Last summer, when the Los Angeles Lakers put together their roster for this season, they appeared to prioritize star power, big names and veterans.
It led to the Russell Westbrook trade and the signings of Trevor Ariza, Carmelo Anthony and DeAndre Jordan.
The result: one of the oldest teams in NBA history that quickly spawned meme-worthy old-age jokes, and more importantly, a team that couldn’t run or defend consistently. It ended up missing the play-in tournament.
As the conference semifinals across the league heat up, the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks have made it this far largely because of a certain type of player that is vital to success in today’s game.