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The Milwaukee Bucks showed the NBA community that a superteam is not needed to win an NBA championship. Regardless, a few teams have left the heavy-lifting to one star player without providing them with much help.
Teams have taken the initiative to surround their star players with All-Star caliber players to give themselves a decent chance at competing for the championship. But some are following in the footsteps of the Bucks, and maintaining an average roster with just one superstar.
While that might give the franchise room to build for the future, their chances of having a successful season are slim, especially if the star player is unavailable for some reason.
Basketball is a 5-man game, and each player has to pull their weight to guarantee success. The over-reliance on LeBron James and Anthony Davis cost the LA Lakers their chance at a back-to-back NBA title last season.
Team Slovenia also suffered the same fate at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 men's basketball tournament. Luka Doncic's injury deeply affected the Slovenian national team, as they could not overcome Team Australia to win the bronze medal.
Over-reliance has hurt NBA teams in the past, but it is still a common occurrence. Here are five teams that are over-reliant on only one star player:
#5 Miami Heat
Jimmy Butler has been the Miami Heat's star player since he joined the team in 2019. Since then, the Heat have looked to him for production.
Although his first stint with the franchise was successful, things fell apart for Miami in the 2021 NBA playoffs. A poor shooting display from the veteran forward resulted in a first-round sweep by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Butler had led the Miami Heat to the 2020 NBA Finals, but failed to measure up with the superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Things might be different for the Miami Heat during the 2021-22 NBA season following the acquisition of Kyle Lowry. Nevertheless, Miami will always be Jimmy Butler's team, and his performances eventually will determine their success or failure.
#4 Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid is the Philadelphia 76ers' franchise player, and for good reason. The Cameroonian has elevated the team's status as one of the best in the Eastern Conference.
The end of the 2020-21 NBA season was rather disappointing for the 76ers, as they lost to the 5th-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the conference semi-finals. It was an anticlimactic end for the No. 1 seed who started the 2021 NBA playoffs on an extremely high note.
Embiid featured in 51 games for the 76ers, and averaged 28.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per outing. Without the big man, they went on a 10-11 run.
The 2021 NBA offseason has not been the most productive for the 76ers, as they have failed to bring in an elite player to complement Embiid. Although Ben Simmons is a certified All-Star, his inefficiency shooting the ball and the recent cold war between him and the franchise could see him leave the team sooner rather than later.
#3 Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors dominated the NBA from 2015-2019, winning three of the five titles available in that period. But it was a combined effort from Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala.
With Durant's departure and Thompson's injury in 2019, Curry was solely responsible for steering the ship. Although the 3-time NBA champion has continued to deliver stellar performances, his efforts have not been enough to lead the team to another playoff run.
The Golden State Warriors were close to qualifying for the 2021 NBA playoffs, but they were no match for the LA Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament. With Curry playing only five games in the 2019-20 season, the Warriors finished with the worst record in the league - 15-50.
Thompson's return from a two-year injury is imminent, which might lessen the scoring load on Curry. The Warriors have also made some summer signings that could boost their chances of making another championship run.
Curry finished the 2020-21 NBA season as the league's scoring leader, with an average of 32 points. To put into perspective how dependent the Warriors were on their veteran guard, the next highest scoring player was Andrew Wiggins, with a point average of 18.6.
#2 Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers have failed to make a deep run in the NBA playoffs for eight consecutive seasons because they have not surrounded Damian Lillard with the right supporting cast. Their deepest run in over 20 years was reaching the 2019 NBA Western Conference finals, where they were swept by the Golden State Warriors.
Lillard has stayed loyal to the franchise, but has expressed his displeasure with the front office's recruitment. He has put it all on the court time and time again, but has not got the same intensity from his teammates.
Trade rumors surrounded Lillard following the Trail Blazers' exit from the 2021 NBA playoffs. However, it looks less likely that the veteran guard will leave as the days go by.
CJ McCollum did a decent job helping Dame Dollar secure the No. 6 seed in the West, averaging 23.1 points behind Lillard's 28.8. However, he was not as effective during the playoffs.
Lillard exploded in the 2021 NBA playoffs as he was determined to carry his team all the way. Unfortunately, they fell to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the first round despite Lillard's record-breaking performance in Game 5 of the series.
It was a record-breaking night for Dame, as he registered 55 points and made 12 three-pointers. But the Trail Blazers lost the game after double overtime, and eventually lost the series.
#1 Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic will arguably be the face of the NBA after LeBron James' departure. He has been an inspiration for the Dallas Mavericks since his rookie season, leading them to back-to-back postseason action.
An injury late in the season knocked Porzingis off his rhythm, as he struggled to get on the score sheet in the playoffs. As a result, most of the team's scoring was left to Doncic.
The Slovenian averaged a double-double in the 2021 NBA playoffs, registering 35.7 points and 10.3 assists per outing. The second-best scorer for the Dallas Mavericks was Tim Hardaway Jr. If other players step up, the Dallas Mavericks could be genuine contenders for an NBA championship.
