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At least Orlando T-Mac played the 1st seed Pistons to a game 7. That was a hard thing to do in the beginning already. I don't think McGrady even choked in the playoffs. His support when he was on the Rockets and Magic were just horrendous.
Tracy McGrady's Magic. T-Mac was tearing up the league back then, but could never deliver and has still never gotten out of the first round.
At least Orlando T-Mac played the 1st seed Pistons to a game 7. That was a hard thing to do in the beginning already. I don't think McGrady even choked in the playoffs. His support when he was on the Rockets and Magic were just horrendous.
Playing those Pistons to a game 7 would have been much more impressive if he hadn't been up 3-1 in the series and said "it's just nice to be out of the first round."
Remove that, and it looks much nicer. What he said has nothing to do with his on-court performance.
Easily the 2005 Lakers.
Worst cast around a superstar might have been the 2006-07 Cavaliers, which is a testament to how great LeBron was, being able to lead that team to 50 wins and a trip to the NBA Finals, despite being completely outclassed in that Finals.
Kobe's supporting cast was pretty bad in 2004-05 but I think LeBron's was worse.
As for "underachieving" team with a superstar, I'd mention the early 2000s Sacramento Kings with that "alleged" superstar Chris Webber. What a choke artist to lead a team of chokes. That team should have at least had an NBA Finals appearances. I put that squarely on Webber.
07 Jazz
The Celtics before the big trade
Iverson's sixers must be in the discussion IMO
I don't think Gasol was a superstar just yet.
Iverson's 76'ers post 01.
Wade's 15-67 team
Kobe's 34-48 team
This.
Making the NBA finals >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>> Not making the playoffs
Only to the extent that its a means to the end. If you don't accomplish that end (winning the last game in June) you're with the other 28 teams waiting there.
Lebron's team in 2007 was terrible. Despite all the hate, he did an amazing job that year.
The starters against the Spurs in the final
Daniel Gibson
Sasha Pavlovic
Lebron James
Drew Gooden
Big-Z
Yea I'm going with the ringless King's Cavs that got swept. Other than running into the Spurs in the Finals he had one of the greatest runs the NBA has ever seen.
mavs...
Actually when reading OP's le I kind of get two impressions. Are you saying:
1) Which team had the superstar that but sucked really badly
or
2) Which team had a superstar with very little help that got really far
for 1 I would say Tmac's Magic. T-Mac was a superstar back then and never made it out of the first round
for 2 I would say Lebron's Cavs in 07. A superstar with very little cast that got far in the playoffs.
Kobe not making the playoffs in 2005 was pretty bad..he had Caron Butler and Lamar Odom around him, yet they got 10th place or whatever it was..he was given a lot of ball-handling duties as a playmaker and couldn't really respond..while I believe coaching is overrated, the lack of Phil Jackson's system appeared to slightly hurt his game in that season IMO..obviously injuries played a factor as well, but it was still shameful to miss the playoffs with decent sidekicks like that..
have to agree
I agree, but many Laker fans would beg to differ. He was pretty much a 20-10 guy and the leader of that team.
Gaso's Grizzlies are another good nomination, though how many years was he a Grizzly? Seems like his drought as the superstar on a team was shorter lived than KG's drought on the Wolves.
Which, really, makes you realize how long this jumping ship to build a superteam BS has been going on. KG, Gasol, Lebron, Bosh, Wade, Kobe...all those guys SHOULD be good enough to be a franchise player, that's how each one was drafted anyway, and all have become #2 guys or sidekicks to someone else.
It's bad to the NBA most of all, since the more you consolidate all the top players in one or two markets, the more the NBA as a whole suffers. Bad business.
2001 until 01 Feb 2008
If this were the 90's it would be the Spurs. Outside of Elliott (a MARGINAL 1 time All Star) DRob ran with scrubs like Vinny Del Negro, Willie "Chill" Anderson, a journeyman PG pretending to be a starter in Avery Johnson, and a washed up Chuck Person as options B thru D in the back court and still made the Playoffs every year he was healthy.
Since it's not the 90's, but the 2000's we are talking about, I'd go with the Garnett-led T-Wolves (pre-Sam Cassell days). They were constant 1st round fodder. KG couldn't get any consistent help, depending on guys like Terrell Brandon, Wally Sczcerbiak, and Anthony Peeler as options B thru D to take the pressure off him. I remember they led the league in assists for several years with those guys, basically winning with good ball movement, since none of those guys were gonna be creating shots for themselves.
Fair to say to a point. Lamar Odom did miss 18 games and Kobe missed 16 games that season. When either or both were not playing, the Lakers that season were 9-23. Caron Butler was steady, but it was evident that that particular Lakers team was pretty bad beyond Kobe, Odom, and Caron. To not have Odom and Kobe for that many games really hurt them. Quality depth was a major issue for that team.
They might have still missed the playoffs but they wouldn't have been nearly as bad had they had Kobe and Odom not miss so many games.
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