Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle Explains Why Having Stars Isn't Enough

During an interview with Caitlin Cooper, the creator of Basketball, She Wrote, Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle explained why having major stars isn't enough in today's NBA. 

Throughout most of the 2000s, NBA teams have been working on creating superteams to chase titles. It worked in Boston with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. It worked in Miami with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. And it worked in Golden State with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant. 

But Carlisle says it isn't just about acquiring the right pieces, it's about putting together a squad that will play harder than the other team. He told Cooper: 

"The NBA game has now become a play hard league. It’s not just being top heavy with stars. Roster construction is changing. It’s become more important to have more good players than be top heavy with two or three great players that get all the touches."

Carlisle's Pacers are a good example of this phenomenon. While the team featured a star in Tyrese Haliburton and other top level players like Myles Turner (now a Buck) and Pascal Siakam, Indiana also has a rotation of 10 players who play hard at all times. This led to a Final's appearance this year and a deep playoff run last year. 

The Champion Oklahoma City Thunder are another example. The team featured MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and All-Star Jalen Williams, but also a deep bench with multiple players who all filled a role and played hard. Somehow, winning a title in the NBA has become even harder.