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What makes a great or Championship-level NBA team?
Posted on 4/17/15 at 10:19 am
Posted on 4/17/15 at 10:19 am
I'm a Pelicans fan but I don't follow the NBA in the same way I might follow the rest of the NFL relative to the Saints or the SEC relative to the Tigers.
So for you die hard NBA followers -- what's the secret to being a legitimate championship contender?
I've heard you have to have more than one super star. That makes sense but is that definitely a requirement?
How much does coaching play into it? Phil Jackson won a crap-ton of titles but he had some legendary players on his championship rosters.
Anyway, I was listening to some of the talking heads rattle on about the Warriors and how great they are (Steph Curry and 60+ wins is hard to argue against) but do they have everything they need to win it all this year?
How far away are the Pelicans from that discussion? Davis is bona fied -- what else do they need to be on a legitimate championship level?
Anyway, these are the last fleeting thought prior to tip-off tomorrow so I thought I'd get educated.
Thanks...
So for you die hard NBA followers -- what's the secret to being a legitimate championship contender?
I've heard you have to have more than one super star. That makes sense but is that definitely a requirement?
How much does coaching play into it? Phil Jackson won a crap-ton of titles but he had some legendary players on his championship rosters.
Anyway, I was listening to some of the talking heads rattle on about the Warriors and how great they are (Steph Curry and 60+ wins is hard to argue against) but do they have everything they need to win it all this year?
How far away are the Pelicans from that discussion? Davis is bona fied -- what else do they need to be on a legitimate championship level?
Anyway, these are the last fleeting thought prior to tip-off tomorrow so I thought I'd get educated.
Thanks...
4
Posted on 4/17/15 at 10:25 am to cleeveclever
A team full of really good players who win games, preferably at a rate of at least 4 every 7.
Posted on 4/17/15 at 10:26 am to cleeveclever
quote:
That makes sense but is that definitely a requirement?
No.
quote:
How much does coaching play into it?
Huge, IF You don't have multiple superstars. I know they aren't a championship team, but Bud took the Hawks from barely an 8th seed in the shitty East last year to one of the best records in the league. The only real change was in coaching.
quote:
How far away are the Pelicans from that discussion? Davis is bona fied -- what else do they need to be on a legitimate championship level?
Still a pretty good distance. While there depth has improved, they still need better depth. Need players to stay healthy. And most importantly: coaching. Monty is a good guy to get them from young and crappy to competitive, but he's not the "next step" guy.
Posted on 4/17/15 at 10:26 am to cleeveclever
quote:
I've heard you have to have more than one super star. That makes sense but is that definitely a requirement?
Based on NBA history, it certainly helps. Detroit and Dallas (maybe last year's Spurs) are the only teams I can think of that didn't meet that requirement.
quote:
How much does coaching play into it?
Players league, but 82 games is a long season. Plus, playoffs are all about matchups. Coaching adjustments are vital in May/June.
quote:
do they have everything they need to win it all this year?
Yes
quote:
How far away are the Pelicans from that discussion? Davis is bona fied -- what else do they need to be on a legitimate championship level?
Who knows. Davis is the ultimate trump card. I think they still need a second guy next to him. But it just might not matter with Davis
Posted on 4/17/15 at 10:41 am to Fun Bunch
quote:
but Bud took the Hawks from barely an 8th seed in the shitty East last year to one of the best records in the league. The only real change was in coaching.
People seem to forget that Al Horford went down early into the 2013-2014 season and that the Hawks were 3rd in the East up until that point in the season. But yes, Bud is one of the best coaches in the league and is a big reason why the Hawks are good.
This post was edited on 4/17/15 at 10:43 am
Posted on 4/17/15 at 10:46 am to cleeveclever
Ive wondered the same thing. I'm a casual basketball fan who just started getting into the Pelicans this season, mainly because my 15 yr. old son has taken a sudden interest in basketball. From attending the Spurs and Golden State games, it looks like we have the pieces to play with anyone when we're healthy and everyone is playing well.
