Basketball On The Internet.

LOOK out! Here comes the latest iteration of the USA national men's team for the Paris Olympics, already being proclaimed the greatest assemblage of talent since their untouchable 1992 Dream Team. But Kevin Durant predicting this new "Redeem Team" wants to win by 40-50 points? Good luck with that. 

We all have things we want. Our own Boomers boys are wanting a medal at these Games. LeBron James wants to stay forever young. I want to win a $20million lottery.

All lovely "wants" but matching the Dream Team? Come on KD.

Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, John Stockton (plus the answer to the trivia question)? They won by a heartbeat under 44 points per game in Barcelona.

That was - and until something extraordinary happens in Paris - remains the greatest Team of all time.

USA 2024 is LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns), Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics), Kawhi Leonard (L.A. Clippers) and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics).

Not disputing it - this is a mighty strong team. But in 32 years time, will you be able to name them all in the way the people wowed by the Dream Team can still rattle off that roster?  

Come on now, the rest of the world was a million miles behind the NBA pros in 1992.

Paris is more than three decades later and no-one playing there will want to be posing for photographs and autographs before, during or after the game with members of this US team.

Plus back then, there was no-one in the NBA such as Nikola Jokic or Giannis Antetokounmpo winning league and Finals MVP awards. Or a Luka Doncic scaring the bejeezus out of every defence in the NBA.

At the Paris Games, the US is in Group C, so far with Serbia and South Sudan. The group will be completed by the winner of the qualifying tournament from Puerto Rico where Bahrain, Cote d'Ivoire, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico and Puerto Rico will battle for supremacy.

So yes, USA should cruise through its group and it can build its average winning margin at the expense of South Sudan for sure. But Serbia, at full strength, won't be taking any trash from the Redeemers Mark II. And Lithuania, Italy - which ever team qualifies to complete the group, also won't be intimidated either.

Yes, it is a very richly talented USA. But everyone across the globe watches the NBA now when we couldn't hardy catch a single game back in 1992. The mystique is long gone. Now the US has to actually play and play hard if it wants to win by 40-50. It won't have a 20-point head start like the Dreamers did.  Australia will play the USA and also Serbia on the Boomers' way to Paris. Australia will face the USA on July 15 in Abu Dhabi, before clashing with Jokic and Serbia the following day.

Prior to that, the Boomers, along with the Opals, Gliders, Rollers and 3x3 Gangurrus will also host China at Melbourne's John Cain Arena from July 2-5 as part of their preparations for Paris.

Australia's group for intrapool play in Paris currently only has the Boomers and World Cup Bronze Medallist Canada. The six teams competing for one of the two remaining spots through the qualifiers in Greece are Croatia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Greece, New Zealand, Slovenia.

The six battling for that other berth in Spain will be Angola, Bahamas, Finland, Lebanon, Poland, Spain. In all likelihood, Australia will end up with Canada, Spain and Slovenia or Greece. Tough? You bet.

But then, Group B has host nation France, World Champion Germany, Japan and the qualifying national team from the tournament in Latvia which will feature Brazil, Cameroon, Georgia, Latvia, Montenegro, Philippines. Right now, that looks like Latvia. That group is no picnic either. 

The qualifiers occur in July while the Olympic men's basketball starts July 27 and closes with the Gold Medal match on August 10.