How to: Build a contender in a small market

Bucks_Revenge · Post #21 » by **Bucks_Revenge** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:44 pm

people do not realize but since 2001 we only had 3 1st round picks ............TJ Ford, Bogut, and Yi................that is a HUGE reason why we are struggling ....thats 7 years with only 3 years of first round pick for a small market draft picks are important and we cannot keep trading them away...

7 years before the magical 2001 season we had 6 first round picks including Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson it took time before we started to get good but we wouldn't of gotten that good without the draft picks.......could Glenn and Ray be Bogut and YI?

Post #22 » by **paulpressey25** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:05 pm

We did this plan a number of times over the last 15-years.....

In 1992 we dumped all our veterans and went on a four-year plan to bring in young guys....tons of them....trying to hit the dart board. Todd Day, Lee Mayberry, Eric Murdock, Eric Mobley, Jon Barry, Alaa Abldenadby, Vin Baker, etc......

But it didn't start to get any traction until we got real high lotto talent in Glenn and Ray.....but even then we picked the wrong guys.

Then the last few years we've done the same thing.....heck, we've tanked twice in the lotto......

Our problem is that our GM/front office is not a super talented group that is able to identify "good" talent. It takes a guy smarter than the other guys to do this....a guy like the Colangelo's, obviously now Kevin Pritchard....a Ted Thompson.

This plan won't work until Herb Kohl finds a Ted Thompson type who is smarter than most with drafting.

europa · Post #23 » by **europa** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:09 pm

Bucks_Revenge wrote:people do not realize but since 2001 we only had 3 1st round picks ............TJ Ford, Bogut, and Yi................that is a HUGE reason why we are struggling

Only to an extent. It would have been nice to have more first-round picks but the three the Bucks had were all lottery picks, including one No. 1 overall pick and two picks in very strong drafts. So it's not like the Bucks haven't had opportunities in the draft. They have. A greater problem is Harris' work in the second round has been flat-out deplorable. Other than trading a second for Pachulia, he hasn't made a single good move in the second round of a draft (excluding Sessions, whose future is uncertain). He has drafted several busts and missed out on several good role players in the process.

steger_3434 · Post #24 » by **steger_3434** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:27 pm

europa wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Only to an extent. It would have been nice to have more first-round picks but the three the Bucks had were all lottery picks, including one No. 1 overall pick and two picks in very strong drafts. So it's not like the Bucks haven't had opportunities in the draft. They have. A greater problem is Harris' work in the second round has been flat-out deplorable. Other than trading a second for Pachulia, he hasn't made a single good move in the second round of a draft (excluding Sessions, whose future is uncertain). He has drafted several busts and missed out on several good role players in the process.

If we are banking on second round picks making a difference we are in a world of trouble. The problem with this team right now is we have too many second round picks being paid a ton of money in Redd, Mo, and Simmons. Sure, there are always a diamond in the rough type of player in the second round, but they are few and far between.

The NBA has proven year after year you need a superstar to compete. Those come by the form of FA, trades, and 1st round picks.

europa · Post #25 » by **europa** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:30 pm

steger, it's not a question of banking on second-round picks to make a major difference. But a small-market team MUST find good role players in the second round. That's imperative. And Harris has failed horribly in that regard. I'm not saying those players are going to become All-Stars but if you could just find a couple of good ones in 4-5 years, now your bench is stronger, your rotations deeper and your team is better.

Instead, Harris busts with guys like Ilyasova, Markota and Noel and trades for Jiri Welsch.

His draft work in the second round has been nothing short of deplorable. There is no other way to describe it in my opinion.

Bucks_Revenge · Post #26 » by **Bucks_Revenge** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:32 pm

steger_3434 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

If we are banking on second round picks making a difference we are in a world of trouble. The problem with this team right now is we have too many second round picks being paid a ton of money in Redd, Mo, Simmons, and Gadzuric. Sure, there are always a diamond in the rough type of player in the second round, but they are few and far between.

The NBA has proven year after year you need a superstar to compete. Those come by the form of FA, trades, and 1st round picks.