At the Spurs game, despite his awesome stats, Davis never really looked "hot" (at least not like he did in the 3rd quarter of the GS game). But he stayed involved in the offense from start to finish, whereas in some other games he sometimes seemed to disappear for a little while, then turn it on in spurts.
The guard play looked great against the Suns. Jrue looked amazing while he was in. Reke was being Reke and killing it early on by driving the basket, plus hitting some other great shots. Cole hit the nice mid-range stuff, but looked great driving to the basket as well, which I hadn't seem from him in other games I've attended. Gordon never seemed to really heat up, but he hit some shots at crucial moments. While we don't have a superstar at guard, if all 4 guards are playing well it seems like they can play with just about anyone.
Now, from what I've read here, it's my understanding that Reke and especially Cole were able to drive the lane because the Spurs made a point of shutting down Anderson (and I would assume QPon too since neither ever got hot hitting a streak of 3s like in most games). That's great, and if they don't shut them down, when the guards can't light up the lane we just need Anderson and QPon to light it up from 3 pt. range.
And Asik just needs to be Asik.
When those things happen - in other words, when each player is just "doing what they do" - evidence shows that we can play with anyone.
That being said, I guess the importance of two superstars is that superstars are always "on."
I don't know what the missing pieces are, and would like to know what we need to get to the next level - just like the OP asked. But it sure seems like we can hang with anyone out there when we're healthy and firing on all cylinders.
ETA: Since I just bought season tickets for me and my son, I was warning him how those early season games are not going to be as exciting as these recent few since nothing really appears to be "on the line" (aka playoffs) that early on. Most of the handful of games we went to this year were near the end of the season. But I'm really looking forward to watching the team develop over the course of next season, and I have a real desire to learn about all the smaller pieces of the puzzle over a full season.
At the Spurs game, despite his awesome stats, Davis never really looked "hot" (at least not like he did in the 3rd quarter of the GS game). But he stayed involved in the offense from start to finish, whereas in some other games he sometimes seemed to disappear for a little while, then turn it on in spurts.
The guard play looked great against the Suns. Jrue looked amazing while he was in. Reke was being Reke and killing it early on by driving the basket, plus hitting some other great shots. Cole hit the nice mid-range stuff, but looked great driving to the basket as well, which I hadn't seem from him in other games I've attended. Gordon never seemed to really heat up, but he hit some shots at crucial moments. While we don't have a superstar at guard, if all 4 guards are playing well it seems like they can play with just about anyone.
Now, from what I've read here, it's my understanding that Reke and especially Cole were able to drive the lane because the Spurs made a point of shutting down Anderson (and I would assume QPon too since neither ever got hot hitting a streak of 3s like in most games). That's great, and if they don't shut them down, when the guards can't light up the lane we just need Anderson and QPon to light it up from 3 pt. range.
And Asik just needs to be Asik.
When those things happen - in other words, when each player is just "doing what they do" - evidence shows that we can play with anyone.
That being said, I guess the importance of two superstars is that superstars are always "on."
I don't know what the missing pieces are, and would like to know what we need to get to the next level - just like the OP asked. But it sure seems like we can hang with anyone out there when we're healthy and firing on all cylinders.
ETA: Since I just bought season tickets for me and my son, I was warning him how those early season games are not going to be as exciting as these recent few since nothing really appears to be "on the line" (aka playoffs) that early on. Most of the handful of games we went to this year were near the end of the season. But I'm really looking forward to watching the team develop over the course of next season, and I have a real desire to learn about all the smaller pieces of the puzzle over a full season.
This post was edited on 4/17/15 at 10:51 am
Posted on 4/17/15 at 10:52 am to 911Moto
quote:
I was warning him how those early season games are not going to be as exciting as these recent few since nothing really appears to be "on the line"
That may still depend on the teams you play.
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