As I prepare myself to watch game three of the 2017 NBA Finals featuring the two best teams in the league, it got me to thinking about the NBA as a whole and why there are only two “Super Teams.” Which by the way get used to seeing the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors for at least the next 3 years (I will explain that shortly). But as we approach the upcoming game with the bevy of extraordinary talent that will be on the floor (LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving, etc.), ask yourself this question, is there enough talent in the league left to form another “Super Team?”

Super Teams, in my opinion, are those organizations with at least three players on them that are considered superstars in the NBA currently. They shine with skill and display the right type of chemistry on the court such as ball movement so that every superstar receives sufficient ball-to-hand contact during games. Communication is key for these guys to have an effective defense. Each star must be willing to sacrifice part of their own strengths for the greater good of the overall team. As we look through the current rosters of the other 28 teams and the notable free agents that will be available in the next two years, can we see any scenarios that fit the criteria we spoke of earlier? Is there any combination that will honestly give the Cavs or Warriors (given if the current rosters of superstars remain with the team) any challenge? The answer is simple and a resounding … No!

If you look at the players available once this season ends such as Gordon Hayward, Paul Millsap, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry, etc. None of them can go to a team and make them a super team. Now they can go and help a team become better but they can’t make a team super. Not in the sense where they are ready to compete for a championship the day they arrive. Part of the problem is there are no current teams constructed with two legitimate superstars. Most of the ones who need the help have a superstar and a really good player. Let me give you a couple of examples. Take the Houston Rockets, the home team. James Harden is a superstar and 2017 MVP finalist. He is an elite talent that is a top five player in the league, no doubt. Looking over the Rockets roster where is another player that can support the same status that Harden brings? Not one can be found. Now don’t get me wrong. The Rockets have some very good and gifted players but not one can truly be considered a superstar when reviewing the definition of the word. Let’s say the Los Angeles Clippers Point Forward Blake Griffin decides he wants to come to Houston to play with Harden and the rest of the Rockets that would, of course, propel the Rockets to have more “W’s” in the win column and a better seeding in the West. That has been proven with the third place finish they racked up this past season behind the San Antonio Spurs (2) and Golden State Warriors (1). So, a player like Griffin pushes them past the Spurs for the number two seed, but not to a number one if the Warriors team stays intact the way it is now. That gives the Rockets two superstars while the Warriors would still have four.

Just for fun, let’s take a ride up I-10 to San Antonio. The Spurs also have a superstar, 2017 MVP finalist, and a top three player in Kwahi Leonard. Yet they have a bunch of aging players such as Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, Lamarcus Aldridge, etc. that surrounds him. If the rumors play themselves out and Clippers Point Guard Chris Paul came to the Spurs, how can you look at that team and say they are ready to compete with Golden State? You can’t. This game can be played with several teams throughout the league but the results would still be the same. It would take a few great moves to put together anything like the Cavs and Warriors even if you waited until the following year when some big names such as LeBron James (he is not leaving Cleveland again), Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Isaiah Thomas, and Paul George became available. Teams would still run into the same problem trying to construct a team ready to battle those juggernauts that are currently playing for the third year in a row in the NBA Finals.

Sorry for being the bearer of bad news to all you die-hard fans of the NBA. But I believe you are looking at the NBA Finals for the next 3-5 years barring injuries. And why some of you look at it as a dreadful thing for these players to team up to form such teams the NBA loves it from a rating standpoint. The two games played thus far have been the highest rated first two games in NBA Finals history. So, love it or hate it, you are watching it. And in the grand scheme of things that’s all that matters. Viewership brings in advertising dollars which, in turn, brings in big TV deals (9 years, 24 billion dollars) for the league. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, I have the Golden State Warriors in 6 games. See ya next year.