Teambuilding: A Report of Each Team's Talent and Cohesion
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 11:38 am
As the season is set to start today, there are a lot of questions in the league. It’s usually hard to predict who is going to be the best teams in the league, but research over the past few years has shown that two elements are incredibly important to building good teams: the TALENT that teams accumulate, and the COHESION that the teams have. By investigative reporting (and finding the info in the index), I have presented the teams in the league by these two elements. It will be interesting to look at the teams at the end of the season and see how important these ratings are to team success.
Washington Wizards
TALENT: GREAT
COHESION: GOOD
This may be the year for the Wiz. With Shaq, Rashard, and a newly developed Anthony Johnson, they have the talent. Plus they actually like each other too, as seen in J2's hilarious press conference.
Los Angeles Clippers
TALENT: GREAT
COHESION: GOOD
Signing Magliore may have put this talented team over the top. They have a hole at the point guard position, but after rumors that Nick Van Exel felt he was bigger than the team, the Clips are happy to go in a different direction.
San Antonio Spurs
TALENT: GREAT
COHESION: GOOD
The Spurs lost Shareef, but they picked up Alston and retained Jacque Vaughn, who reportedly is great friends with Ray Allen. The team has been a fixture in the Western Conference Finals and little seems to have changed this year.
Chicago Bulls
TALENT: GREAT
COHESION: GOOD
For years the Bulls have been that talented team that could never put it together. But after this summer's camp retreat where the players got really close, they had a great preseason. Is this the year that the Bulls finally live up to their immense potential?
Sacramento Kings
TALENT: GOOD
COHESION: GOOD
They've been touted as the preseason favorites to win it all, and looking at this team it's hard not to see why. They're talented, led by the elite Tracy McGrady, and they're pretty good buddies as well. Shareef and Tom Gugliotta have reportedly fit in really well with the rest of the team.
Minnesota Timberwolves
TALENT: GOOD
COHESION: GOOD
At first look, this is surprising. After all, this team has missed the playoffs for three straight years and are only one year removed from a 16 win season. But after the moves this offseason, it makes sense. They brought in young leaders Rip Hamilton and Joe Johnson, and they got rid of reported locker room cancer Stromile Swift. Things may be looking up for this franchise.
Atlanta Hawks
TALENT: GOOD
COHESION: GOOD
Though they may be on the downward slope, this team is still capable of winning it all. They retained Ben Wallace, who is great friends with Antonio McDyess off the court. And even though Penny Hardaway is getting older, slower, and less dynamic, he is still a well respected leader in the locker room.
Toronto Raptors
TALENT: GOOD
COHESION: GOOD
The reigning Eastern Conference Champs lost a bit of talent when Gugliotta left and when Finley took a step back, but they're still expected to be a great team going forward. One of the biggest reasons why? Chauncey Billups' leadership. The 28 year old has supreme confidence in his ability to be the best point guard in the league, and that sort of confidence is resonating well with the rest of the team.
Golden State Warriors
TALENT: BAD
COHESION: GOOD
This team has never recovered from their GM stepping down. The robot in charge hasn't done a very good job at accumulating talent. But for what little talent is there, Jalen Rose does a good job leading them.
Houston Rockets
TALENT: GREAT
COHESION: AVERAGE
The Rockets are definitely title contenders. How would they not be? With talent like Webber, Big Z, Jason Kidd, and Shandon Anderson, they can sleepwalk to 50 wins. However, the chemistry is a concern. This is year three of the Z/Webber pairing, and sources say they don't mesh well with each other on the court, though they reportedly don't let that affect their friendship.
Orlando Magic
TALENT: AVERAGE
COHESION: GOOD
The Magic GM is never able to go long without shuffling his talent. Despite that, they do seem to get along well with one another. Part of that is probably getting rid of Gilbert Arenas, who resented playing out of position.
New York Knicks
TALENT: BAD
COHESION: GREAT
Rumblings around the league have confirmed that a lot of GMs aren't happy with the way the Knicks have been squandering their talent. But don't tell that to the players, who absolutely love playing together in New York. Rumor has it that young stars Yao Ming and Carmelo Anthony share a loft together on the Upper East Side.
Charlotte Hornets
TALENT: AVERAGE
COHESION: GOOD
The players are pretty happy in Charlotte, although a lot of them aren't sure how long they'll be around before trade-happy GM Nick Malone ships them off to Godknowswhere. But that's something Malone will indeed have to do if he wants to field a more competitive team, who is solid but is lacking a gamechanger at the SG position.
