Everything 2018 Off Season

[magoon]

Nope. That is a straw man argument that is constantly brought up.

If you are not a contender (GSW, HOU, CLE, and next year BOS, PHI) it looks more like this:

1. If you already have a superstar (or someone with that ceiling) you don't need to tank, you can try to build around him: Pelicans, Bucks, Thunder, Timberwolves, Nuggets, Knicks.

2. If you don't have a superstar but you are an attractive US market due to size/weather/taxes, you can try to acquire a star through free agency: NY, LA, Miami, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Dallas.

3. If you have neither superstar nor market, then you should tank till you get one. This includes Orlando, Sacramento, Memphis, Charlotte... and Toronto.

This list makes no sense. Dallas got their biggest star through the draft. Houston got their stars via trades, not free agency (an option you skipped); historically Phoenix has always done this as well. The Knicks are on two different lists. Et cetera.

[Barolt]

Offhand I can't think of a guy who became a good defensive rebounder after being terrible at it.

Marcus Camby had worse DRB% in each of his first two seasons than Poeltl had this year. I think he ended up pretty good.

[Other Scott]

What is your plan to take a team that has a bad playoff record (13th in the NBA over 5 years, 10th over 3 years, 11th over 2), a gigantic payroll, only late picks after this year (where we have none), no true superstar, and an unattractive market to the rank of contender?

This an awful cherry picked stat. It gives teams that missed the playoffs entirely pretty much equal success as the 2015-16 Raptors team who made the EC Finals.

This is the ranking of Raptors among teams who appeared in the playoffs in each year of those stretches mentioned:
5 years:
Winning %: 4th, Wins: 4th

3 years
Winning %: 7th, Wins: 4th

2 years
Winning %: 6th, Wins: 5th

And even that gives teams like Washington a better playoff record than us because they lost in 6 or 7 games to pretty good teams while the Raptors lost in 4 to Lebron, despite the fact that they did not have more playoff success.

Sorry I just hate intellectually dishonest stats.

[Scraptor]

This list makes no sense. Dallas got their biggest star through the draft. Houston got their stars via trades, not free agency (an option you skipped); historically Phoenix has always done this as well. The Knicks are on two different lists. Et cetera.

Read it more carefully. I said you "can" try free agency if you are a big market, not that you should; they have both options open to them. It is a response to the argument that all pro-tankers think everyone but five teams should tank.

The draft has always been the best way for getting a star.

Trades are available to all teams and isn't really a directional strategy. (And Olajuwon was drafted, Yao was drafted, Stoudemire was drafted, Marion was drafted, Nash was free agency.) Further you can only use trades to add stars if you are careful about managing assets; we traded one first round pick for Ibaka and another to get rid of Carroll. Over the past few years guys like Butler, George, Cousins, Paul have all been moved.

In five years if your best trade acquisition is Serge Ibaka, Norman Powell, or a pick that turned into Jakob Poeltl, it doesn't seem like a reliable strategy, does it?

[G__Deane]

Nope. That is a straw man argument that is constantly brought up.

If you are not a contender (GSW, HOU, CLE, and next year BOS, PHI) it looks more like this:

1. If you already have a superstar (or someone with that ceiling) you don't need to tank, you can try to build around him: Pelicans, Bucks, Thunder, Timberwolves, Nuggets, Knicks.

2. If you don't have a superstar but you are an attractive US market due to size/weather/taxes, you can try to acquire a star through free agency: NY, LA, Miami, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Dallas.

3. If you have neither superstar nor market, then you should tank till you get one. This includes Orlando, Sacramento, Memphis, Charlotte... and Toronto.

Other teams can be debated on an individual basis. The Blazers are like us. Two stars but not true superstars and a pile of bad contracts who got swept by a lower seed. Not a great NBA market. They should probably blow it up.

What is your plan to take a team that has a bad playoff record (13th in the NBA over 5 years, 10th over 3 years, 11th over 2), a gigantic payroll, only late picks after this year (where we have none), no true superstar, and an unattractive market to the rank of contender?

Hoping that late picks can become elite stars is---statistically--wishful thinking.

I think our definition (and most fans) of "superstar" varies greatly. There are a lot more little-to-no-chance teams than you think.
Ergo, way more should tank by your reasoning.

[DanH]

I mean, if you look at it, we're not that different from them if you look at our chances of winning a ring. That is, our chances of winning a championship are slim to none, right in line with blazers and wizards chances.

If you look at it that way, might as well lump us in with Phoenix too. And 28 teams league wide. Heck, could argue 29.

[G__Deane]

If you look at it that way, might as well lump us in with Phoenix too. And 28 teams league wide. Heck, could argue 29.

Is someone going to accuse you of a strawman argument?

[MixxAOR]

we're G-league team if you really think about it. We develop talent for contenders.

[slaw]

3. If you have neither superstar nor market, then you should tank till you get one. This includes Orlando, Sacramento, Memphis, Charlotte... and Toronto.

Honest question: you write " then you should tank till you get one", so, if you don't land a superstar within 'x' years, when do you stop tanking?

[MixxAOR]

NBA execs think Kawhi is done in San Antonio https://t.co/S3OZWCsmDF pic.twitter.com/dPxRaFOWh5

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 10, 2018

oh shit it's Masai time

[NoPropsneeded]

NBA execs think Kawhi is done in San Antonio https://t.co/S3OZWCsmDF pic.twitter.com/dPxRaFOWh5

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 10, 2018

oh shit it's Masai time

A deal centered around lowry and serge, those two need to be gone

[MixxAOR]

A deal centered around lowry and serge, those two need to be gone

Pop says fuck that trash give me OG

[The Great One]

NBA execs think Kawhi is done in San Antonio https://t.co/S3OZWCsmDF pic.twitter.com/dPxRaFOWh5

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 10, 2018

oh shit it's Masai time

Trade EVERYONE. And i mean everyone for Kawhi. I don't care what combination. DeMar + OG + JV. Lowry + DeMar + JV. Whatever.

[MixxAOR]

Trade EVERYONE. And i mean everyone for Kawhi. I don't care what combination. DeMar + OG + JV. Lowry + DeMar + JV. Whatever.

picks too till 2020

[MixxAOR]

LaMarcus Aldridge Approached Damian Lillard About Trade Back To Blazers https://t.co/dBXHyAzOJp

— RealGM (@RealGM) May 10, 2018

omg this is like the best day ever. Spurs entering NBA purgatory will be so good