TORRANCE TRIBUNE December 13, 2012 Page 5 Deconstructing the “Super Team” Up and Adam By Adam Serrao followed and continued with their lineage of Basketball is Backsuper team-dom. By adding Pau Gasol in whatIt is slowly becoming increasingly popular in professional athletics to construct what was one of the most lopsided trades in NBA By Adam Serrao the end of last year and made a run all the analysts like to call “super teams.” The birth of history, the Lakers put together a team with It’s that time of year again and basketball way to the semifinals of the CIF Southern these so-called super teams is most commonly Bryant and future All-Star Andrew Bynum is back at high schools all around Torrance. Section Division III-A bracket behind Brandon attributed to the NBA and LeBron James when that wasn’t just one to be reckoned with, but Perhaps no high school is more optimistic Gardner, Jimmy Carley and Shane Smith. All his “decision” had the world waiting to see also one that took down the Celtics and made about its chances to compete this year than the three of those players from last year are gone what later formed a Miami Heat squad that three straight trips to the NBA Finals, losing South High Spartans. Last year, the Spartans and moved on to college, so maintaining a team also recruited Chris Bosh to team up with in 2008 but winning in both 2009 and 2010. struggled midway through and towards the that is adept at proficient scoring may come Dwyane Wade--thus creating a powerhouse As previously mentioned, the Miami Heat end of the season before squeaking into the as a challenge to Vaughan in his first year. down in South Beach. The truth is, however, came together in the summer of 2010 to create playoffs with an at-large bid. Always ones to One player who should make that job a bit that the super team started much sooner than one of the most athletically talented teams the make the most out of the opportunities given to easier is returning starter Brett Akahiji. Akahiji that. When Mitch Kupchak made his first huge NBA has ever seen. With James, Wade and them, head coach Leo Klemm and South High averaged almost 15 points per game last year, transaction as the GM of the Los Angeles Bosh, the Heat had all the right pieces in all rallied off four playoff wins in a row before but is constantly battling the injury bug, so he Lakers and brought in Gary Payton and Karl of the right places. In the first year of their meeting and ultimately falling to Calabasas will have to fight to stay on the court for the Malone to play alongside future hall-of-famers existence, however, they would make it to in the CIF final. Though the year was still a entirety of his senior season. The Tartars are Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, the first the NBA Finals but lose in six games to the success to the Spartans, they hope to not only already off to a rough start with a 1-4 record NBA “super team” was created. While all of Dallas Mavericks. If they were so talented, repeat their accomplishments but also capitalize to start the season, but with a lot of time until the big names being smashed together on one then why didn’t they win right away? Maybe on the experience that was provided to them league play begins, Vaughan will have ample team does indeed create nationwide attention, it didn’t matter, because the very next year in their playoff run. Only time will tell, but so opportunity to develop his young team. the super team has still become somewhat of the Heat made it back to the Finals and this far they look to be off to a good start. North hiGh an oddity. While more and more organizations time won in five games over the Oklahoma With three returning starters in the lineup this The North High Saxons had a great season are doing all that they can to acquire as much City Thunder. As everyone knows, the Lakers year, the Spartans appear pretty formidable when last year, taking the Pioneer League outright and talent as possible and fit it all onto one team, have done their part to toss their name back matched up against any opponent. Jake Ly (13.5 advancing into the third round of the playoffs success oftentimes remains unattained. Is the into the hat by creating their own new super points, 5.2 rebounds), Kenichi Hackman (12.4 before being eliminated by Mayfair. Like the idea of creating a super team a fruitless attempt team comprised of Dwight Howard, Steve points, 6.6 rebounds) and Amar Kukreja (7.8 Tartars, the Saxons are experiencing a head at championship-chasing, or does the correct Nash, Kobe and Pau. So far, it’s not looking points, 2.2 assists) round out a returning senior coaching change at the top of their team as Gary application of the process bear success? good for the Lakers as they find themselves class that will be the fulcrum of the Spartans’ Dupperon has handed the varsity squad over to With Shaq, Kobe, Payton and Malone all under .500 on the season and unable to beat team this season. “Those three bring back more his son, Luke Dupperon. Davante Jenkins is the on one team, how do you lose? Well, the any quality opponent. With so much talent on than 30 points per game,” said an optimistic lone star returning from last year’s first place Lakers didn’t lose very often that year as one team (setting aside the injury to Nash), head coach Klemm. Thirty points is enough to team, so the newly inaugurated head coach may they made it all the way to the 2004 NBA how can one team lose so often and be so ignite any offense and