Indiana Pacers
TALENT: POOR
COHESION: GOOD
Losing Jamaal really hurt the Pacers in terms of talent. GM PaulyP believes that Magliore wasn't essential to his team, but he may find out he's wrong this season. All the same, the team benefits from veteran presences of Paul Pierce and Shawn Kemp. Pierce has also said that playing with Eddie House is an absolute dream, that he loves his energy on the court and his sense of humor outside of it.
New Jersey Nets
TALENT: POOR
COHESION: GOOD
Much like the Pacers, the Nets are a friendly, happy team, but not necessarily a talented one. Maggette's bad camp is part of the reason the talent has slipped, as well as no clear star at any position. But that has also helped the team form an ego-less bond that may very well help the team contend for a playoff spot.
Utah Jazz
TALENT: GOOD
COHESION: POOR
People have wondered for years why the Jazz, who have a multi-time MVP and all the talent in the world, haven't been able to put it together to win the West. Well we may have our answer. According to Chris Broussard, the locker room is a real problem. Although they're the team's two biggest stars, apparently Tim Duncan and Bonzi Wells can't stand each other, and Broussard's sources say the reason is Duncan's enormous ego.
Boston Celtics
TALENT: POOR
COHESION: GREAT
Besides training camp superstar Steven Hunter, there aren't a lot of great players on the squad: only good and solid ones. But with their GM and coach's talent for getting the most out of players, plus how well everyone in that locker room gets along, I still see the Celtics with a chance in the division. The coach cites Alonzo's presence as the biggest factor to their chemistry: "He has been a consummate professional for years, and the young guys are learning how to conduct themselves by his example."
Philadelphia 76ers
TALENT: AVERAGE
COHESION: GOOD
The new GM in Philly has made some changes since he came in, and they all appear to be paying off in regards to chemistry. Baron Davis and Rip Hamilton were friends last year, but there was a real question of who the team leader was. With Rip gone, so is that confusion. And as the GM continues to build talent, there's no denying that the good chemistry can only lead to great things.
Denver Nuggets
TALENT: BAD
COHESION: GOOD
The good news is that Gilbert Arenas and Dwyane Wade are great young leaders who love playing together. The bad news is that there is literally no one else on the team to count on. The GM will need to make several moves if he wants to build around his young guards.
Dallas Mavericks
TALENT: GOOD
COHESION: AVERAGE
The Mavericks are a good team, and they certainly have a chance to win the division with Camby, Andre Miller, and perhaps the best SF in the game in Antawn Jamison. But all is not sunny in Dallas (god I wish Philly had bad cohesion): reports surfaced last week that Terry Mills and David West got into a fistfight at practice, with West easily knocking out the veteran Mills. GM FearTheBrow is going to need to keep an eye on his players if he wants to capitalize on a wide open Western Conference.
VanMemphis Grizzlies
TALENT: AVERAGE
COHESION: AVERAGE
You'd expect a team with Vince Carter, Gary Payton, and Shawn Marion to be considered among the most talented teams in the league. The issue here is the young scrubs bringing them down, which will soon be rectified: the Grizzlies have released most of the young average players this week. That score may change by the beginning of the season. But for now? Meh.
Los Angeles Lakers
TALENT: AVERAGE
COHESION: AVERAGE
The reigning champs? Average? Are you kidding me? Well, it appears this was mostly done by design. GM Inner got rid of Van Horn and Kidd and replaced them with...things? In any case, the champs will still have a shot at the playoffs thanks to KG, but it doesn't really seem like the team is that happy with Inner's reaction to their first title under his watch.
Detroit Pistons
TALENT: POOR
COHESION: AVERAGE
The Pistons had a great preseason, and under the power of Dwight Howard and Kevin Martin they may be able to go places. But with the rest of the team only so-so, and the chemistry not exactly there, it will be an uphill battle. Tony Parker is reportedly upset that Dwight has spent a lot of late nights on the phone with Eva Longoria, so we'll have to see how that plays out.
Portland Trailblazers
TALENT: AVERAGE
COHESION: POOR
It's always a bad sign when a locker room source says: "What do you expect when you have a German in charge of the locker room?" Things don't look good for the Blazers right now. There are definitely some talented players there, but the players are stiff and cold to one another. DerMarr Johnson told the press that it's a different situation here than in Atlanta: "In Atlanta we played cards and hung out. In Portland we just stare at each other."
