What makes the NBA’s elite teams stand head-and-shoulders above the rest of the league? Ask that question to a dozen people and you’ll get a dozen different answers. Ask me, and I’ll tell you it’s toughness. That’s why I’ve written all offseason that the New Orleans Pelicans need to get tougher.
I know, toughness isn’t a measurable quality, but there’s something to be said about NBA teams that can grind out games when they need to be. It’s clearly a winning trait, even if it’s not measurable. The teams that will put the dirty work on the boards, or dive for loose balls and take charges, are the teams that win.