Draymond Green is the latest to chime in on the 2024 Team USA vs. Dream Team debate. On the latest episode of the Draymond Green Show, the 34-year-old backed the current team to comfortably come out on top.
“This 2024 team are definitely drawing those comparisons to the Dream Team,” Green said. “And quite frankly, I’m taking the 2024 team seven days a week. I think the 2024 Team beats the Dream Team five out of seven games. Gotta give the Dream Team some respect. They got GOATs, we get it. They’ve got Hall of Famers, we get it.
“I just think the versatility on that team, the star power, the scoring, I don’t think the Dream Team can do anything with that,” Green continued. “Now, if the Dream Team had (Shaquille O’Neal) on it and not Christian Laettner, maybe a different story.
“And that’s why I don’t think the Dream Team could come close,” Green added. “I wouldn’t say come close, a 10-point loss. Double digits by 2024 Team USA, you can book it.”
“I think the 2024 Team beats the Dream Team 5 out of 7 games”
—@Money23Green is loving this @usabasketball squads’ depth and versatility pic.twitter.com/aiqF3MllIK
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) August 4, 2024
It is quite interesting how the perception regarding this 2024 team has changed in a week or so. The struggles in the exhibition games led to them being termed overrated and whatnot but now following three straight blowouts in the Olympics, they are being put on a pedestal.
I would give the current team the edge too, thanks to their skill, athleticism, and versatility. It would be a different story if Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were in their prime in 1992 but they weren’t. Also as Green mentioned, if Shaquille O’Neal was on that team, perhaps you’d tilt the scales in their favor, but Christian Laettner got the nod over him.
All that said, that 1992 team did have the likes of Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, Clyde Drexler, and Scottie Pippen, all in or near their prime, so the 2024 team won’t have it easy by any means. I think what ultimately ends up getting the current team over the line, is the three-pointer. The Dream Team just didn’t have too many long-range snipers, and that would probably end up being their downfall.
Paul Pierce Thinks 2024 Team USA Would Dominate The Dream Team
Green isn’t the only one to think that this current team would win fairly comfortably. Paul Pierce believes that 2024 Team USA would destroy the Dream Team.
“Larry Bird couldn’t play no more. He was done. Magic was done. So who is their best player? This team this year would dominate that team. Who’s gonna guard LeBron? Style of play would have been too much for this Dream Team. They couldn’t shoot the three! And who they have down low? They had David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and Charles Barkley and we could counter that with Embiid, Anthony Davis, and Bam. Who’s gonna guard Steph Curry? John Stockton?”
Pippen and Jordan would be tasked with guarding the likes of LeBron James and Stephen Curry, so they wouldn’t exactly have it easy. Shooting is the big problem, though, and with Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, and Bam Adebayo guarding the paint, it won’t be easy to score inside either. This would have been quite the fascinating matchup, though, and it’s a shame we will never get to see it for real.
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