By Torin Alexander and Philip Johnson
Redundant. Jaded. Drawn out. Boring. The era of superteams has wholeheartedly taken over the NBA and because of it the NBA has become so predictable that even the most die-hard fans have a hard time watching the games. Dominance around the NBA is not a new topic. It's been dating back to the the late 70s, but in recent years it has affected the NBA so much that every team has to have at least three stars to contend. Whether its by trade or by a free agent signing, it seems inevitable to see a possible end to the madness. Especially after this offseason that included multiple huge names, like Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, being traded or signing to a different team to possibly compete for a championship. Now a superteam is where there are multiple All-Stars or superstars on one team. The most obvious example of this is the Golden State Warriors. They are the latest team in NBA history to have two MVPs on the same roster with both in their prime. Now the Warriors were already great, having won a championship in the 2014-2015 season and lost in game seven of the 2016 finals with the big three of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. However, when they got 2014 MVP Kevin Durant to sign with them in the 2015 offseason the whole dynamic of the NBA changed. The team people thought would destroy… did. Washington Wizards fan and Glenelg senior Eddie Leimbach confidently states, “They are killing the fun of watching basketball. I can tell you right now the Cavs and Warriors will be in the finals again. Some have compared this recent trend to another historic race for supremacy The Warriors had the best playoff record of any team ever when they only lost once en route to their second title in three years. They seemed unbeatable and were for most of the season. Well, it looks like everyone is following the same path because this season there’s been even more stacked rosters. Whether it’s through trades or players signing on their own, the Warriors decimated the league many teams are taking the superteam route in hopes to compete with them. Although they made the playoffs last season and have the returning MVP, Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder knew they needed more firepower coming into this season. In the offseason the Thunder were able to acquire the amazing talent of Paul George. Adding the prolific scorer and solid defender was a great move in the right direction. But the even better move was trading for Carmelo Anthony later that summer. He brings veteran experience and the scoring needed that can take some of the load off Russell Westbrook's shoulders. Around the NBA similar moves have been made. The Cleveland Cavaliers who felt the might of the super Warriors in the finals went out and picked up veterans Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade, Jeff Green, and Derrick Rose in the offseason to try and match the weapons Golden State has. The Boston Celtics traded for Kyrie Irving and signed Gordon Hayward but lost Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas in the process. Thus proving the price to compete could cost you the core of your team. Many idolized athletes also have seen this new trend in forming superteams. In an interview, Michael Jordan states, “I think it’s going to hurt the overall aspect of the league from a competitive standpoint. You’re going to have one or two teams that are going to be great, and another 28 teams that are going to be garbage. Or they’re going to have a tough time surviving in the business environment.” Even though this superteam movement has put people's favorite players together, there are cons to every situation. Though getting that report on your phone of some team acquiring another NBA talent is very enticing and entertaining, the NBA is going down a path that many fans are tired of. Many fans believe the suspense of the regular and postseason has completely vanished with so many great players all playing together, so much so it's easy to predict who will be in the NBA finals before the season even starts. . Glenelg senior and basketball player Mitchell Boswell shared a unique view on the situation when he said “the way teams are bringing superstars together it’s like the arms race in the cold war. Each team is trying to get bigger and better weapons to defeat the enemy”. Although it’s fresh and new to see multiple All-Stars playing on the same team, it’s fading fast and so is the people's interest. Because both conferences are top heavy, meaning that there are about four powerhouse teams and the rest are adequate, it's really predictable of what is to happen once playoffs start. It’s even more predictable of what to see in the finals. Because of this never-ending saga of Cavs vs. Warriors in the finals, it's understandable why fans and critics alike feel like this new era of the superteam is just going to get worse and worse. Comments are closed.
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