chemistry article on hoopsworld

[Usually Lurkin]

interesting that the mavs and buuls are mentioned here and in another article on bad chemistry.

mentions two points that have been active here on the board -
1) outside-inside teams need a ferocious rebounder, and
2) patience is important, but pick up a player that will improve your team immediately.

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<< by Showtime
HOOPSWORLD.com
Aug 28, 2002, 3:11pm
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Team chemistry is just as important to winning in the NBA as the players themselves. A lot of organizations, however, are not ready to jump straight into the wonderful world of chemistry just yet. Some chemicals, such as J.R. Ridercide and Dennis Rodmanium have been too potent for organizations to handle safely.

Therefore, a new course is needed to prepare teams for their experiments in chemistry. As a result, this pre-Chemistry course will give the basics needed for organizations to dabble with volatile chemical solutions.

1) Define a Plan (develop a philosophy)

Every team must have a philosophy about how it will function on the court. A defined plan is one of the first and most vital steps taken by the general manager in the early stages of developing a winning team and organization. There are many philosophies and plans that are used to develop teams, but mainly there are only two NBA proven philosophies.

A: Inside-Outside Offense

The Inside-Outside offense has a dominant power player at one of the post positions. Usually this player is a power forward or a center that utilizes a great “back to the basket” game and possesses the ability to hit open jumpers from the floor. On the offensive end of the basketball court, this player is the initiator of the offense because the ball is in his hands early and often.

In the backcourt, this type of inside presence is surrounded by scorers. Ideally, a team would like someone that can create their own shot and get into the lane for easy baskets and assists. This is a necessity since the post-man may be double teamed a lot during offensive sets.

Example: 1983-1984 Boston Celtics. Kevin McHale was the original TRUTH in Boston, making his home in the post. McHale’s post game was the perfect compliment to Larry Legend’s outside shooting ability.

Plus, Dennis Johnson was able to penetrate off the perimeter when the offense was stagnant. This type of offense is the most popular in the NBA today and definitely has a pedigree, winning multiple championships over the decades.

B: Outside-Inside Offense

The Outside-Inside offense is usually guard driven (shooting guard) and primarily displays a jump shooting perimeter game. The ability of outside shooters to hit open shots is critical because of the lack of a true low-post threat. However, to make this type of offense work, a dominant, ferocious rebounder is needed. When jump shots are taken, rebounds that provide second chance opportunities are a must for these types of teams to win.

Example: 1990-1993 Chicago Bulls. Jordan was always the dominant player on this team. While Pippen played a great overall game, it was Horace Grant’s board work that was critical to the success of these championship teams. Grant's rebounds easily turned into second chance opportunities for the Bulls and wasted chances for their opponents.

2) Acquire Talent (Trade, Draft, waivers, playground, etc)

To win in the NBA, you must have talent. While the draft is still the primary way of building a team, many other avenues have developed over the years to acquire young talent. The European leagues, the developmental leagues and the “stupid” trade always yield good prospects to fill rosters on talent deprived teams. Ideally, the goal is to have an All-Star caliber player at every position.

Example: The Dallas Mavericks. Five years ago, the citizens of Dallas were calling for Don Nelson’s head. The Mavericks had made some “questionable” trades for some kids named Steve Nash and Michael Finley, drafted some European players that no one ever heard of, and were losing.

Now, they are a 50+ win team that is competing for a world championship. Jerry West, who is still considered the best executive in professional basketball, stated on numerous occasions that talented players are the tools of successful franchises. Without them, you might as well go racing without gasoline.

3) Define Your Core Players

Once a team has acquired talented players, the organization must define the group of players that it feels will produce a championship. All-Star talent at every position looks really good on paper, but it hardly wins at the highest level of NBA competition. Unless you have All-Star position players that are willing to “defer” some of their talents for the benefit of the team, the organization must make adjustments to surround their core players with role players.

Example: 1997-1998 Los Angeles Lakers. This team was loaded with talent at virtually every position. I know a lot of Lakers fans remember the days of Shaq, Elden Campbell, Eddie Jones, Nick Van Excel, and Kobe Bryant coming off the bench. Jerry West remembers this team also.

West traded away Van Excel because of his attitude, Campbell for his non-desire to play behind Shaq and Eddie Jones to open up a starting position for Kobe Bryant. Perhaps his most important trade was getting Robert Horry for Cedric Ceballos. All of these All-Star caliber players were traded for role players. And while most of these players are not on the current roster, Horry has been vital to all three of the Lakers current championship runs.

4) Patience


Patience is the most essential and important step within team chemistry. It takes time for championship teams to gel (find the right chemistry). While there will be a lot of tough loses in the playoffs, those loses only will get the organization and the team closer to their goal of a championship.

Organizations have to learn patience and discernment so that they will not be waiting for something that will not occur (like players to develop). If you can trade for someone that can help immediately, teams should not be scared to pull the trigger. Players that develop 5 years from now really do not help the organization win now.

With these principles in hand, any organization should be ready to undertake the next step in the title building process, Team Chemistry 101. >>