This one's for Jay. I've alluded to these before, but I felt like bringing them out.
Our two top players got in a tiff, but it looks like they've worked that out. My bigger issue is one of "team" chemistry, not chemistry between two star players. This discussion requires some setup. Here goes.
When Donnie started "rebuilding on the fly" after the 2000 Finals, he did it thoroughly and completely. He didn't want to take the team into the lotto (an approach that I hate as well), so he didn't give away our players for scraps and hope for a good draft pick. He traded away established talent for developing talent and picked players in the drafts that were the same age as the players on the team (not exactly, but he picked to HSers before he began picking ready-to-play college seniors). He took old and traded not just for young, but for same-age-young. He looked at problem areas and assembled lots of possible solutions (e.g., SF was a problem when we lost to Chicago, so Walsh went out and got 3 new small forwards).
All of these things are good things. Now fast forward to today. Do you know the biggest difference that I see between, say, us (minus the effects of the brawl and aftermath) and the Spurs (my favorite for this year's championship)? San Antonio has a team that fits together. We have an awesome collection of talent.
The same thing is true of Detroit. When they picked up McDyess or Carlos A, it was immediately obvious how that player fit into the rotation and team concept. The average observer knew what that player was supposed to bring to the table. If a player didn't fit in, that player was moved, even if Dumars didn't get value in return. For that matter, look at the team Riley's put around Shaq and Wade. I said before the season that those two weren't enough to make a contender, and I think this season has proven me right. Their point guard from nowhere is exactly what they need to make that team work. Udonis is perfect for a 4-man paired with Shaq.
Now look at the Pacers. Assume everybody's healthy and back. Who's the best starting center? Dale Davis, certainly. But before he got here, who? Foster? Pollard? Croshere? These guys are 75% redundant with each other. They each have minor advantages over the others, but they're pretty much the same. Look at shooting guard. Does Jax play the two, and move Freddy to third-string? Does he play the 3, and move Bender to third string? Who backs up JO? Does Harrison play a single minute?
Our depth has been invaluable in a season like this. But that's no reason to have depth. It has kept us from tanking in a terrible season, but it won't win us a championship. Quality, not quantity, is going to do that. Nobody plays 12 men in the playoffs. Walsh has been, so far, unwilling to trade quantity for quality.
This is enough to get this thread started. I'd say my biggest concern with "team chemistry" isn't the "chemistry" part, it's the "team" part. This group of talented players has been assembled with an eye towards collecting talent, not putting together a rotation to win a championship. People hated Zeke's rotations, but no possible rotation could make sense with the team he was given. Carlisle's wouldn't have been any better if he hadn't lost players to trade and injury. There is no way to put together a decent rotation with this group without arbitrarily and permanently benching some decent players that, in all fairness, deserve a chance to play.
This post is way too long, and it's only one issue. I wish I had Jay's brevity. For the third time, I'll say it. When at full strength, we don't have a team. We have an incredible collection of talent. It actually reminds me of the Lakers after they aquired Shaq and Kobe but before they traded away Rice, Jones, and Nick the Quick. That was the year 4 of the 5 Western Conference All-Star starters were from the Lakers (Kobe was on the bench). I think they lost in the second round that year.
So you have chemistry concerns, too. But you've just stood back and said "none of our concerns match." What in the world are your concerns? Two of the top players on the team have to be restrained from each other, but some other mysterious chemistry problem bothers you even more. What is it, I'm dying to know???
When Donnie started "rebuilding on the fly" after the 2000 Finals, he did it thoroughly and completely. He didn't want to take the team into the lotto (an approach that I hate as well), so he didn't give away our players for scraps and hope for a good draft pick. He traded away established talent for developing talent and picked players in the drafts that were the same age as the players on the team (not exactly, but he picked to HSers before he began picking ready-to-play college seniors). He took old and traded not just for young, but for same-age-young. He looked at problem areas and assembled lots of possible solutions (e.g., SF was a problem when we lost to Chicago, so Walsh went out and got 3 new small forwards).
All of these things are good things. Now fast forward to today. Do you know the biggest difference that I see between, say, us (minus the effects of the brawl and aftermath) and the Spurs (my favorite for this year's championship)? San Antonio has a team that fits together. We have an awesome collection of talent.
The same thing is true of Detroit. When they picked up McDyess or Carlos A, it was immediately obvious how that player fit into the rotation and team concept. The average observer knew what that player was supposed to bring to the table. If a player didn't fit in, that player was moved, even if Dumars didn't get value in return. For that matter, look at the team Riley's put around Shaq and Wade. I said before the season that those two weren't enough to make a contender, and I think this season has proven me right. Their point guard from nowhere is exactly what they need to make that team work. Udonis is perfect for a 4-man paired with Shaq.
Now look at the Pacers. Assume everybody's healthy and back. Who's the best starting center? Dale Davis, certainly. But before he got here, who? Foster? Pollard? Croshere? These guys are 75% redundant with each other. They each have minor advantages over the others, but they're pretty much the same. Look at shooting guard. Does Jax play the two, and move Freddy to third-string? Does he play the 3, and move Bender to third string? Who backs up JO? Does Harrison play a single minute?
Our depth has been invaluable in a season like this. But that's no reason to have depth. It has kept us from tanking in a terrible season, but it won't win us a championship. Quality, not quantity, is going to do that. Nobody plays 12 men in the playoffs. Walsh has been, so far, unwilling to trade quantity for quality.
This is enough to get this thread started. I'd say my biggest concern with "team chemistry" isn't the "chemistry" part, it's the "team" part. This group of talented players has been assembled with an eye towards collecting talent, not putting together a rotation to win a championship. People hated Zeke's rotations, but no possible rotation could make sense with the team he was given. Carlisle's wouldn't have been any better if he hadn't lost players to trade and injury. There is no way to put together a decent rotation with this group without arbitrarily and permanently benching some decent players that, in all fairness, deserve a chance to play.
This post is way too long, and it's only one issue. I wish I had Jay's brevity. For the third time, I'll say it. When at full strength, we don't have a team. We have an incredible collection of talent. It actually reminds me of the Lakers after they aquired Shaq and Kobe but before they traded away Rice, Jones, and Nick the Quick. That was the year 4 of the 5 Western Conference All-Star starters were from the Lakers (Kobe was on the bench). I think they lost in the second round that year.
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