Areas of expertise the front office needs

[Puffer]

...Furthermore, his presence on the staff allows general manager R.C. Buford and the San Antonio player personnel department to pursue players, like Leonard, who are undervalued because of their shooting woes, knowing that they have the league’s best shot doctor on staff to improve things. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Engelland was involved at some level in the target identification process, recommending players he might be able to fix. That creates a perpetual advantage that goes beyond one player and one shot.[/I]

This is the key part of the whole article, to me. Pay a guy 1 or 2 million a year, that doesn't show up on the cap, and then grap guys that are low in the draft, undrafted or are locked into a 2-3 year deal at relatively low salary and multiply their contribution to the teams win shares.

That's one way you can afford to start accumulating all-star/franchise players.

[Kuh]

First the Spurs and their shooting coach, now the Warriors beefing up their 'physical performance' staff. Hmmm, it looks like the best teams already do spend freely in this area.

The NBA Champion Golden State Warriors announced the addition of three new members of the team’s physical performance and sports medicine staff, adding Chelsea Lane as head performance therapist, Michael Irr as performance coach and therapist, and Kurtis Rayfield as physical performance coach. The new additions join Warriors Head of Physical Performance and Sports Medicine Lachlan Penfold and Athletic Trainer Drew Yoder. – via NBA.com

[Puffer]

First the Spurs and their shooting coach, now the Warriors beefing up their 'physical performance' staff. Hmmm, it looks like the best teams already do spend freely in this area.

The NBA Champion Golden State Warriors announced the addition of three new members of the team’s physical performance and sports medicine staff, adding Chelsea Lane as head performance therapist, Michael Irr as performance coach and therapist, and Kurtis Rayfield as physical performance coach. The new additions join Warriors Head of Physical Performance and Sports Medicine Lachlan Penfold and Athletic Trainer Drew Yoder. – via NBA.com

Hard to see where improving individual performance, at no increase in cap affecting salary, is a losing deal.