The X-Factor? Intangibles by CK

Too many times throughout sports, we see teams that have everything they need in place, but just cannot get over the hump to victory. Whether you look at a long-term struggling team like the Raiders who year in and year out have top draft picks, but continue to assure themselves of another top position the following draft or a short-term obstacle team like the Yankees, before this year, who kept spending money only to have post-season disappointment. So what is it about the NBA, that has the smallest roster of all major sports (and least amount of spots to fill), that has so many teams struggle year in and year out as we continue to see the big dogs dominate, Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, etc?

The formula seems simple. Draft 5 solid players for each position, back them up with some vets and fundamental players and they should be able to put up a good fight, at least. Every team, of course, cannot have a Kobe or Wade leading them to championships, but why do we have teams that are still single digits in the win column by mid-season? Our primary example this season is the New Jersey Nets. A great, young nucleus with talented players, but simply cannot win for the life of them. Lopez beasts with the best of them (did you see his swat on Baron Davis? Wow!) and Jianlian finally showing us that foreign talent that he has when healthy. Harris has always been a solid PG that can score and CDR and CLee are great young talents producing consistently. This formula does not make sense to equate to a 4 - 40 (no, it’s not a typo) atrocious record!

The answer? The X-factor aka Terrence Williams.

In the NBA, it has become apparent that star-studded teams that continue to struggle lack the “glue.” What is that “glue?” Is it team chemistry? Is it the team morale? Is it the coach? While all those factors, theoretically, are important, it is the execution that translates theory to productivity. The only means that can execute on the court is in the form of a player, and the New Jersey Nets are sitting theirs on the bench.

The Nets have been facing injuries to key players throughout and while that creates a tough situation for the team, it gives way for new players to step up. We saw T-Will a lot early in the season and he picked up right where he left off in college, snagging a few double doubles (including a 15 pt 10 rebound performance in his first NBA game ever and a 20 pt 10 reb show in November). While the Nets still weren’t winning despite anyone’s performance, having covered T-Will in undergrad at Louisville, I can tell you that the Nets lacked his intangibles once his minutes reduced drastically in early January, leading to even more losses. Looking at his stats at Louisville, they were by no means jaw-dropping but it was the things he did apart from the triple double categories that catapulted Louisville to an Elite 8 appearance.

The hustle, the court IQ, the defense. I am not suggesting that he single-handedly would have made the Nets a team with a winning record, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they had more than 4 measly wins had they played him. He was a lottery pick for a reason and this is what NBA teams struggle to understand: the players that have those intangibles that cannot be taught are the “glue” and in essence the “X-factor” so commonly referred to.

Here you have a threat for a triple double every night sitting on the bench and he’s getting an average of 8.5 minutes of playing time in January? Come on man, that’s like The Jersey Shore with no “Situation.” While the Nets continue to struggle, why haven’t they realized that their current formula obviously isn’t working and it’s time to change it up?

Well, maybe they finally have…

With injuries to Courtney Lee and Harris, T-Will saw the most minutes he has seen since November 18th, 2009 (31 min), and what did he do? 7 points, 9 boards, 8 assists, AND.. 2 top 10 plays (how is this guy not in the dunk contest? That’s a whole other issue). Again, these stats won’t blow anyone’s mind, but it is the intangibles he provides and in this case they even led to a rare W for NJ, as they knocked off the Clippers 103-87. Just for reference sake, let’s look at the numbers of the great LBJ who happened to play the same minutes tonight, producing 12 pts, 6 boards, 11 assists. Are we saying T-Will is LBJ? NO.. but are we saying that he can provide some of the same type of value that James does to the Cavs? Absolutely.

It’s a shame that this talented rookie got snubbed from the rookie game and dunk contest, and the NJ coaching situation is largely to blame for this. Until they can understand the importance of a player that provides the intangibles, X-factor, and highlight dunks, they will continue to fail as so many franchises have done before them. That, my friends, is why teams with all the stars in the sky still continue to lose.

PLAY THE X-FACTOR!

Check out our homey, T-Will at #1 on the top 10 below: