will be 30 years-old by the beginning of the 2012 Olympics in London.
And, as anyone with two eyeballs can attest, Dwyane's style of play isn't exactly conducive to longevity.
I have always looked at Allen Iverson as a model for Wade's long-term longevity. Both play a balls-out, anything to win style. Both rely heavily on their dashing speed to work their way into the paint. Both have questionable (at best) long range.
All of those similarities, Wade's already moderately lengthy injury sheet, and Iverson's precipitous skill decline make me think Dwyane's career may only have another three-five years of greatness.
All reservations about Wade's longevity aside, he's the third best player in the NBA and is an absolute no-brainer for any "Dream Team".
SF:LeBron James (Starter)
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America's basketball villain is far and away the easiest choice for the team.
It's become inherently obvious with LeBron's choice to take his talents to South Beach and Adrian Wojnarowski's column in the aftermath that LeBron James needs leadership in his life, that he has no MJ-like killer instinct.
Best player in the world? Possibly.
Leader? Absolutely not.
That's partially why Kobe's presence is so important for Team USA. If there is no Kobe, LeBron becomes the de facto leader—and we don't want that.
We want the Magic and Doctor J hybrid that takes control of games, but also knows when to cede power—not the all-powerful LeBron that the Cavs franchise allowed James to become in his final Cleveland years.
Despite his personality flaws, LeBron could very well hold the key to Team USA's success in London. But if I'm building a Dream Team for 2010, I still want the keys in Kobe Bryant's hands.
SF: Kevin Durant
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When listening to ESPN.com's Bill Simmons' B.S. Report Podcast, Simmons asked former Suns GM Steve Kerr an interesting question, "Has Kevin Durant surpassed [Dwyane] Wade (as third best player in the NBA)?"
My answer is no—for now.
Durant's dribbling, decision making, and defense leave enough to be desired that I would still choose Wade over KD.
Regardless, Durant's deficiencies as a player suit him perfectly for a role as Team USA's super-gunner. His shooting prowess is better than former Team USA gunner Michael Redd's. He's a better player than all three aforementioned potential gunners (Brandon Roy, Steph Curry, Eric Gordon). He doesn't need the ball in his hands to score. He's explosive enough to where he could carry the entire team if needed.
Durant, for all intents and purposes, is perfect for the role of ultimate gunner.
We will see in the World Championships how he does as a leader on the world stage.
SF: Carmelo Anthony
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For some reason (to me at least) it seems as if Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony is massively underrated by the general public.
Following a scorching-hot start to last season, it seemed as if Melo had finally reached his full potential and was ready to enter the lexicon of top five players in the NBA.
However, after tapering off slightly statistically (Melo still scored over 28 points per game) and Denver failing in the playoffs in coach George Karl's absence, it seems as if the general public once again places Anthony in the "good, but not that good category."
Of course Anthony is not as good as LeBron, Kobe, D-Wade, or Dwight. We know that. But it seems incredible to me that a player who was criticized for having a brash bravado and a me-first attitude early in his career now seemingly (outside of Knicks rumors) lives a subdued life in the NBA rumor mill.
Melo is one of those players that I want to learn more about and could talk all day about, so I'll save more thoughts on him for a future column.
All random tangents aside, Melo's place on this "Dream Team" is basically the same as it was during Team USA's 2008 Olympic run.
PF: Chris Bosh (Starter)
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Power forward is the one position where I feel the United States does not possess a massive advantage over the competition. One could argue that both Spain's Pau Gasol and Germany's Dirk Nowitzki are far better suited for the Euro style (mainly because both played it extensively in their youth) than any U.S. starter.
Regardless, my main criticism of Bosh is a trait that many of his fellow European counterparts possess—a lack of back-to-basket toughness and defensive indifference.
Gasol is the only European forward I can see muscling Bosh with any success. However, that changes if Bosh shifts over to the center position—something he did regularly during the 2008 Olympics.
Overall, having one of the world's three best power forwards being the biggest weakness of your team is not something to complain about.
PF: Amar'e Stoudemire
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Stoudemire's last foray into international competition was starkly in the middle of the darkest period in USA Basketball history (2002-2006).
Now six years removed from Athens, Stoudemire seems to once again be on Team USA's radar for the 2012 Olympics in London.
And if Stoudemire's second half of the 2009-2010 season is any indication, Amar'e seems like one hell of a choice.
Following constant trade rumors that persisted throughout the first half of the season, Amar'e flung into action during the team's second half and was the main reason for Phoenix's Western Conference Finals appearance.
Despite that, I waffled on the Stoudemire choice because he, like the aforementioned Chris Bosh, lacks any defensive tenacity. Calling them turnstiles is an insult to ever man who has accidentally hit their junk on a turnstile and collapsed in pain.
Regardless, I am a big believer that leadership dictates toughness, and Coach K is a stickler for defensive awareness.
Therefore, Amar'e barely makes the cut over Al Horford.
C: Dwight Howard (Starter)
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The two-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year and world's best center is another no-brainer pick for this fictional "Dream Team".
He provides a defensive presence to a team whose toughness I have been criticizing throughout the article, gives Team USA an unbelievable athletic advantage, and bullies weaker European centers.
There's really nothing more to say than I'm glad he will be wearing the red, white, and blue in London in 2012 (barring injury).
C: Andrew Bynum
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As is always the case with Bynum, his presence on a "Dream Team" is really more of a health concern than a skill concern.
When healthy, Bynum is one of the best defensive centers in basketball, an excellent rebounder, and an improving post scorer.
The problem is, Bynum can never stay healthy long enough for Team USA executives to see him perform on an international stage.
Could Bynum stay healthy long enough to go through the rigors of a 100 game Laker season, then an entire Olympic tournament? History says no.
However, if Bynum cures his injury bug between now and 2012, Coach K may have found the elixir for the "Oh damn, we have to put Bosh at center" problem.
