Post by FLCeltsFan on Sept 13, 2016 15:43:49 GMT -5
My article from today's Celtics Green Blog
Random Thoughts on the Importance of Team over Superstars
Does a team need 2, 3 or even 4 superstars in order to win a championship? Or, can a team made of role players with perhaps second tier stars who play as a team and pull together for a common goal do as well as a team with one or more super stars? I guess it would depend on the team and how well each role player fills their role.
The Celtics have found out that it is difficult to sign one of the few superstars in the league when they went all out after Kevin Durant. Each off season, only one or two of the leagues superstars become available, if any. And, landing those superstars is tough because they gravitate to the big market teams like the Lakers, or they go to a team that already has a few superstars to increase their chance at a ring.
It's easy to point to the success of the 1986 Celtics with their Big 3 of Bird, McHale and Parish or to the 2007 with their Big 3 of Pierce, Garnett and Allen, or to the 2012 Heat with James, Wade and Bosh and say that having 3 super stars on a team does give a distinct advantage to a team. But, the question is, does a team have to have superstars in order to win?
Chemistry is one of the most important but underrated pieces to building a championship team. Often the cause of chemistry problems is player attitudes. Players either have a higher opinion of themselves than they should or just aren't team players. Egos often get in the way and individuals take priority over team.
In putting this team together, Danny has not only brought in good basketball players, but also good character guys. A quote from the book, Red Auerbach's Winning Ways, we read that "Red Auerbach chose his players for character as much as talent, and taught them to play for the team instead of individual glory." And the result of that approach was a dynasty with 16 championships in his time at the helm.
Yes, I know that those teams were also littered with Hall of Fame players. But there have been other teams with Hall of Famers on them that didn't win championships. I can think of the Rockets team back in 1996 when they brought their own big 3 of Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Clyde Drexler to try to win it all.
This team had 3 Hall of Fame superstars, but this trio never really meshed and Drexler retired at the end of the season. They then brought in Scottie Pippen to team with Barkley and Olajuwon and the result was the same. The trio never meshed and the Rockets didn't win the championship. They brought in parts that never really fit together.
I also think back to the Lakers team that had 4 future Hall of Famers on it in Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Karl Malone. They even had a future Hall of Fame coach and should have been able to win the championship that year. Granted, Malone and Payton were older at the time, but they still were competitive. Payton went on to be instrumental in the Heat championship in 2006 and Kobe and Shaq were at the top of their games. On paper, they were a lock to win it all, but they didn't mesh quite right and that team split up without a championship as well.
Then, we can look at the other side of the argument that has to begin with the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons. On that team were Chucky Atkins, Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell, Hubert Davis, Tremaine Fowlkes, Darvin Ham, Rip Hamilton, Lindsey Hunter, Mike James, Darko Milicic, Mehmet Okur, Tayshaun Prince, Zeljko Rebraka, Bob Sura, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, and Corliss Williamson. We might make a case for Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton or Tayshaun Prince for being good players but they are hardly superstars. This was a team that won on teamwork (and defense). Every player knew their role and they performed their roles very well and because of that, they won the championship, because of teamwork and not because of superstars
The 2016-17 Celtics are a team made up of role players with a couple of All-Stars sprinkled in. The Celtics of last year won with teamwork and defense. They adopted the "We Are One Superstar" mantra for the season and as with Doc's "Ubuntu" theme, they used it as motivation for teamwork and togetherness.
The core of that team returns this season with a few additions and a couple of subtractions. Gone are Jared Sullinger and Evan Turner. The Celtics will miss Evan's versatility and they will miss Sully's rebounding. But they have added Al Horford, Jaylen Brown and Gerald Green. All three have started to build chemistry with their new teammates and coaches over the off season. Horford and Brown will add to the Celtics tough defense while Green will add a 3 point scorer.
While I admit that signing Kevin Durant would have been very nice and I wouldn't turn down a superstar if they wanted to come to Boston (as long as it isn't a selfish one), I'm not going to give up on hoping to win a championship because we didn't get one. I'm also not going to give up on the hope of winning a championship because the Celtics don't have a "superstar" on the team. The Celtics have good young players who are hard workers and many of which will come back better than last season. With the new additions, a tough defense, and a bit of chemistry I expect a lot from this team and I can't wait to watch them play. "We are One Superstar."
