1 Guaranteed Championship or Several Years of Good Basketball?

There is no guaranteed Championship. The premise is flawed. The following star-studded "can't miss" combos all failed to win a championship (these are just off the top of my head):

1997 Rockets: Olajuwon-Drexler-Barkley-Willis
1999 Rockets: Olajuwon-Barkley-Pippen-Mobley
2004 Lakers: O'Neal-Bryant-Malone-Payton
2012 Thunder: Durant-Westbrook-Harden-Ibaka
2004 Mavs: Nowitzki-Nash-Finley-Walker-Jamison
1969 Lakers: West-Baylor-Chamberlain
2011 Lakers: Bryant-Howard-Nash-Gasol-Artest-Jamison
2011 Heat: James-Wade-Bosh (while they did win 2 titles later, they failed in year one, and came far short of the number of titles that was expected at the outset)

 

Poll is sort of nonsensical to say the least.

But I will say this-

I would rather have a team that has multiple chances at deep playoff runs, than building a team with a 1 to 2 year window of winning it all.

Its about math and probabilities. You don't see too many smart gamblers taking their life savings and putting it all on Red for one hand in Roulette. You see the pros playing blackjack with as many hands as they can to give themselves the best odds at taking the house. Its the same thing with professional Sales, and Fishing. Its not about Luck... Its about putting yourself in as many situations as you can to GET LUCKY that ultimate creates good fortune.

What Brooklyn did last year and the year before is the basketball equivalent of putting your life savings on the table and betting on Red in a hand of Roulette. The odds were better for them last year rather than if they were to make Morey/Hinkie type of moves, but they still weren't in their favor regardless of how many FORMER all-stars they put on the floor last year.

I know my answer looks stupid to pick the second option, but the options are nonsensical because there is NO WAY to tell that you wouldn't win the title with a team that goes deep in the playoffs.

...............

On a separate note - The whole Championship or misery mindset of NBA fans is getting borderline moronic. Keep in mind that all of this started with the Inside the NBA Charles Barkley nonsense with them giving Charles a hard time for not winning chips. It completely diminishes great basketball that should be enjoyed instead of tormented by fans.

YES... winning it all is the greatest feeling and nothing will take away my pride from the 2 titles in the mid 90's.... but if you HAVE TO have that just to enjoy the game of basketball then I feel very sorry for you, and its no surprise that Houston has the most miserable sports fans on earth.

 

"We goin' to the ship! We goin' to the ship!"

 

OP's use of the word "guaranteed" is throwing people off.

Obviously OP means would you rather win a 'ship and then be crap for consecutive seasons, or.."

 

LOL, you guys are totally missing the point of the thread. It's called a HYPOTHETICAL. Quit being so literal and just play along.

I'll take a guaranteed championship. No amount of losing seasons can ever take that one magical year away.

 

If that is the case, you gotta swing for the fences. Take option 1. Go big or go home. 08 Boston Celtics and 2012,13 Miami Heat will forever be in the history books.

 

If that's your choice, then you have to do what DM's been doing since he got here:

Acquire as many tradable assets as you can, constantly flipping them to increase their overall value. When the occasions arise, attempt to use those assets to acquire star players. Also try to convince star free agents to sign here. You can't just acquire a bunch of superstars without giving up anything of value to get them.

Sounds like we're on the right track to me.

 

8 years is nothing against 17 years with only one second round exit

 

Id take the guaranteed championship, although that doesn't exist.

When people say, we should have drafted Jordan over Hakeen yada yada yada, I disagree because I know with Hakeem we won't two and there's no way to guarantee that happens with Jordan.

 

Ok fine. I'd rather have 8 years of good quality basketball and playoff runs than 1 year of success and 7 years of sucktitude.

I enjoy consistently being able to watch high quality basketball, and I will sleep just as well at night not being miserable just because my team didn't win the championship.

I just love good basketball... sorry if that makes me a loser.

Still ... hypothetical or not, the question is still pretty ridiculous and kinda shows the championship or bust miserable sports fan culture we have nowadays. Let's diminish EVERYTHING that doesn't result in a best out of 30 championship. Sounds like a blast of fun.

 

We have to get out of the 1st round first.

 

Its just a pet peeve of mine with basketball fans, and especially Houston sports fans. Nothing personal. Can't appreciate anything about their team unless they won the title. What we wouldn't give now to have those Killer B's Astros teams of the 90's back. Rockets fans need to try and enjoy the James Harden years now instead of worrying so much about titles. In 4 or 5 years you might regret being so miserable during this stretch.

 

Agree with this entirely. Of course I want the magic again of a title run, but I enjoy the team for what it is. I'm actually really happy we didn't tank to get here because going through what the 76ers are going through is horrible. I wouldn't be able to watch.

 

Personally, I think we're already in the "Post-Dwight Era." Secondly, I feel no confidence whatsoever that even if we had a Big 5, our coaching could make them all work together. There's no guarantee you pull off a championship just by trading for star players and gutting your bench.

My desires are simple: 1) Keep Harden at any cost, because he's young, brilliant, and still getting better. He is the core you build your team around. The next Hakeem for the Rockets, possibly. 2) Get a new coach; we're not winning any championships with McHale. You all know it. 3) Assemble around Harden a team of experienced role players and some young players that you'll develop at specific positions. Enough to have 3 scoring possibilities inside the arc.

I don't care about the Big 3 mentality. Spoelstra and Pop are better coaches than McHale, which is why it worked for them. Keep Harden, ditch McHale when we flame out in the first round again, and if there's some sort of way to cash in Dwight for a couple of younger, big, capable-enough centers, I'll take that. A competent point guard that has no issues with the number of touches Harden gets is also desirable.

 

So from your post it's fair to say that the Rockets have 1 star, James Harden, correct? And even if Dwight is good, he's not playing. Yet the Rockets have the 4th best record in the West and are on the verge of 40 wins before 20 losses (PJax contender test) yet you believe the coach doesn't know how to make players work together.

Good logic.

 

I dunno though. I love the team building aspect of what the 76er's are doing though. Give me the 76ers approach any day over the Nets/Knicks approach of trying to buy a title every year.

Also.. before the Harden trade Morey was prepared to go down the same route as Hinkie is going down now. I can't think of a better way to tank then to have Jeremy Lin signed on as your best player.

Thank you Sam Presti!!

 

I chose #2 because the grass is greener. All those 1st rnd exits since the Dream years...

 

The problem with the 76ers approach is there aren't even any players you are watching develop. MCW? Traded. KJ? Traded. Wouldn't shock me if Nerlens Noel gets traded in the offseason.

There's no point in watching if you are a 76ers fan in my opinion. Your team is terrible and none of the players are locks to be there next year, let alone when you are good again.