Team Chemistry

So what exactly is team chemistry? In theory, sports should be easy. You assemble the most talented athletes you can find, throw them together, and watch the magic happen. But as sports fans have experienced time and time again, it is rarely that simple. There is that weird, ineffable, indescribable thing called chemistry, the force that binds together individual talents into an even greater whole. It's what transforms chaos into harmony, also-rans into champions.

I was reminded of this incontrovertible sports truth last week as I watched the Phoenix Suns floundering as they tried to welcome back into the fold their dynamic superstar, Amare Stoudemire. Sidelined all year as he recovered from knee surgery as the Suns ran away with the Pacific Division, he attempted an early recovery last week and disrupted the delicate balance Phoenix had spent the entire season developing. After a stellar opening game in which he scored 20 points in 19 minutes leading Phoenix to victory, Stoudemire struggled in his subsequent games as the Suns floundered. Not only was Stoudemire disappointed in realizing that he might not be able to return this season, the Phoenix Suns were left confused and befuddled as their ineffable chemistry was nowhere to be seen. What had been a high-scoring, dynamic, cohesive unit all season long turned into a disorganized mess, style with no substance, form with no function.

How does that happen? Adding one of the league's greatest talents should only make the team better, not worse, right? Sports, though, does not happen in the fields of statistics we see in the morning box score – it happens on the court, the field, the ice. Just because Stoudemire averaged 26 points a game last year doesn't mean he'll walk right into the retooled Phoenix Suns and make them 26 points better. Not only is there the obvious point that his shots take shots away from others, but his presence disrupts the player rotations and delicate egos that go along with them that have made the team such a success. By the time most teams get to the playoffs in April, they know where the other guy is going to be on the court before he even gets there. Adding a dominant piece in late March, no matter how transcendent that talent, is bound to cause trouble. It happened when Jordan returned from his first retirement, it happened when Webber returned to the Kings in their prime, and it happened to Phoenix this year.

It appears, however, that Stoudemire might just pack it in this season and wait till he's 100% next season. And while Phoenix may not be able to beat San Antonio without his inside presence, they probably wouldn't even make it to a showdown with the Spurs if Stoudemire hung around and continued to disrupt the team. Hopefully the Suns will be able to get back on track before the playoffs begin and go as far as they can. Being without their most talented player, ironically, may be the best shot they've got.