Who would've made the 1988 Dream Team and would they have been better than '92?

[FrodoBaggins]

Jordan
Bird
Magic
Barkley
McHale
Isiah

Can't be bothered looking up names & stats. I assume Malone and Stockton may have just broken out. Ewing, too. Dominique? Hakeem wasn't on '92, so he won't be on '88. James Worthy? How about Robert Parish? Kareem was kind of done by then, wasn't he?

[bonita_the_frog]

Larry Bird averaged 29.9 points per game in 1987-88, so i think 1988 would be the better Dream Team.

[FarBeyondDriven]

C - Olajuwon, Ewing, Malone
PF - Malone, Barkley, McHale
SF - Bird, Wilkins, Mullin
SG - Jordan, Drexler, Robertson
PG - Magic, Thomas, Stockton

yes, they'd be better since this was pre-injury Bird, in-prime Magic, youthful MJ and everyone else was younger

[NZB2323]

Starters:

Magic
Jordan
Bird
Barkley
Ewing

Bench:
Stockton
Drexler
Dominique
Malone
Malone

McHale
College player: David Robinson

I left off Isiah Thomas because **** him.

[NZB2323]

C - Olajuwon, Ewing, Malone
PF - Malone, Barkley, McHale
SF - Bird, Wilkins, Mullin
SG - Jordan, Drexler, Robertson
PG - Magic, Thomas, Stockton

yes, they'd be better since this was pre-injury Bird, in-prime Magic, youthful MJ and everyone else was younger

I agree about them being better with Bird in his prime, but it’s only a 12 man roster and Hakeem didn’t get American citizenship until 1993.

[GQ03]

C - Olajuwon, Ewing, Malone
PF - Malone, Barkley, McHale
SF - Bird, Wilkins, Mullin
SG - Jordan, Drexler, Robertson
PG - Magic, Thomas, Stockton

yes, they'd be better since this was pre-injury Bird, in-prime Magic, youthful MJ and everyone else was younger

I agree about them being better with Bird in his prime, but it’s only a 12 man roster and Hakeem didn’t get American citizenship until 1993.

Which helps explain why he wasn't on the '92 team. I get why they went with Laettner but it would've been cool if they could've had Shaq on that team instead.

[Blame Rasho]

Starters:

Magic
Jordan
Bird
Barkley
Ewing

Bench:
Stockton
Drexler
Dominique
Malone
Malone

McHale
College player: David Robinson

I left off Isiah Thomas because **** him.

I think the majority of the team would agree with the sediment about Thomas lol.

[MN7725]

C-Moses, Ewing, Daughterty
PF- Malone, Barkley, Mchale
SF- Bird, Wilkins, Worthy
SG- MJ, Drexler, Dale Ellis
PG- Magic, Thomas, Stockton

Would be better, Bird was so good

[RoyceDa59]

Bird and Magic were still in their primes, so yes.

[JimmyPlopper]

Starters:

Magic
Jordan
Bird
Barkley
Ewing

Bench:
Stockton
Drexler
Dominique
Malone
Malone

McHale
College player: David Robinson

I left off Isiah Thomas because **** him.

I think the majority of the team would agree with the sediment about Thomas lol.

I still don't get why he was so hated as a player. Maybe thats a me problem.

[bledredwine]

The 88 Dream Team would have been just ridiculous.

Peak Bird, Magic, Zeke and video game MJ? Yikes.

The question is, would Isiah really have destroyed the chemistry?

I don't think so at all. After the freeze out game, him and Jordan had major chemistry in the all star games.
It was sick to watch.

[Myth]

Starters:

Magic
Jordan
Bird
Barkley
Ewing

Bench:
Stockton
Drexler
Dominique
Malone
Malone

McHale
College player: David Robinson

I left off Isiah Thomas because **** him.

I think the majority of the team would agree with the sediment about Thomas lol.

Would they have already felt that way about him in 1988 though? Or did that hatred grow with their deep runs and championships, and behavior during those runs?

