Let’s Get It On

Much has been made of the fact that basketball is a sport where an individual can have a disproportionate impact on his team and the overall game, especially compared to sports like baseball and football, where success depends more on a synergistic functioning of different components (for example, disparate offensive and defensive units). However, it is impossible to deny the ability of a certain system, style of play, or set of teammates to redefine how we view a player, the team, or even color the lens through which we see the game. Playing in Mike D’Antoni’s Phoenix system elevated Steve Nash from an All-Star point guard to 2-time league MVP and lock-for-Hall-of-Fame status. Jason Williams, despite his championship success in Miami, will always be remembered for his hotdogging antics with Chris Webber and Co., driving the resurgence of Sacramento. Scottie Pippen is recalled as the second piece of arguably the best 1-2 punch in NBA history, not as the driving force of a near-championship team in Portland.

It’s clear that perceptions of individual players are determined by how they perform in their environment, and that this is a highly stochastic variable. If we place such an emphasis on individual success and accomplishments, why not devote more time to the teams that drove them there? In an almost anthropological perspective, we’ll look at some of the NBA’s most memorable teams- their lineups, their rivals and great matchups, their rise and fall- and try to develop an understanding of how today’s game has been shaped by the great experiments of the past.