The Value of Teamwork: Why a Super Team Fails

As almost everyone is aware by now, the NBA free agency bonanza that lurks just around the corner has infused the basketball offseason with exuberance, speculation and meaning that normally does not accompany the offseason of any sport. Lebron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade are the most sought after prizes. Conventional wisdom implies that a free agent in basketball is exponentially more valuable than a free agent in football or baseball because each individual player has a more significant impact on the game in basketball. Thus, a player of Lebron James caliber can seemingly catapult almost any ragtag group into title contention (or at least into the playoffs). Further, the conglomeration of a number (2 or 3) of topflight players earning a max contract seemingly would secure a deep playoff run and a finals berth for the lucky team. This logic, however, is a misguided hype fueled panacea for teams (Knicks, Nets, Bulls, Heat) that have gutted their roster or more auspiciously tanked the last few seasons (Knicks, Nets). I contend that even if one of these teams was to acquire two or three max contract free agents, without a strong supporting cast, time to develop a team ethos or intimate knowledge of a team’s schemes and plays, the team would be lacking.

                First, the value of a strong supporting cast cannot be undervalued. Although the Bulls (Rose, Noah) and Nets (Lopez, Harris) have a couple of components, without a deep bench they will be over matched in a long playoff series. The Boston Celtics demonstrated this year that in a multi game playoff competition diligent planning against another teams’ superstars (Lebron James, Dwight Howard) can offset those players’ superior athleticism and skill. Even if a super team could contend for the best regular season record without the ability to adjust matchups and account for poor performances by key players, the team would be unable to make a deep playoff run. The Celtics big 3 was able to win a championship in 2008 because of key contributions by role players such as Rondo, Perkins, Glen Davis, Posey and Eddie House. The assumption that veteran free agents will attach themselves to round out a super team is an unproven point. Even if some key veterans are willing to sign for the minimum, such a super team will experience a second problem: They will have insufficient time to develop team chemistry to combat the likes of the Lakers and probably the Celtics and Magic. Comparing the emergence of a super team to the 2008 Celtics fails because that team was constructed as a defensively minded team and enjoyed the emergence of a first rate point guard in Rondo and tenacious center in Perkins. A new super team based upon a big 3 would focus more upon offensive production and more importantly would lack a good low post force.

                Second even if a number of valuable veteran free agents were to sign for the minimum to play with the likes of Wade, Bosh and/or James, the team would lack a consistent philosophy to focus its efforts around. Although a system of teamwork and strategy would likely eventually develop, it would still leave the team ill prepared to combat the likes of the Lakers, Celtics and Magic. Developing into a team takes time and team play is a necessary but insufficient component of a championship run. It seems highly unlikely that even a skilled team sporting a number of new super stars and valuable role players would be able to ‘gel’ together to create a championship contender within one year. And if such a team fails to develop into a championship contender, it is likely that those valuable role players will move on to another team. The dispersal of valuable parts even occurred after the Celtics won in 2008 as Posey moved on for greener pastures and more money in NO. This second problem is compounded by the likely hood that even superstars would have difficulty adapting to new offensive and defensive schemes. For example, Ron Artest, a vital component in this year’s championship run by the Lakers, had difficulty in learning the triangle offense. Now compound the problem at least five fold when a team is trying to contend with an entirely new roster and the likely hood of a new super team winning in its first year seems doubtful. This triggers the previously explicated problem by removing the incentive for veteran free agents to remain with the team because they lack a sure chance to obtain a ring. Thus, it is possible that a super team could emerge from the hoopla of free agency but only with a lucky streak. It however seems more likely that free agency will give birth to a few new playoff teams but none of them will win the championship in their first year and thus struggle to attract complimentary players for a further run.