NBA's superstar-less teams face uphill battle

George Karl has been using heroic terms to define his team's personnel predicament. "Our challenge is to beat Goliath," Karl, who coaches the 14-6 Denver Nuggets, said of competing in the NBA without the benefit of suiting up at least one example of what qualifies as a superstar. It also should be noted that George is pretty fussy about which players actually deserve the label. Speaking to reporters earlier this season, he sort of suggested it should be reserved for players who've led their teams to NBA championships. While that would eliminate some true superstars down through the years, I'm not interested in advancing any referendum on how to judge a player's perceived value. But a pretty compelling case could be made for recognizing a trend during this twisted season. Several teams obliged to charge into competition without the presence of at least one elite player (or two, or three) have done quite well lately. In addition to the Nuggets, the Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks (hey, Joe Johnson is a superstar in contract only), Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets (nine wins in the last 10 games) are thriving behind the performances of really talented ensembles. And while that may supply hope for franchises currently finding it difficult to inspire a Miami-like harmonic convergence of alleged star talent, please wait before thinking this will become the way of the NBA world. Don't be surprised if the Heat or Chicago Bulls or Oklahoma City Thunder -- teams driven to success by at least one elite player -- walk away with the next O'Brien Trophy. That doesn't mean Karl is ready to put away his slingshot. "Everybody says you're gonna have three superstars on three or four teams," Karl said as this season's camps opened. "Well, I'm not sure Denver's gonna be one of those teams. So why should we build on that philosophy? My philosophy is why don't we get a top-10 player at every position and have a top-10 bench?" After Carmelo Anthony -- a superstar offensive talent without superstar portfolio -- used his free-agent-to-be leverage to become a New York Knick last season, Karl and the Nuggets found themselves looking very much like a lion-free depiction of Noah's Ark. They had two good young point guards, a couple of rising small forwards and beyond-reasonable depth at the other three positions. They finished the last regular season looking very scary, but they didn't have enough bite to take down Kevin Durant and OKC in the playoffs. Does this mean balanced teams without Springfield-bound players don't have a chance to win an NBA championship? No, but the list of teams that have done so is extremely short. (By the way, some big thinkers still may use the chicken-egg championship theory in addressing which players should be judged great ... and when.) Anyway, in search of perspective, I discussed this issue with a league personnel executive. "The Nuggets are really good, and George has to look at his situation that way," the personnel guy said. "But that won't stop people in my business from attempting to move heaven and earth to find that next superstar-type player. Hey, the Rockets are going great right now, but they still tried to get (Pau) Gasol earlier and may still be trying. Whether you think Gasol's a star or not, there may not be a more skilled post player in basketball. "You would be naive to overlook the marketing aspect in some of this interest in getting star players. "The Sixers are playing great without a quote-unquote superstar and still not drawing a lot of fans. But I don't know anyone who's going to sacrifice wins just to have a couple of big names. And we have to assume the Knicks really thought putting 'Melo with Amar'e (Stoudemire) would produce more victories." Aside from the awful blend of players in New York, elite players can give their teams a big advantage in the postseason. Remember, playoff basketball often is underscored by coaches putting less trust than usual in a communal approach to offense. This reliance on go-to scorers leads to less transition basketball and more half-court sets against team defenses that become more prepared to deal with these sets as a series progresses. "That's where the star player comes in," the personnel guy said. "If you have an elite talent, he can generate offense even when the defense knows exactly what he's going to do. "Hey, I'd love it if spacing, ball movement, offensive balance and defensive tenacity ruled the day and teams could win without max-contract guys. We're in a similar situation. But when this year's playoffs end, almost everyone in the game will be really surprised if the Heat, Bulls, Thunder ... or Mavs -- getting it together again with Dirk -- don't win it all." So, while strict interpretations of superstar status allow for only a few teams to actually employ such players, the NBA's Davids (and that is not a reference to Stern and the New Orleans Hornets) must take the figurative charge against Goliath. GORDON AS BATMAN Having segued toward New Orleans, the same personnel guy also agreed to comment on the star potential of Hornets guard Eric Gordon. Now that the deadline to reach a contract extension with the Hornets his expired, Gordon is quite popular with those who root for andor write about the Phoenix Suns. The Suns, you may have noticed, need someone capable of scoring without being overtly chaperoned into a shot by Steve Nash. The 6-foot-3, 23-year-old Gordon scored 22 points per game playing alongside Blake Griffin with the Los Angeles Clippers last season, and he has a career average of 18 points per game. He's also an eager defender. Unfortunately, his looming free-agent status will fall into the restricted category, so any potential interest from the Suns may only serve to drive up the price New Orleans could match to keep him. The word "could" is used because we'll have to wait and see who owns the Hornets this summer. If it's still the NBA, Commissioner David Stern must decide if keeping this expensive-but-young asset would help or hinder an eventual sale. For guidance, let's check in with the personnel guy. "That's definitely a tough call," he said. "I don't know too many people who don't really like Gordon a lot. But he did miss quite a few games two years ago (20, actually) and even more than that last season. And he's out now. "He can really score the ball, though, can get shots on his own, defends and seems to be a pretty good chemistry guy. Obviously, I understand why the Clippers wanted Chris Paul, and you see what that's done for them. But at 23 or whatever, it makes you wonder how good they believe Gordon will be if they let him get away. I guess being really good now with Paul made it worth the risk." For the record, Gordon worked for the Clippers until he and two teammates were moved to New Orleans in the Paul deal. At post time, the former Indiana Hoosier had played in only two games this season. But some observers -- most of whom believe Gordon's not quite a max-contract-caliber player -- think he could be as close as the Suns could get to star talent in the free-agent market. It should be pointed out that the amnesty clause could enable nearly half of the league's teams to clear enough cap space to take a shot at Gordon ... or someone else. The Indiana Pacers, based in Gordon's home town, are vigorous suitors who also have to reconcile their contract issues with Roy Hibbert and George Hill if they are to afford the coveted shooting guard. And if the Hornets' decision-makers think it's prudent to build around him and some draft picks, Gordon will stay put. If they don't, Suns fans can hope Gordon sees a stronger future in Phoenix than most of the league has noticed lately. 2008 REVISITED Last week's contract-extension deadline for the draft class of '08 included some interesting names -- especially on the list of those who weren't re-enlisted. The Suns' contribution to that roll call is center Robin Lopez, who was selected by the Suns with the 15th pick in the first round. Hibbert went two picks later, followed by (among others) JaVale McGee, J.J. Hickson, Ryan Anderson, Courtney Lee, Serge Ibaka, Nicolas Batum and George Hill. Yeah, hindsight doesn't need the Lasik procedure. All but Ibaka should be in the restricted-free-agent pool this summer.