Add Oden and Bowie to your list. The draft is no lock for success anymore in a small market. You need to hit int he draft plus the winning record to keep them around.
The Blazers drafted them all. You know what else they have in common? They have never won(except Walton and we know how we were able to draft him) Why cant we trade for that draft? Why do we have to tank for it? That's my difference of opinion. You have long since been outspoken about wanting to tank for a lottery right? Why? Lakers didn't tank. They traded. I wasn't clear earlier when I said fuck the draft. The draft is great as long as you don't tank for it. And clearly the above examples prove you don't need to tank to get to the lottery. You need to be a smart chess player. So lets say we package Plums/Davis/Crabbe for a lotto pick from another team for next year. Does that mean we tanked? No. We TRADED to get into the lottery.
That is true. But the draft is where most small market teams obtain stars. There is always the possibility of getting a rasheed wallace or scottie pippen through trade, but if you are drafting at the top you have a good chance of getting a star player, and on a cheap 4 year deal to boot. Youll usually be able to keep them for 7ish years.
A lot of high draft picks on shitty teams never get to grow as players...aka shitty teams drafted them. I like Olshey's approach of picking up undervalued high draft picks that have not reached their potential due to the system they're stuck in. Shorter learning curve for Vonleh and Harkless than for this year's rookies
Nope, im not a long proponent of tanking. Last year at the beginning of the year i thought it would be in our best interest because i thought we were gonna win 34 games. They proved me wrong. Its just as much luck, like when the spurs lost david robinson for a year (and some speculated they held him out longer than they needed) to have ping pong balls to grab duncan. Seemed to set them up for 20 years of prosperity. Im also a proponent of drafting well. Draft choices are very valuable. Id be just as happy drafting a draymond green, chandler parsons, nic batum, tony parker, paul george etc while not tanking. I just wouldnt be so quick to give away draft picks. And i realize im jumping in and didnt read all that was said before. So i apologize if im coming from left field.
Ding Ding Ding. We have a winner! Apologies smalogies. You want an apology? I thought MM posted your post that I quoted. Not you. I meant him being a tanking supporter. I think most people are on this line of thinking. Maybe Tanking needs to be defined better. I consider tanking to be what Phili has done. Not what SA did when they got Duncan.
Different era for Duncan. There were no ping pong balls. Actually I think the lottery was created because of it. But I think we all agree that giving away draft picks is a bad idea.....Unless it lands a star in return. Oops i was wrong...there were ping pong balls that year.
Yeah I think you are right. I just researched that draft....Sean Elliot was also lost for the season that year. So they came back the next year with 3 all stars......That would be like OKC holding out Westbrook for the year once Durant went down with his injury...and not letting either return.
Draft smaft yeah we would all love a top 3 pick but we are one of the deepest and youngest teams in the league with our core locked up until the 2020's. All we need is one of Harkless, vonleh, Turner, Plums, (Aminu, Le'nards less likely) to turn into a fringe star/3rd option and we can give the league a run for its money. just listen to how Ezeli talks about playing us in the playoffs or Stotts saying we're a 54 win team if you need proof. We're on the cusp, and personally I couldnt be happier to see moe in a Blazer jersey for the foreseeable future. Next year's gunna be fuuuuuun
Just think guys, if we trade all our talent for draft picks and expiring contracts we will have a chance at (insert 18 year old kid)!
But does that garner a ring? Which is the point right? You have to be in the lottery to win? Hasn't the arguement been that you can be good but in order to win you need to get into the lottery? OKC had it twice and didn't win. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades...
