Dr Positivity wrote:I think people treat "full rebuilding" and being an ATL/IND/etc. perennial playoff team, as much more mutually exclusive paths than they are
A lot of the really long playoff droughts the last few decades like WAS, GSW, ATL, etc. happened because the team's plan was to make the 7th/8th seed. For example Atlanta got screwed up in the 2000s because they traded away a bunch of draft picks to team up Shareef, Terry, and Glenn Robinson to try and make the playoffs. Washington and GSW also dabbled in a lot of trading draft picks and overpaying players in hasty win now moves
What it really comes down to is that the bad franchises always make the same two moves, regardless of whether they're tanking or winning now. They trade away their 1st round picks and they overpay players. The good franchises do the opposite, they trade for extra 1st round draft picks and they hunt for bargains and salary cap flexibility. In all the major sports this is pretty much true. The worst franchises build around overpaid non difference makers instead of hording assets and young players.
Now look at BC: We've traded away a 1st round pick in FOUR different deals since he got here (+ the Charlie deal was made with the same mentality as if dealing a 1st for TJ), aside from the Bosh charity from MIA haven't done jack sh*t to try and get extra ones, and obviously we've overpaid middling players at every chance we get. BC even has the combo years, such as a year where he traded away a 1st for an overpaid veteran (JO), then traded another 1st so he could overpay another player in the summer (one of Hedo, Odom, Marion). He has another year where he traded away a 1st and then throw out 16 million+ a season to two mediocre wings (Derozan and Fields)
The Indiana and Atlanta examples are a bit misleading, though. They have been consistent playoff teams, but in different ways and with different potential.
Atlanta had some bad luck with Horford getting hurt while Joe Johnson was in his prime, so they never maximized their production and results from 3 All-star level guys. Let me repeat: 3 All-star level guys. Exactly 3 more than the Raptors have and have had for some time.
Their new GM also showed how a mid-level team (first or second round playoff team) could remain competitive while setting the team up for the future, when he traded Joe Johnson, just as Horford was coming back from injury. People foresaw Atlanta being brutal this year, I thought they'd be as good or better than they were with Joe Johnson. JJ was only their 3rd best player. Horford is probably their best player. They replaced JJ with a committee of talented shooters without much D, but a healthy Horford and Josh Smith can make up for that weak D. GREAT job by their GM, which separates us from Atlanta, as our GM is a walking disaster.
Indiana is a poor comparison. Their GM intelligently moved the team into a position where they had a solid core of young guys (Hibbert, George) and guys in their prime (Granger), and also had the cap space to sign a FA who is actually good (West) and trade for a guy who is actually good (Hill). I thought they'd be the 4th best team in the East this year, and the fact that they've been so good without Granger testifies to how solid they are. They stressed defense last year and pushed Miami to the limit and I thought they'd contend this year. They still might if Granger returns healthy. Or if they trade Granger for a position of need, i.e. SG.
If we were able to come even remotely close to putting together a team, and an organization, like Atlanta and Indiana we would have to be ecstatic. We are so far from that level that it isn't even funny. And we have no hope of ever getting to that level as long as Colangelo is running the show.
