After watching South Carolina pull off a double-digit comeback against LSU, I was struck once again by the depth of the Gamecocks’ talent. Six different players can realistically lead the scoring on any given night; there are defensive stoppers at every position and a bevy of long-range shooters; and there’s a multiplying effect of everyone’s individual output. Kamilla Cardoso’s seals inside, combined with Te-Hina Paopao and Bree Hall’s shooting, create room for Chloe Kitts and Raven Johnson to get to the basket. Johnson’s ball pressure at the point of attack allows Cardoso and Ashlyn Watkins to stay at home in the paint on defense. Everything works together, and the parts all seem relatively equally important.
But that got me thinking about teams where the balance isn’t as even. Teams that rely on superlative individual talent either because that star demands it, or because they don’t have the depth to play any other way. Those teams are more common, and unlike South Carolina — whose roster presents a whack-a-mole challenge to opponents — most teams run into the problem of how to perform when their stars are having an off night. Instead of focusing on the player of the year candidates this week, let’s take a look at some supporting casts that may be…