[Fencer reregistered]

The All-NBA teams were

1987-88

FIRST TEAM
• F: Charles Barkley, Philadelphia 76ers
• F: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
• C: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets
• G: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
• G: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers

SECOND TEAM
• F: Karl Malone, Utah Jazz
• F: Dominique Wilkins, Atlanta Hawks
• C: Patrick Ewing, New York Knicks
• G: John Stockton, Utah Jazz
• G: Clyde Drexler, Portland Trail Blazers

I see no reason to leave any of the 9 US citizens off the team.

A year later the all-NBA teams were

1988-89

FIRST TEAM
• F: Charles Barkley, Philadelphia 76ers
• F: Karl Malone, Utah Jazz
• C: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets
• G: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
• G: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers

SECOND TEAM
• F: Chris Mullin, Golden State Warriors
• F: Tom Chambers, Phoenix Suns
• C: Patrick Ewing, New York Knicks
• G: John Stockton, Utah Jazz
• G: Kevin Johnson, Phoenix Suns

THIRD TEAM
• F: Terry Cummings, Milwaukee Bucks
• F: Dominique Wilkins, Atlanta Hawks
• C: Robert Parish, Boston Celtics
• G: Dale Ellis, Seattle SuperSonics
• G: Mark Price, Cleveland Cavaliers

Add Parish to the 1988 dream team. Other natural bigs to add are McHale (despite the 1987 foot injury) and Danny Manning (if you want a college guy).

[HomoSapien]

I suspect there’s a chance Kareem, Parish, and McHale are on this team in part to reward their career achievements.

[Lalouie]

a healthy bird

[Collymore]

the better question is if the 88 dream team would have made the nba playoffs in 2025 with all the talent influx in the modern nba.

[picko]

I suspect there’s a chance Kareem, Parish, and McHale are on this team in part to reward their career achievements.

Kareem maybe, but the other two would only get a spot on their merits.

Giving Parish a career achievement spot would be the modern day equivalent of giving Dray a spot. And that's not the caliber of player you bend the rules for.

[Fencer reregistered]

the better question is if the 88 dream team would have made the nba playoffs in 2025 with all the talent influx in the modern nba.

No, that's a really bad question.

A better question is whether they would have lost any games in the playoffs on the way to their inevitable championship. I think the answer to that one is "Yes", but I'm not sure.

[bonita_the_frog]

the better question is if the 88 dream team would have made the nba playoffs in 2025 with all the talent influx in the modern nba.

SGA and his 8-27 shooting in Game 7 vs Indiana (what a defensive powerhouse!), and his 8 turnovers in Game 6...
The influx is lacking talent at the top.

A better question is whether they would have lost any games in the playoffs on the way to their inevitable championship. I think the answer to that one is "Yes", but I'm not sure.

Minnesota beat OKC by 42, so imagine what 1988 Dream Team would do to OKC

[Showtime 80]

the better question is if the 88 dream team would have made the nba playoffs in 2025 with all the talent influx in the modern nba.

SGA and his 8-27 shooting in Game 7 vs Indiana (what a defensive powerhouse!), and his 8 turnovers in Game 6...
The influx is lacking talent at the top.

A better question is whether they would have lost any games in the playoffs on the way to their inevitable championship. I think the answer to that one is "Yes", but I'm not sure.

Minnesota beat OKC by 42, so imagine what 1988 Dream Team would do to OKC

LOL looks like LeBald is posting on realgm

The modern NBA is in such a sad state they’re creaming themselves over an overrated bean pole like Cooper Flagg.

Just for an isolated example, 1993 Shaq who had the last truly dominant rookie season putting up 23 ppg on 56%, 14 rbs and 4 blk is literally 10 times the prospect this Flagg kid is and would destroy this present soft version of the NBA not only got left off the 1992 Dream Team but he also had to sit patiently until that generation was old or retired before even sniffing a title.

As far as OKC, any of the Lakers, Celtics, Sixers, Pistons and Bulls teams from the 80’s/90’s handles them in 5/6 games tops. I mean Shai in a Finals against Jordan, Magic, Bird or Isiah? He almost got handled by Halliburton and Siakam for crying out loud! Maybe a chance against the 90’s Rockets or Spurs when Chet is matching up against Olajuwon, Robinson and Duncan