Assembling Versus Building. A Theory on Team Development in Professional Sports.

I am a fan of two struggling franchises.

The Philadelphia Eagles, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Both, according to the talent evaluators around their respective leagues, have under-achieved.  The problems appear in both organizations seem to be similar, ranging from injuries, to communication, and turnovers.  Some people also blame "Hero Ball" in both scenarios placing blame on it's biggest stars, Michael Vick and Kobe Bryant.  They blame the coach, they blame Pau Gasol or Nnamdi Asomugha.

Something is going wrong if you assemble all of this talent and you have nothing to show for it.

However, I believe both teams are currently the products of poor management from the GM and Ownership positions, and the current culture of assembling teams rather than building them.

I believe that in team sports, the most important aspect to the team is maintaining continuity, and that keeping everyone together, and understanding and embracing their own individual roles.  If due to circumstances, their roles should change, then they need to understand and embrace that as well.

This is a process that takes time together, that requires a build up of past experiences playing with each other, and patience.

As scouts focus largely on measurables such as speed and strength, or the fundamentals such as a jump-shot or their blocking/tackling techniques, what appears to be lost is whether or not the player will fit in with everyone else.  A great athlete does not necessarily mean a great teammate and could potentially keep other players from playing at a high level.

I don't discount the value of adding the best individual athletes mind you.  Adding a player with superior individual talent will more than likely upgrade your success rate as a team.  However it appears that too much addition and subtraction of players leads to confusion, disconnectedness, and poor morale.

As I've watched both the Lakers and Eagles play, lets look at the similarities between the two squads.  Also we will look at what might be the best teams in both the NFL and NBA

The Lakers acquired Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown and the rights to Marc Gasol, instantly upgrading at one position.  All of the other players on that 2009 championship team had played for the Lakers for the year before  Players such as Luke Walton, Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, and Sasha Vujacic, all had played for Phil Jackson, and with Kobe Bryant for multiple seasons.  That continuity, I believe was vital. 

The Eagles, during their best run, maintained many of their players as well.  McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Tra Thomas, Sheldon Brown, Troy Vincent, Brian Dawkins, Jeremiah Trotter, and Hugh Douglas had been with the team for years before they broke through to a Super Bowl appearance.

Now look at how both teams have changed.

Both say that they still have championship aspirations, yet the way that they've gone about trying to achieve these goals appears to contradict their own recent history.

Instead of adding and subtracting a few players here or there, both teams appear to be in a constant state of flux, hiring and firing coaches, cutting players mid season, or making trades.  This I believe has led to a bit of an identity crisis, and win/loss records far below what their physical talents might otherwise indicate.

Teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans have maintained many of their players for a number of years and have resulted in consistent play, and positive team morale.

The New England Patriots have been a mainstay atop the AFC for a decade and though many players have come and gone, most of their players have been drafted and developed into their team concepts or have very quickly adapted to their roles (Randy Moss, Wes Welker).

This is not to say I think teams should never move assets and only stick with the players that they have.  Some players over time may become despondent, unmotivated, or just do not get along with the teammates or coaches that they have

Sometimes successful teams stagnate and plateau, achieving a high level of success for a period of time, then they cannot seemingly get back over the hump. The solution I believe is not to make wholesale changes in the roster or staff, but rather small tweaks, identifying the most glaring problems and correcting them.

As I watch the NBA season play out, and await the off-season for the Eagles, I am hoping that the management of both franchises remains calm in the face of adversity and does not panic and fire coaches, trade players, and destroy whatever semblance of team remains.