What happened in L.A. last season should serve as a cautionary tale for the rest of the NBA: Building a championship contender takes much more than adding splashy names to an already solid roster. Things like chemistry, depth and patience count for just as much as top-end personnel.
Eerie Similarities
The Nets went out this past summer and embraced the Lakers' year-old process of adding stars to an already top-heavy and expensive roster. And while some of the circumstances are different, there are also a number of commonalities that should make Nets fans at least a little bit uncomfortable.
Big Moves and Little Patience
The comparison between this year's Nets and last year's Lakers has to start with the most obvious similarity: Both added a pair of marquee veterans to a roster already boasting All-Star talent. In acquiring Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, the Nets added championship experience and blue-collar workers to a roster that was a little short on both qualities.
Not only did Brooklyn copy the star-acquisition strategy that L.A. used to bring in Dwight Howard and Steve Nash last year, but the organizational mindset behind the decision was also somewhat similar.
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov isn't one for subtlety. He swore to secure a championship within five years of his purchase of the team, and to his mind, the best way to deliver on that promise has always been to spend boatloads of money on established stars.
The long, slow process of cultivating talent from within isn't an option.
He wants to win right now, and his impatience (not to mention his willingness to toss up a middle finger to the luxury tax) resulted in a big, headline-grabbing move.
The Lak...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