Phoenix Suns
TALENT: POOR
COHESION: AVERAGE
GM GMessi has a long way to go before the Suns get out of the funk they've been in for at least a decade. The team isn't talented, and they're not all that happy playing together. James Posey is doing the best he can, but he needs help, both in winning games and turning around the locker room culture.
Cleveland Cavaliers
TALENT: BAD
COHESION: BAD
It's a good thing we get a documentary special on this team coming soon, because this sort of dysfunction should be really entertaining to watch. They rank among last in talent in the league, and that sort of thing hasn't gone unnoticed in the locker room. Sources claim that Michael Redd and Latrell Sprewell can't stand to be in the same room together. Hopefully the GM can make some moves to get a great player in who will calm the rocky waters of the Cuyahoga.
Seattle Supersonics
TALENT: POOR
COHESION: AVERAGE
Seattle has ping-ponged from good to bad so fast over the past few years that it makes your head spin. There's not a lot of talent here, but that's not a terrible thing for the team. He just needs to go as far as he can and hope to get a great pick in this year's draft. Maybe then the talent and the chemistry will begin to turn around. He may want to consider trading Jim Jackson as well, especially after Jackson reportedly made these disparaging comments about the city: "I can't believe I agreed to come back to this rainy town. Everything smells like stale coffee and the people are the worst people I've ever met."
Miami Heat
TALENT: POOR
COHESION: POOR
The Heat probably thought they were sitting pretty when they jumped all the way to #1 to select LeBron James. Maybe right now they're feeling differently after reports got out that "most players in the locker room can't stand the Chosen One." "No 19 year old should be that full of themselves," an unnamed player said. He's immensely talented, but it may be tough to lead the team to the playoffs if no one believes in him as a leader.
(Editor's Note: I didn't have the information on the Bucks because he didn't show it on the video. Sorry Doug!)
SUPERFRIENDS
This is the category of teams that are great in either category and good in the other. They are very talented teams that also get along well. They know each other like the back of their hand, and this allows them to get results. Washington Wizards
TALENT: GREAT
COHESION: GOOD
This may be the year for the Wiz. With Shaq, Rashard, and a newly developed Anthony Johnson, they have the talent. Plus they actually like each other too, as seen in J2's hilarious press conference.
Los Angeles Clippers
TALENT: GREAT
COHESION: GOOD
Signing Magliore may have put this talented team over the top. They have a hole at the point guard position, but after rumors that Nick Van Exel felt he was bigger than the team, the Clips are happy to go in a different direction.
San Antonio Spurs
TALENT: GREAT
COHESION: GOOD
The Spurs lost Shareef, but they picked up Alston and retained Jacque Vaughn, who reportedly is great friends with Ray Allen. The team has been a fixture in the Western Conference Finals and little seems to have changed this year.
Chicago Bulls
TALENT: GREAT
COHESION: GOOD
For years the Bulls have been that talented team that could never put it together. But after this summer's camp retreat where the players got really close, they had a great preseason. Is this the year that the Bulls finally live up to their immense potential?
STRONG AND SOLID
These are the teams that have good cohesion and good talent. They have a chance to be among the top teams in the league because of their talent and willingness to work together to win. Let's meet em!Sacramento Kings
TALENT: GOOD
COHESION: GOOD
They've been touted as the preseason favorites to win it all, and looking at this team it's hard not to see why. They're talented, led by the elite Tracy McGrady, and they're pretty good buddies as well. Shareef and Tom Gugliotta have reportedly fit in really well with the rest of the team.
Minnesota Timberwolves
TALENT: GOOD
COHESION: GOOD
At first look, this is surprising. After all, this team has missed the playoffs for three straight years and are only one year removed from a 16 win season. But after the moves this offseason, it makes sense. They brought in young leaders Rip Hamilton and Joe Johnson, and they got rid of reported locker room cancer Stromile Swift. Things may be looking up for this franchise.
Atlanta Hawks
TALENT: GOOD
COHESION: GOOD
Though they may be on the downward slope, this team is still capable of winning it all. They retained Ben Wallace, who is great friends with Antonio McDyess off the court. And even though Penny Hardaway is getting older, slower, and less dynamic, he is still a well respected leader in the locker room.
