Finding Success

by Casey Jacobsen There aren’t a lot of superstars in the NBA. That term is used very loosely by fans who sometimes trick themselves into crowning their team’s leading scorer as part of the League’s elite. Being a talented scorer doesn’t always make your team better, especially if they can’t do other things to help win games. I’ve played with and against a lot of guys whose ability to score made them a fan favorite and the highest paid guy on the team, but sometimes I felt our team would have been better if they did one of two things: 1) Use some of their athletic ability and energy to play more defense, and 2) Sacrifice some of their points to make their teammates better by creating open shots for them. It’s rare to find a great scorer in the NBA who is also a top defender (KG or Kobe) because that requires a special focus and effort that many aren’t willing to put forth night after night. A true superstar is extremely rare. They are the guys who you can build a team around. But ma...