Are NBA “Super Teams” Really that Super?
The Golden State Warriors are the latest NBA team to be considered a “Super Team”. With the signing of free agent Kevin Durant, the Warriors now have four All-Stars on their roster and the last two regular season MVPs in Steph Curry and Durant. Odds makers have the Warriors as the early favorites to win it all next season. However, history tells us these “Super Teams” are not always as good as advertised.
2003–2004 Los Angeles Lakers
Players: Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, Karl Malone
In 2003, the Lakers were looking to get back to the NBA Finals after one year removed from their 3-peat of championships from 2000–2002. They added Malone and Payton, two future Hall of Famers, to their roster to join Bryant and Shaq. A title certainly seemed inevitable. Some things are too good to be true however. Shaq was more focused on pushing for a contract extension than pushing big men out of the lane. Kobe was in the midst of a trial for a sexual assault case and the Lakers seemed to be struggling with off the court issues. They fought past the adversity, peaked late in the season, and managed to advance to the NBA Finals. After losing to the Pistons in five games, the Lakers fell short on their championship aspirations despite the talented “super team” roster. Lakers nation would have to wait five more years for their next title which came in 2009.
2010–2011 Miami Heat
Players: LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh
James promised Miami multiple titles when he arrived in Miami to form “The Big Three” with Wade and Bosh. Things got off to a rocky start as the Heat went 9–8 to begin the season before eventually securing the second seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. After making the NBA Finals, the Heat cooled off and lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six. Eventually “The Big Three” would bring two championships home to Miami, but neither of those came in their first season together.
2012–2013 Los Angeles Lakers
Players: Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Steve Nash, Dwight Howard
Bryant declared that his team was “locked and loaded to bring back the title.” after a roster surrounded with talent. However, the team only appeared talented on paper, as injuries kept most of the four off the court for extended periods of time. Disaster struck this team after the 2013 season as well. Howard departed for Houston, and Bryant and Nash battled through potentially career-ending injuries and retirement rumors. This was the second time Lakes fans had been let down with false expectations of a title only to see it fall short.
2013–2014 Brooklyn Nets
Players: Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Brook Lopez
When Mikhail Prokhorov purchased a majority of ownership in the Nets in 2010, he promised a championship window of five years. With that window closing, they traded all of their assets to assemble a starting lineup that they believed could contend with the Heat. All of these guys were at one point in their careers All-Stars. However, Williams, Pierce, and Garnett were not getting any younger. With a majority of these players well past their primes, and Lopez missing the entire postseason with a foot injury, it never clicked for Brooklyn. They ended up bowing out of the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Heat in 6.
The 2016–2017 Golden State Warriors will be considered one of the NBA’s most recent “Super Teams”. However, as we have seen throughout history, a title in the first year is widely expected, but hardly ever achieved. Rosters filled with talent lack team chemistry which comes over time and years of playing together. With Steph Curry, Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green on the roster, someone’s minutes and stats will inevitably have to go down. We will see what happens, but you heard it here first that the Warriors may appear heavy championship favorites, but have a long hard road ahead to secure a championship.