Most 'greater than the sum of its parts' and 'lesser than the sum of its parts' teams ever?

[giordunk]

Most recent lesser than the sum of its parts is that KD/Kyrie/Harden but I'm sure there are some other candidates.

2006 Heat I think is greater than the sum of its parts - Wade was emerging but shouldn't really have been playoff dominant like that. Everyone else on that team was a bit washed but veteran poise and culture empowered Wade and put them in the position to win. But idk.

Also 2020 Heat, greater than the sum its parts.

The 2013 Lakers I think obviously very impressive in terms of names, but similar thing - most of those players were quite washed.

[giordunk]

Not exactly answering the question but I also wanna throw in the 2008 Celtics and the LeBron Heat role players - obviously they both have a Big 3 but all the role players are pretty much out of the NBA as soon as they weren't playing with the Big 3, but playing huge minutes in the Finals.

[Texas Chuck]

Aging Spurs with baby Kawhi are the first team that comes to mind as greater than the sum.

Multiple variations of the Portland Trailblazers feel like less than the sum of the parts. Some of those teams were so deeply loaded.

[kendogg]

2004 Lakers, 2004 Pistons

[SilentA]

Greater than the sum of parts for me: 1994 Champion Rockets (pre-Clyde).

Hakeem and a team of role players that gave us one of the earliest previews of surrounding a paint star with shooters and having solid all around defense. Kenny Smith, early Robert Horry, Vernon Maxwell etc. starting. IIRC the only teammates from that roster to ever make the all star game was textbook 90s power forward Otis Thorpe in 92 as a fringe one-time selection and Sam Cassell 10 years later in 2004.

[henshao]

Oh man, both versions of the champion Pistons squads overachieved mightily and then the 73-win Warriors need little introduction in the opposite direction but perhaps for all the marbles in the eye-popping underachiever category were these guys

[f4p]

Oh man, both versions of the champion Pistons squads overachieved mightily and then the 73-win Warriors need little introduction in the opposite direction but perhaps for all the marbles in the eye-popping underachiever category were these guys

why would the thunder be an example? they played together as super young guys and lost to the heat with lebron in the finals, about as good as you can expect. and then they weren't together any more.


i figure this thread was just made for 2023 bucks and 2023 heat. although to be fair, the heat just straight up became a massively better 3 point shooting team when the playoffs started and butler, a lifelong mediocre jump shooter, can't miss. so i don't know if they are more than the sum or the sum just got a lot better due to variance.

[Statlanta]

2015 Hawks

Late 90’s Rockets

[tsherkin]

Greater than the sum of parts for me: 1994 Champion Rockets (pre -Clyde).

Hakeem and a team of role players that gave us one of the earliest previews of surrounding a paint star with shooters and having solid all around defense. Kenny Smith, early Robert Horry, Vernon Maxwell etc. starting.

Came here to post this, for sure. They were not a dominant RS team, but they did everything right in the postseason.

[penbeast0]

For a purely Wizards spin, the "It ain't over till the fat lady sings" Bullets were a .500 team but pulled it together and won an NBA title. On the other hand, the Webber, Juwan Howard, Cal Chaeney, Rod Strickland version was apparently talented enough that Michael Jordan said they would be the next challengers to his supremacy but never won a single playoff game being swept in their only appearance.

[giberish]

Oh man, both versions of the champion Pistons squads overachieved mightily and then the 73-win Warriors need little introduction in the opposite direction but perhaps for all the marbles in the eye-popping underachiever category were these guys

The 2016 Warriors were a 'less than the sum of their parts' team??

I would argue that both the 2014-5 and 2015-6 Warriors were 'greater than the sum of their parts' teams. Two dominant regular seasons, one title and one game 7 finals loss to a bespoke superteam led by prime LeBron. They weren't that stacked, they played really well together.

Many, many teams have appeared to be far more talented yet accomplished far less.

[giordunk]

Oh man, both versions of the champion Pistons squads overachieved mightily and then the 73-win Warriors need little introduction in the opposite direction but perhaps for all the marbles in the eye-popping underachiever category were these guys

The 2016 Warriors were a 'less than the sum of their parts' team??

I would argue that both the 2014-5 and 2015-6 Warriors were 'greater than the sum of their parts' teams. Two dominant regular seasons, one title and one game 7 finals loss to a bespoke superteam led by prime LeBron. They weren't that stacked, they played really well together.

Many, many teams have appeared to be far more talented yet accomplished far less.

I agree with the 2015 Warriors as greater than the sum of its parts. It took some 'luck' with an injury to David Lee to realize that they had a generational defensive player that could change the meta of the NBA.

The Warriors were good but you can see from the last few seasons that they are actually quite beatable - the rest of the league just caught up and figured out how to play their game - no more 'death lineup'

The Curry/Green combo prety much put all slow-footed big men out of the league over the next 10 years.

But in terms of talent and expectations I do think they overachieved given where they were at the start of the season - I'd argue they're kinda similar in talent and expectations as the Grizzlies right now.