that’s precisely what the have a bit of molding to do before this team Finals to face the Detroit Pistons. This Lakers inconsistent? The Lakers aren’t the only team Spartans will look forward to doing this year. really gets into the swing of things. Already team was perhaps the first super team ever in Los Angeles that is having trouble with a With a high-scoring offense, South will look it has become apparent that the Saxons have created and did its part to not only open up surplus of talent. After all that the Los Angeles to get ahead early before bringing Hackman been struggling early on, as they are off to a other GMs’ eyes around the league, but also Angels of Anaheim did in last year’s offseason in off the bench to extend any possible lead. 2-4 start to the season. It is worth noting that opened a decade-long race for super team (including adding Albert Pujols), they wound Where the Spartans have a deficit in size, Jenkins, fresh off his team’s successful football supremacy. While the idea was good, however, up missing the playoffs for the third year in a they surely make up for it in quickness and season, wasn’t with the club for its first couple the initial constitution of the super team was row despite the extra wild card spot. Likewise, depth off the bench. The team didn’t fully come of games. While the team has a lot of catching ultimately a failure. The Lakers lost in the the Dodgers reinvented their team with the together until late last year, but with significant up to do, there is some optimism surrounding Finals that year to the Pistons--a team that additions of Hanley Ramirez and Adrian starters returning to make contributions this Jenkins’ leadership abilities. seemed to have much more chemistry along Gonzalez, to name a few, but actually got season, chemistry should be at an all-time West hiGh with the willingness to play together. To this worse as a team down the stretch. So is it the high. “We’re different in that we’re deeper,” The West High Warriors are in a league of day, whenever a team is constructed with super team that is failing, or just an unlucky said Klemm. “We can go deep into our lineup their own. The only team in Torrance that’s various skilled players on its roster and that streak for all of the teams of Los Angeles? without sacrificing quickness.” Hopefully for not in the Pioneer League, the Warriors find team fails to live up to its expectations, it is Perhaps the Miami Heat team that won the Spartans, the quickness that they boast themselves battling each year against some always compared to the initial super team of the title last year answered the question as will be enough to get them past some of the very skilled ball clubs. Last year, the Warriors Malone and Payton. well as it can be answered. Despite all of the bigger lineups in the Pioneer League. With the compiled a 19-9 record that got them into a tie Next up, the Boston Celtics rolled into talent that is given to a team through specific experience at the coaching position and this for second place. This year the team is hoping town and created a super team of their own athletes, if those athletes can’t work together year on the team itself, the Spartans should for continued success, but under head coach by adding Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to then they won’t achieve their ultimate goal have what it takes to get the job done. South Paul Nitake can even see themselves capturing Paul Pierce’s squad in the summer of 2007. of winning a championship. Perhaps sound is already out to quite an impressive start to the Bay League crown. If they’re going to do The emergence of Rajon Rondo assisted in advice to apply to everyday life as well. So to the season with a record of 4-1, including a so, they will have to get past the likes of not creating a team that was far superior to any expect these Lakers to be as good as they can 73-29 win over Calvary Chapel and 52-36 win only Leuzinger but also Mira Costa and the other in the Eastern Conference at the time. be, or even to win this year’s championship, over Whitney. two traditionally competitive teams from Palos Unlike Payton and Malone, however, Garnett may be farfetched, to say the least. Same torraNCe hiGh Verdes. So far the Warriors are off to a decent and Allen were in their primes at the time. goes for the Angels and the Dodgers. Such The Torrance Tartars are up against a tall start at 2-2, but with a lot of season remaining Their energy assisted the team in advancing high expectations are often met with generally challenge this year in the wake of 16-year to be played, there is still plenty of time. The to the NBA Finals in 2008 where they went large disappointment. Once these teams have veteran George Tachibana’s retirement from the Warriors will rely on Stefan Inouye, Ethan on to beat none other than the Los Angeles enough time to play with each other and build head coaching position of the boys’ basketball Kishimoto and Christian D’Emilia for point Lakers for their first championship in 12 enough chemistry together, the full value of team. In his stead, first-year head coach Andru production and leadership this year. The road years. Not to be outdone, the Lakers soon the super team in L.A. will at last be met. • Vaughan will take over a team that got hot at to a Bay League crown lies in their hands. • Sales Associate Wanted Herald Publications, Inc. needs: an experienced Display Advertising Associate. 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