Toronto Raptors
TALENT: GOOD
COHESION: GOOD
The reigning Eastern Conference Champs lost a bit of talent when Gugliotta left and when Finley took a step back, but they're still expected to be a great team going forward. One of the biggest reasons why? Chauncey Billups' leadership. The 28 year old has supreme confidence in his ability to be the best point guard in the league, and that sort of confidence is resonating well with the rest of the team.
GOOD, BUT...
This category, the largest one by far, is filled with teams who are good or great in one category but average or worse in the other. There are some things to like about these teams, but there are questions in either talent or chemistry that could threaten their championship hopes.Golden State Warriors
TALENT: BAD
COHESION: GOOD
This team has never recovered from their GM stepping down. The robot in charge hasn't done a very good job at accumulating talent. But for what little talent is there, Jalen Rose does a good job leading them.
Houston Rockets
TALENT: GREAT
COHESION: AVERAGE
The Rockets are definitely title contenders. How would they not be? With talent like Webber, Big Z, Jason Kidd, and Shandon Anderson, they can sleepwalk to 50 wins. However, the chemistry is a concern. This is year three of the Z/Webber pairing, and sources say they don't mesh well with each other on the court, though they reportedly don't let that affect their friendship.
Orlando Magic
TALENT: AVERAGE
COHESION: GOOD
The Magic GM is never able to go long without shuffling his talent. Despite that, they do seem to get along well with one another. Part of that is probably getting rid of Gilbert Arenas, who resented playing out of position.
New York Knicks
TALENT: BAD
COHESION: GREAT
Rumblings around the league have confirmed that a lot of GMs aren't happy with the way the Knicks have been squandering their talent. But don't tell that to the players, who absolutely love playing together in New York. Rumor has it that young stars Yao Ming and Carmelo Anthony share a loft together on the Upper East Side.
Charlotte Hornets
TALENT: AVERAGE
COHESION: GOOD
The players are pretty happy in Charlotte, although a lot of them aren't sure how long they'll be around before trade-happy GM Nick Malone ships them off to Godknowswhere. But that's something Malone will indeed have to do if he wants to field a more competitive team, who is solid but is lacking a gamechanger at the SG position.
Indiana Pacers
TALENT: POOR
COHESION: GOOD
Losing Jamaal really hurt the Pacers in terms of talent. GM PaulyP believes that Magliore wasn't essential to his team, but he may find out he's wrong this season. All the same, the team benefits from veteran presences of Paul Pierce and Shawn Kemp. Pierce has also said that playing with Eddie House is an absolute dream, that he loves his energy on the court and his sense of humor outside of it.
New Jersey Nets
TALENT: POOR
COHESION: GOOD
Much like the Pacers, the Nets are a friendly, happy team, but not necessarily a talented one. Maggette's bad camp is part of the reason the talent has slipped, as well as no clear star at any position. But that has also helped the team form an ego-less bond that may very well help the team contend for a playoff spot.
Utah Jazz
TALENT: GOOD
COHESION: POOR
People have wondered for years why the Jazz, who have a multi-time MVP and all the talent in the world, haven't been able to put it together to win the West. Well we may have our answer. According to Chris Broussard, the locker room is a real problem. Although they're the team's two biggest stars, apparently Tim Duncan and Bonzi Wells can't stand each other, and Broussard's sources say the reason is Duncan's enormous ego.
Boston Celtics
TALENT: POOR
COHESION: GREAT
Besides training camp superstar Steven Hunter, there aren't a lot of great players on the squad: only good and solid ones. But with their GM and coach's talent for getting the most out of players, plus how well everyone in that locker room gets along, I still see the Celtics with a chance in the division. The coach cites Alonzo's presence as the biggest factor to their chemistry: "He has been a consummate professional for years, and the young guys are learning how to conduct themselves by his example."
Philadelphia 76ers
TALENT: AVERAGE
COHESION: GOOD
The new GM in Philly has made some changes since he came in, and they all appear to be paying off in regards to chemistry. Baron Davis and Rip Hamilton were friends last year, but there was a real question of who the team leader was. With Rip gone, so is that confusion. And as the GM continues to build talent, there's no denying that the good chemistry can only lead to great things.
Denver Nuggets
TALENT: BAD
COHESION: GOOD
The good news is that Gilbert Arenas and Dwyane Wade are great young leaders who love playing together. The bad news is that there is literally no one else on the team to count on. The GM will need to make several moves if he wants to build around his young guards.
