Here's another thing I realized: lets look at the past 20 years at teams that have been successful or won a title. LA Lakers: Considering Kobe was like a #13th pick and Shaq was a FA signing, it's probably hard to say that LA won their titles through rebuilding the way you are probably thinking of. I mean... we had the #14th pick last year and we had a winning season. San Antonio Spurs: They suck for one season and get lucky and draft Duncan. This team was never in rebuilding mode. Detroit Pistons: went to conference finals like 5-6 times in a row, and while maybe they did have to rebuild to get there... who was the lotto pick on their team? Most of the players were from trades or somewhat late lotto picks. Miami Heat: Wade was a top 5 pick, but they lucked into Shaq. Boston Celtics: Traded for KG and Allen, Pierce was a #9 pick. Al Jefferson wasn't top 5, Rondo wasn't top 5. Houston Rockets (90s version): The poster boy for rebuilding through the draft. Sacramento Kings: #1 pick C-webb. They built through the draft. Dallas Mavericks: Dirk was a #10 pick I believe, but not necessarily by having 3 top 5 picks in a span of 5 years like teams like the Blazers or Thunder have had. Cavs: They drafted Lebron, EOM. Suns: Amare was a #8, Nash was a free agent signing. Not really really rebuilding through the draft. I can't think of that many others in the past decade. The point is tho that of these teams that have been contenders for 5+ years in a row (which is what you want right?), maybe half of them needed a top 5 pick to do so. And a few more had a top 5 pick, but the move that put them over the top was a free agent signing. Also, notice that with a lot of these teams the coaches were basically HoF level coaches (Adelman, Pop, PJ, Nellie, Brown). And of the players drafted, a lot of them were "once in an era" type players (Shaq, Lebron, Hakeem).
There seems to be a sad ability to grasp the notion that rebuilding CAN OCCUR while a team is competing in the playoffs (and even for a championship). It's when a team locks itself in to mediocre talent on long term deals that they are in trouble (see Detroit - Gordon/ Villaneuva). Rebuilding through the draft is fools gold and rarely ever works (the occasions that it has tends to be a team that was pretty good but ravaged with injuries). Rebuilding through trades/ free agency is a stronger way to go - and we're in great shape to follow that path.
I am so very glad that Morey is running the team instead of the short-sighted OP... You realize that we can be winning some games AND still be building for the future, right? So you'd be happier with our current situation if we were 5-27 with the same roster? I really don't understand the point of your post. We have a lot of youth, a lot of trade assets, and we've even stockpiled a good amount of picks, which this team has a history of making good things happen with. It's like Morey said -- the whole "rebuilding" term just doesn't make much sense. If a period of suckiness was required between periods of competitiveness, then a lot of teams shouldn't be as good as they are right now. Also, this team is better than just "mediocre".
A couple of things to remember which also add up to your point: -Kobe was drafted by Charlotte and TRADED to the Lakers. -There’s no way San Antonio would rebuild having their franchise center in David Robinson. To their historical advantage, they drafted Duncan the year David Robinson had season ending injury. -Sacramento didn’t pick C Web, that and the Detroit team were great examples of improving through trades. -Similar to the Kobe example, Nowitzki was a draft day TRADE for Dallas.
Another thread about "rebuilding"? Morey was exactly right when he said he doesn't know what that means. The team has essentially been "rebuilding" all along, in an intelligent way, acquiring young players with upside, without giving up all of its talent in return. (See T. Williams.) Wanting to be bad and gut yourselves of talent in hopes of acquiring a magic bullet top draft pick who may or may not pan out is the definition of stupid. Amazing that there are still people who can't see this. Thank goodness Morey is in charge, and not some of these "fans." We'd be awful forever.
first of all, rebuilding through the draft isn't fool's gold. it "rarely" works only for teams with bad management (ala the clips). with good management, you can rebuild through the draft (and it doesn't have to be a top 3-5 pick either). it may take a few years (or more), but you'll go straight to contention rather than be stuck in years of mediocrity. bulls, orlando, atlanta, washington, utah, portland (before injuries), oklhaoma... and we can go on and on. rebuilding through trades/free agency is a stronger way to go if you can only acquire that superstar. we have the assets, but who will we acquire? there doesn't appear to be a superstar in path for morey. nowadays, superstars determine where they want to go. if they don't want to go to houston, it doesn't matter how many assets we accumulate. it seems like the media "hypes" us up as a team that every star should go to, and yet no star wants to come here. maybe it's time to go the other route.
Funny how you name yourself after the last Star who chose to come to Houston, who by the way, if the Basketball gods were good to him, should have fulfilled the Star void, that he created, at least for a couple years more.
look i love to go by the star route b/c we are set up for that route. we keep proclaiming this is the place to be for stars since we have a plethora of role players and yet no one is biting. maybe we need to get our superstar through the draft that's all.
Yeah... I'm with the guys that say you can rebuild while being a .500 team. I'm directing my book-long posts towards those that want to Boston Celtics style flop and try to get a top pick.
But if you were a Clipper fan would you be happy with the Clipper organization? Are they now Championship contenders?
Many think they need to trade all their best players, and slash all salary, have the woest record and have the number one pick to be a contender.
No their not contenders right now, but they have the foundation to built an ACTUAL contender, and we don't! Its that simple..
We can only get a star player via trade (like Tmac). Right now no stars have even been traded. I would think once some of these future high draft picks in small markets are soon to be up for resigning, they might instead elect to get traded to Houston. Think guys like Tyreke Evans or Cousins or Blake Griffin in a few years.
