Dream Team documentary

[Elliotte Friedman]

LTL,

As I was reading the thread, was going to defend the Laettner selection for the same reasons you did. But I couldn't have done it anywhere near as eloquently.

 

[Starman]

1) They did not need a college player; once the amateurism bull**** was flushed down the ****bowl of history where it belonged all along, no college player should have ever have been allowed within miles of an Olympic team, except maybe to fetch towels.

1a) If for whatever self-flagellating bull**** reason it was deemed necessary to have a college player, it should have been Shaq.

2) The best choice to coach that team would have been Paul Westhead.

3) The "select team" didn't beat the Dream Team. They outscored them by 10 points over a 10-minute stretch, after which the Dream Team ran off about a 50-15 run.

 

[Armchair_QB]

****, I forgot Shaq was still in college then. He would have been the best choice.

 

[LongTimeListener]

LTL,

As I was reading the thread, was going to defend the Laettner selection for the same reasons you did. But I couldn't have done it anywhere near as eloquently.

Thanks. It's weird -- due to a combination of Duke-hate (of which I have my share), Grant Hill getting so much better and other college contemporaries (Shaq, Webber) far surpassing him as pros, a lack of appreciation for Laettner's career has developed. He has become thought of as a product of the system mostly, a perception that grows with each successive overrated white Dookie. But the guy was just nails when it counted. I'm a little too young to have seen Walton in college, but in the post-UCLA era I don't think there is anyone within 10 feet of Laettner as a college player.

Of course, as it related to the Dream Team, they could have put me on the team without upsetting the competitive balance. But I didn't mind that little nod to ceremony and tradition.

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

Paul Westhead?

 

[JC]

Paul Westhead?

Yeah, not so sure about that. You had Jackson, Daley and Riley available and you wanted Westhead?

 

[Armchair_QB]

Paul Westhead?

Yeah, not so sure about that. You had Jackson, Daley and Riley available and you wanted Westhead?

I think is point is Westhead's teams played like he rolled the ball out and let them play.

 

[Starman]

When you are finally allowed to load all your cannons after being forced to shoot BBs for 50 years, you should hire somebody who will use all his ammunition.

 

[LongTimeListener]

It was quite the national embarrassment winning the gold medal game by only 32 points. Closest game of the tournament so you can tell the team was really hitting the wall.

 

[Starman]

The Dream Team should never have scored fewer than 200 points or won a game by less than 100 points.

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

Starman,

Seriously, this is worse than some of your vigilante justice rants.

 

[ColdCat]

The Dream Team should never have scored fewer than 200 points or won a game by less than 100 points.

I blame Bush.

I blame Laettner

 

[Starman]

Ever since the competition has been opened to pros, the primary objective of USA Basketball has been to shave points: to win, but not by enough points anybody's feelings get hurt.

Predictably enough, this has resulted in keeping games close enough so the US can get beat by opponents who suddenly go on a hot-shooting streak, or when the three members of the opposing team wearing gray shirts and whistles decide it's their turn to make about a 15-point difference in the final minutes of close games.

If you're ahead by 60 points, none of that **** matters.

 

[buckweaver]

Forget it, he's rollin'. :D

One quibble:

3) The "select team" didn't beat the Dream Team. They outscored them by 10 points over a 10-minute stretch, after which the Dream Team ran off about a 50-15 run.

Outscored them by 8 (62-54) over 20 minutes, not 10.

And no, the Dream Team did not run off anything immediately afterward. According to Magic, Daly stopped practice to let it sink in and wouldn't allow another scrimmage that day.

By all accounts, it was the wakeup call they needed. The next scrimmage probably was 50-15. But it wasn't the same day.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

It was quite the national embarrassment winning the gold medal game by only 32 points. Closest game of the tournament so you can tell the team was really hitting the wall.

Croatia wasn't a slouch, in spite of Kukoc getting crushed. Petrovic was somewhat thought of as the one player in the whole tournament who wasn't intimidated by the U.S. (He had 19 points in the first loss, and 24 in the gold medal game), and they had Dino Radja as well.

Forget it, he's rollin'. :D

One quibble:

3) The "select team" didn't beat the Dream Team. They outscored them by 10 points over a 10-minute stretch, after which the Dream Team ran off about a 50-15 run.

Outscored them by 8 (62-54) over 20 minutes, not 10.

And no, the Dream Team did not run off anything immediately afterward. According to Magic, Daly stopped practice to let it sink in and wouldn't allow another scrimmage that day.

By all accounts, it was the wakeup call they needed. The next scrimmage probably was 50-15. But it wasn't the same day.

Yeah, I remember something about that. The talk was that the "Select team" the U.S. was leaving behind was the second best team in the world. If I remember right, Bobby Hurley was on the team.

 

[Della9250]

The select team was: Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Allan Houston, Bobby Hurley, Jamal Mashburn, Eric Montross, Rodney Rogers and Chris Webber.

Considering an Olympic roster would have four more players needed and Laettner would have been one, the other three spots could have gone to Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Jimmy Jackson.

Would have been fun to see that group at the Olympics.

 

[Stoney]

The select team was: Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Allan Houston, Bobby Hurley, Jamal Mashburn, Eric Montross, Rodney Rogers and Chris Webber.

Considering an Olympic roster would have four more players needed and Laettner would have been one, the other three spots could have gone to Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Jimmy Jackson.

Would have been fun to see that group at the Olympics.

If you've got Shaq, Zo and Laettner, then there's no need for Montross. Leave the big stiff at home and given that spot to someone like Glenn Robinson, Calbert Cheaney or Jalen Rose instead.

Don't think we needed the pros that year, that would've been the best amateur roster in a long ass time. Looking back, it's amazing how many legit stars were in college basketball that year. We could never dream of fielding an amateur roster like that in today's one and done early entry era.

 

[JackReacher]

Anyone know if you can buy a box set DVD collection of the Dream Team games? Qualifying and Olympics? I had a few of them recorded on VHS back in the day, but we all know how useful they are.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Anyone know if you can buy a box set DVD collection of the Dream Team games? Qualifying and Olympics? I had a few of them recorded on VHS back in the day, but we all know how useful they are.

I too would be interested if this exists.

 

[Della9250]

Shocking, I know, but Peter Vecsey hates the Dream Team sight unseen.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/nets/dream_team_not_worth_glorifying_6WVVJS8tn3tmCFDaYxUMjJ