Dallas Mavericks
TALENT: GOOD
COHESION: AVERAGE
The Mavericks are a good team, and they certainly have a chance to win the division with Camby, Andre Miller, and perhaps the best SF in the game in Antawn Jamison. But all is not sunny in Dallas (god I wish Philly had bad cohesion): reports surfaced last week that Terry Mills and David West got into a fistfight at practice, with West easily knocking out the veteran Mills. GM FearTheBrow is going to need to keep an eye on his players if he wants to capitalize on a wide open Western Conference.
MEH
This category is for the teams that are average in both talent and cohesion. These teams could be good, or they could be bad. At this point, it depends on coaching, because the team builders haven't done them many favors.VanMemphis Grizzlies
TALENT: AVERAGE
COHESION: AVERAGE
You'd expect a team with Vince Carter, Gary Payton, and Shawn Marion to be considered among the most talented teams in the league. The issue here is the young scrubs bringing them down, which will soon be rectified: the Grizzlies have released most of the young average players this week. That score may change by the beginning of the season. But for now? Meh.
Los Angeles Lakers
TALENT: AVERAGE
COHESION: AVERAGE
The reigning champs? Average? Are you kidding me? Well, it appears this was mostly done by design. GM Inner got rid of Van Horn and Kidd and replaced them with...things? In any case, the champs will still have a shot at the playoffs thanks to KG, but it doesn't really seem like the team is that happy with Inner's reaction to their first title under his watch.
NEEDS ATTENTION
The final category is for teams that have at least one category poor or bad, and have no good categories to make up for it. I'm not going to automatically disqualify these teams from making the playoffs, but I will say that if they want to make it, they'll need some vast improvement or teambuilding exercises. Because it ain't pretty.Detroit Pistons
TALENT: POOR
COHESION: AVERAGE
The Pistons had a great preseason, and under the power of Dwight Howard and Kevin Martin they may be able to go places. But with the rest of the team only so-so, and the chemistry not exactly there, it will be an uphill battle. Tony Parker is reportedly upset that Dwight has spent a lot of late nights on the phone with Eva Longoria, so we'll have to see how that plays out.
Portland Trailblazers
TALENT: AVERAGE
COHESION: POOR
It's always a bad sign when a locker room source says: "What do you expect when you have a German in charge of the locker room?" Things don't look good for the Blazers right now. There are definitely some talented players there, but the players are stiff and cold to one another. DerMarr Johnson told the press that it's a different situation here than in Atlanta: "In Atlanta we played cards and hung out. In Portland we just stare at each other."
Phoenix Suns
TALENT: POOR
COHESION: AVERAGE
GM GMessi has a long way to go before the Suns get out of the funk they've been in for at least a decade. The team isn't talented, and they're not all that happy playing together. James Posey is doing the best he can, but he needs help, both in winning games and turning around the locker room culture.
Cleveland Cavaliers
TALENT: BAD
COHESION: BAD
It's a good thing we get a documentary special on this team coming soon, because this sort of dysfunction should be really entertaining to watch. They rank among last in talent in the league, and that sort of thing hasn't gone unnoticed in the locker room. Sources claim that Michael Redd and Latrell Sprewell can't stand to be in the same room together. Hopefully the GM can make some moves to get a great player in who will calm the rocky waters of the Cuyahoga.
Seattle Supersonics
TALENT: POOR
COHESION: AVERAGE
Seattle has ping-ponged from good to bad so fast over the past few years that it makes your head spin. There's not a lot of talent here, but that's not a terrible thing for the team. He just needs to go as far as he can and hope to get a great pick in this year's draft. Maybe then the talent and the chemistry will begin to turn around. He may want to consider trading Jim Jackson as well, especially after Jackson reportedly made these disparaging comments about the city: "I can't believe I agreed to come back to this rainy town. Everything smells like stale coffee and the people are the worst people I've ever met."
Miami Heat
TALENT: POOR
COHESION: POOR
The Heat probably thought they were sitting pretty when they jumped all the way to #1 to select LeBron James. Maybe right now they're feeling differently after reports got out that "most players in the locker room can't stand the Chosen One." "No 19 year old should be that full of themselves," an unnamed player said. He's immensely talented, but it may be tough to lead the team to the playoffs if no one believes in him as a leader.
(Editor's Note: I didn't have the information on the Bucks because he didn't show it on the video. Sorry Doug!)