Random Thoughts on the Importance of Team over Superstars
Does a team need 2, 3 or even 4 superstars in order to win a championship? Or, can a team made of role players with perhaps second tier stars who play as a team and pull together for a common goal do as well as a team with one or more super stars? I guess it would depend on the team and how well each role player fills their role.
The Celtics have found out that it is difficult to sign one of the few superstars in the league when they went all out after Kevin Durant. Each off season, only one or two of the leagues superstars become available, if any. And, landing those superstars is tough because they gravitate to the big market teams like the Lakers, or they go to a team that already has a few superstars to increase their chance at a ring.
It's easy to point to the success of the 1986 Celtics with their Big 3 of Bird, McHale and Parish or to the 2007 with their Big 3 of Pierce, Garnett and Allen, or to the 2012 Heat with James, Wade and Bosh and say that having 3 super stars on a team does give a distinct advantage to a team. But, the question is, does a team have to have superstars in order to win?
Chemistry is one of the most important but underrated pieces to building a championship team. Often the cause of chemistry problems is player attitudes. Players either have a higher opinion of themselves than they should or just aren't team players. Egos often get in the way and individuals take priority over team.
In putting this team together, Danny has not only brought in good basketball players, but also good character guys. A quote from the book, Red Auerbach's Winning Ways, we read that "Red Auerbach chose his players for character as much as talent, and taught them to play for the team instead of individual glory." And the result of that approach was a dynasty with 16 championships in his time at the helm.
Yes, I know that those teams were also littered with Hall of Fame players. But there have been other teams with Hall of Famers on them that didn't win championships. I can think of the Rockets team back in 1996 when they brought their own big 3 of Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Clyde Drexler to try to win it all.
This team had 3 Hall of Fame superstars, but this trio never really meshed and Drexler retired at the end of the season. They then brought in Scottie Pippen to team with Barkley and Olajuwon and the result was the same. The trio never meshed and the Rockets didn't win the championship. They brought in parts that never really fit together.
I also think back to the Lakers team that had 4 future Hall of Famers on it in Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Karl Malone. They even had a future Hall of Fame coach and should have been able to win the championship that year. Granted, Malone and Payton were older at the time, but they still were competitive. Payton went on to be instrumental in the Heat championship in 2006 and Kobe and Shaq were at the top of their games. On paper, they were a lock to win it all, but they didn't mesh quite right and that team split up without a championship as well.
Then, we can look at the other side of the argument that has to begin with the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons. On that team were Chucky Atkins, Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell, Hubert Davis, Tremaine Fowlkes, Darvin Ham, Rip Hamilton, Lindsey Hunter, Mike James, Darko Milicic, Mehmet Okur, Tayshaun Prince, Zeljko Rebraka, Bob Sura, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, and Corliss Williamson. We might make a case for Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton or Tayshaun Prince for being good players but they are hardly superstars. This was a team that won on teamwork (and defense). Every player knew their role and they performed their roles very well and because of that, they won the championship, because of teamwork and not because of superstars
The 2016-17 Celtics are a team made up of role players with a couple of All-Stars sprinkled in. The Celtics of last year won with teamwork and defense. They adopted the "We Are One Superstar" mantra for the season and as with Doc's "Ubuntu" theme, they used it as motivation for teamwork and togetherness.
The core of that team returns this season with a few additions and a couple of subtractions. Gone are Jared Sullinger and Evan Turner. The Celtics will miss Evan's versatility and they will miss Sully's rebounding. But they have added Al Horford, Jaylen Brown and Gerald Green. All three have started to build chemistry with their new teammates and coaches over the off season. Horford and Brown will add to the Celtics tough defense while Green will add a 3 point scorer.
While I admit that signing Kevin Durant would have been very nice and I wouldn't turn down a superstar if they wanted to come to Boston (as long as it isn't a selfish one), I'm not going to give up on hoping to win a championship because we didn't get one. I'm also not going to give up on the hope of winning a championship because the Celtics don't have a "superstar" on the team. The Celtics have good young players who are hard workers and many of which will come back better than last season. With the new additions, a tough defense, and a bit of chemistry I expect a lot from this team and I can't wait to watch them play. "We are One Superstar."
