The buzz around the Team USA Men’s Basketball roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics continues to make headlines. The star power and depth of the squad have drawn comparisons to the legendary 1992 Dream Team. Amidst the growing debates, Draymond Green recently shared his thoughts on the two squads.
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On The Draymond Green Show, the 34-year-old picked the current roster over the Dream Team without hesitation. Despite acknowledging the prowess of the ’92 roster, the Golden State Warriors star argued that they couldn’t match up to the 2024 squad.
However, he also mentioned how a single change could completely alter this dynamic, saying:
“The 2024 team beats the Dream Team five out of seven games… The versatility on that team, the star power, the scoring.. don’t think the Dream Team can do anything… Now, if the Dream Team had Shaq on it and not Christian Laettner, may be a different story. And that’s why I don’t think the Dream Team… I wouldn’t say come close… A ten-point loss. Double digits”.
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Green‘s statement revealed all aspects of the debate. The Dream Team, for instance, was unparalleled during their time. This roster, filled with Hall of Famers, NBA champions, and All-Stars, won all their games on the way to securing the gold medal.
Moreover, they scored over 100 points in each game, maintaining an impressive 44-point average winning margin throughout the competition.
Despite the Dream Team’s one-sided dominance, the 2024 Team USA arguably has a more well-rounded roster. After all, the current players possess more polished skills and seem better prepared to face tougher opposition.
This was evident from their recent results, where they scored over 100 points in group-stage games against Serbia, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico.
As a result, the argument could have been more balanced had Shaquille O’Neal been part of the ’92 roster instead of Christian Laettner. The latter, after all, was not a key part of the team’s game plan, as reflected by his average game time of just 7.6 minutes.
A young Shaq in his place would have made more sense, given that he was a higher-rated college prospect than Laettner back then. The difference in their skill sets became even more apparent when The Diesel won the 1993 Rookie of the Year award over the New York-born.
