Look at it this way, Chemistry is like horsepower: Keeps the game going in a smooth. Skill\Talent is like torque: It pushes you to that next level. No one is saying Chemistry isn't important but when it comes to the playoffs it's your stars that push you to that next level. Kobe and Shaq didn't have great chemistry but they got it done.
Not without a lot of help from the refs. Yes, talent matters, but chemistry is more important. Those two made it work, despite not getting along off the court. Which is why I made the point that you take a player as a whole, as an individual element, that reacts with other elements (players/coaches). It's not simply whether or not they hang out after the game, it's how they interact on the court and what results. If you don't have good chemistry, it doesn't work. Shaq went to Miami and won a title, Kobe won a title without Shaq. It's the chemistry that makes it work. I'm not discounting talent, I'm just saying that you can get pretty far with chemistry and lesser talent, the opposite is less common. You absolutely need both to be a contender. You can have the best motor, injector, exhaust, hoses, spark plugs, and whatever else goes under the hood, but without the oil, you're not going anywhere.
How about this for Chemistry.... [video=youtube;KmVbjogVNrk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmVbjogVNrk[/video]
I'll wait until the Blazers actually make the playoffs before I give too much praise to Stotts. If this team collapses this year for some reason, I think Stotts will probably be fired, since the talent is clearly there for a playoff run.
What that tells me that Paul George scoring more has actually hampered the offense a bit. I'd say that maybe that is partially on Nate, but then again, his Roy playoff teams were near the top in offensive efficiency.
Absolutely. When Failton, Wallace, Camby were brought in, it was just throwing together some talent. When Miller was brought in, reports at the time said that he had accepted being a back-up. Then he started whining and had a temper tantrum. Funny thing is, he's been a bench player since he left for Denver, and a solid one at that. Had he accepted that role in Portland, perhaps the team wouldn't have fractured. Repped.
