(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
NBA General Managers have it tough, we know this.
They get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to construct a group of players to succeed, not simply on the basketball court but in the community and in the media as well.
The NBA is a business. But building an on-the-court winner is still the most important element to having a good franchise that can win championships.
But what are some of the areas that GM's should be looking for when tinkering with their rosters in hope of constructing the next dominant team?
The first, and most important, element of building a successful team is experience. The past 10 NBA Champions have each had two or less players come straight out of high school, because going to college builds a mental toughness and maturity that these high school kids must learn on the fly.
Aside from the 2004 Dwyane Wade-led Miami Heat team, every NBA Champion this millennium has been led in scoring by a player of 25+ years of age.
This note is why teams such as the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Bobcats, and Memphis Grizzlies are consistently abysmal year in, year out.
The second ingredient to team success is defense. This may seem obvious, but when you think of the '01 Lakers or the '96 Bulls, you don't think of lock-down defensive teams, you think of Kobe and MJ putting up 30 a night with ease.
Reality is, since those '96 Bulls, every single NBA Champion has finished in top 10 in the league in Defensive Rating—points allowed per 100 possessions.
Every NBA Champion has their lock-down defenders, usually around the perimeter. Last season's Boston Celtics had key reserves Tony Allen and James Posey, while the the Chicago Bulls always had Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
This is why the Phoenix Suns, though fun to watch, will never—and I mean never—win the NBA title as long as they average over 106 points per game. No team since 1994 has won an NBA title averaging more than 106 points per game...none.
But for every important piece to the puzzle there is an equally overrated piece. Teams spend hours researching the fads of successful teams and they forget areas in which the leaders in that area have not done well.
It is always said that a team that hits their free throws is successful. John Calipari was bashed last season for defending that hitting your free throws is not the most important thing, and it looks like he was right.
Of the top 70 teams in NBA history, in terms of free throw shooting, not a single one of them won the NBA Championship. Think about that. You have to go to No. 71, the 1985-1986 Boston Celtics, to find the best free-throw shooting NBA Champion.
There is another statistic that you would think would translate to huge success on the court and that is turnovers. One would assume that the better a team takes care of the ball, the better they play, and the more wins they get.
The 14 teams in NBA history that took care of the ball the best all failed to win the title. Obviously you won't find NBA Championship teams leading the league in turnovers but this proves that teams do not have to play tightly and conservatively to win.
A great point guard is a bit overrated as well. If you review past NBA Champions, you will find many teams that were led either by a young or unproven point guard.
Last season, the Boston Celtics were led by 22-year-old Rajon Rondo and the 2004 Miami Heat were led by an inconsistent Jason Williams.
The teams that follow these characteristics tend to take home trophies, and it seems as though the rest of the league is catching up. But one thing is for sure, the most successful teams will be one step ahead at all times.
0 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete