NBA Superstars Aren't Super Without Help

The Memphis Grizzlies sent one of the biggest NBA superstars packing by eliminating Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2013 playoffs.

The media buzz after the second round seemed to center on not blaming Durant (via USA Today) because he “can’t do everything” (via ESPN).

Funny, I don’t remember the media saying that when LeBron James was in Cleveland.

Perhaps the popular narrative for Kevin Durant is different because he’s a young, likable player.

Either way, a simple truth is being proved in the NBA right now: even the best players can’t win on their own.

Durant is certainly one of the best shooters in the league right now, if not the best. Yet his shooting percentages in the last two games were 37.0 and 23.8.

Playing 48 minutes a game might do that to you, as the Thunder star was especially bad in the fourth quarter. However, Russell Westbrook’s absence was the most obvious reason for Durant’s poor showings.

Much has been made of the Thunder’s record with and without Westbrook: 2-0 and 3-6. Without Robin, Batman couldn’t get the job done.

Here’s a look at the most recent NBA champions, and their two best players:

2012: Miami Heat (LeBron James & Dwayne Wade)
2011: Dallas Mavericks (Dirk Nowitzki & Tyson Chandler or Jason Terry)
2010: Los Angeles Lakers (Kobe Bryant & Pau Gasol)
2009: Los Angeles Lakers (Kobe Bryant & Pau Gasol)
2008: Boston Celtics (Paul Pierce & Kevin Garnett)
2007: San Antonio Spurs (Tim Duncan & Tony Parker)
2006: Miami Heat (Dwayne Wade & Shaquille O’Neal)
2005: San Antonio Spurs (Tim Duncan & Tony Parker; Manu Ginobili could also be second-best)
2004: Detroit Pistons (Chauncey Billups & Ben Wallace; Rip Hamilton could also be second-best)
2003: San Antonio Spurs (Tim Duncan & Tony Parker)
2002: Los Angeles Lakers (Shaquille O’Neal & Kobe Bryant)
2001: Los Angeles Lakers (Shaquille O’Neal & Kobe Bryant)
2000: Los Angeles Lakers (Shaquille O’Neal & Kobe Bryant)

The Mavericks and Pistons don’t fit exactly into the formula, but for the most part this holds true: you need two or three elite players to win a championship. Players like Chris Bosh and Ray Allen weren’t mentioned above, but rounded out their teams.

If you want to go back to the 1990s, be my guest. For the most part it’s just MJ (with Pippen) and Hakeem Olajuwon, though the 1993-94 Houston Rockets (before Clyde Drexler’s arrival) probably qualify as winning with only one player. 

So, one of the greatest centers of all-time managed to win a championship on his own. With his main competition in retirement. That’s an understandable aberration.

It also makes just one exception in the past two decades.

Jordan didn’t win without Pippen. Charles Barkley never claimed a championship. LeBron couldn’t capture a title in Cleveland. Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks were just eliminated by the Indiana Pacers.

Plenty of NBA superstars couldn’t hoist the O’Brien trophy on their own.

The main implication of this reality is that expectations for superstars need to be shifted. Creating “Big Threes” (like the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat did) may be necessary to compete in today’s league. Join forces with one or two other elite players, or retire without ever being on top.

Sometimes those elite players may have to join forces from rival squads, as Jemele Hill pointed out in a 2012 article on ESPN.

Team loyalty is at an all-time low and championships are at a premium. If teams don’t make the moves necessary to help players, then they’ll leave in a heartbeat. That’s the new landscape in the NBA.

The formula is obvious, so can you blame players? Front offices need to give their superstars legitimate help, or else their task is almost impossible.

Durant, Anthony and other guys can’t do it on their own. Westbrook’s return is an obvious remedy for the Thunder, but teams like the Knicks need to get more help. Even Oklahoma City would benefit from another scorer to go with their elite pair.

If such moves aren’t made, don’t expect anybody to beat the Heat.

*All statistics from ESPN.com.