Golden State Warriors: Can They Compete in a League of Stars?
The Boston Celtics dominated on their way to the 2008 championship, The Los Angeles Lakers won the 2009 and 2010 championships. There are two versions of a Big Three.
Recently, the Heat stomped a path to the NBA Finals. Do not kid yourself: You have not seen the last of the Miami Heat
Include the New York Knicks, with a speculated target on Chris Paul, for the trifecta, and it begins to look more and more like the NBA is becoming the league of the stars.
The latest way to build a team is becoming the only way. Slowly but surely teams are beginning to figure multiple "superstars" into their championship aspirations. The funniest part of all this is it has been done throughout NBA history.
The difference is the reach of sports today. Due to the various outlets and, most assuredly, the advent of the web, athletes are constantly in our homes—through television, radio, video games, computers, Twitter, Facebook and Myspace. The reach of sports is more globalized than ever before.
Michael Jordan, who is probably the most globally-recognized retired professional athlete today, did not have as much exposure as some athletes have now. If social networking was available in the days when Jordan was the most dominant force of any sport, he could have run for president by now.
Fans now have the opportunity to get more personal with their favorite professional athletes. And we must not forget how fantasy leagues have introduced a whole new generation to the world of competitive sports without actually breaking a sweat.
If we look at one of the most unbreakable records ever—Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain scoring 100 points in a single game—we can all admit that, if this happened today, the coverage would be almost surreal. The feat would be talked about constantly in all corners of the world.
Yet, when the 100-point night is spoken of today, it seems almost as if it wasn't that big a deal. Comparatively, consider the amount of coverage a 50-point outing gets today.
The driving force in the NBA has become the star player, and the most marketable persona. Stats are only part of the package.
Can the Golden State Warriors survive in this atmosphere?
It's clear the cavalry is not coming any time soon. Right now, the roster does not have that star-studded punch that so many other teams possess.
Stephen Curry is a bright spot and certainly has the potential to become one of those stars the NBA thrives on. But unless Curry has a breakout All-Star year, he is far from a sure bet.
However, I believe when (not if) Monta Ellis gets traded, Curry should be able to move a lot easier offensively, having the opportunity to spread his wings a little more and developing under a point-guard coach in Mark Jackson.
The Warriors must invest a lot in Stephen Curry, especially if they’re going to trade a guaranteed 24 points-per-game player in Monta Ellis.
But the Ellis trade is not the only reason Curry’s development is so crucial. We now know what drives “most” star players to a team.
- The City: With the history of the 49ers and Raiders, and the most recent World Series victory by the San Francisco Giants, the market is just as big as any other. The Bay Area should be enticing to stars.
- Money: Are the owners willing to spend money to ensure a winning product? Look at the success Mark Cuban has had with the Dallas Mavericks.
- Friends: Is there another star to play with?
