Super teams are impressive, but pretty boring to watch
Published 4:37 pm Tuesday, June 13, 2017
The “Super Team” won. Imagine that.
The Golden State Warriors are the 2017 NBA Champions, and when I call them the Super Team, I’m not exaggerating.
Steph Curry. Kevin Durant. Klay Thompson. Draymond Green. These four guys combined for 94 of the Warriors’ 129 points Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers lost the series 3-1. Golden State was up 3-0, and the Cavs made everyone wonder if they were about to pull off the miracle comeback of the century (whatever it takes to wash away the Falcons’ Super Bowl collapse from viewers’ memories). To win four games in a row against the Warriors for the Championship would be unprecedented. A team this good blowing a series lead when all they had to do was “Just close it out” would make for great TV.
Unfortunately, we got a pretty boring series, with little morsels of drama and entertainment that really made me hungry for something grander.
Cleveland is a fine team. Some may argue that there is nobody in the East worth a hoot for them to beat, hence them making the Finals for the past three seasons under the leadership of captain LeBron James. But I think there’s enough talent there to beat almost anybody.
Except for this Super Team.
It’s all perfectly fair to stack a roster with the best talent in the league like the Warriors have. LeBron himself said when he inevitably becomes an owner of a team, he’ll do the exact same thing. Others have argued he was part of a super team in Miami, where he won two championships.
Yes, It’s fair. But it’s not entertaining, and fans want to be captivated by a series worth remembering. Games one and two were blow outs, barely even worth watching. Game three was a little closer, but still a drag. Game four went to the Cavaliers, and everyone leaned up out of their armchairs just a little bit. Our interest was piqued. Could LeBron really do this?
Of course not. Not even he could lead his team to the promised land against these guys. Last night, the Cavs held a short-lived lead that was quickly washed away in the tsunami of Durant’s 3-pointers. It didn’t help Cleveland forgot what defense was in the second half and couldn’t get the ball to drop in the bucket when they needed a swing of momentum the most. I wonder: did they even really stand a chance?
It was frustrating to watch. Every time Kyree Irving missed a layup, Curry or Durant would get the rebound pass and drain it from downtown. Over and over and over. As a result, Cleveland hovered behind in the 8-12 point range for most of the night, never able to close the gap.
It was exhausting. I barely even watch the NBA, too. When I tune in for the Finals, I expect to see great games, not boring blowouts.
So now, with every other team wrestling for relevance in the shadow of this huge Golden State Super Team, other teams will scramble and try to stack their rosters to compete. I expect the Cavs, first and foremost, to make changes that will raise eyebrows (Kevin Love probably won’t be in Cleveland much longer, and a superstar will replace him).
Thank goodness it’s all over this year. Is it September yet?