Revolutionistt wrote:Wow, im really irked now. Its good to see FANS wanting their team to win, but not because they traded their unprotected first round pick. Thats amazing. Why wouldnt you always want to see your team win? You only want them to win now so that Utah doesnt get a high draft pick? This draft class is the worst since 2000 when the Nets got Kenyon Martin #1 overall. And even still, youre supposed to want the team you support to win all the time no matter how bad you know they are. Just because they wont win the championship doesnt mean ok tank and get ping pong balls. You think thats what OKC fans do? The Thunder arent winning anything this year so by most of your logic they should just tank and get a better draft pick. The goal isnt to get a high draft pick its to win games and championships. And I dont care what anyone tells me because winning games gets you championships, not winning the draft lottery. In fact, can anyone tell me the last #1 overall pick to lead their team to the championship besides Tim Duncan? Shoot how about even a top 3 pick that led their team to a championship?? Anyone????
You even mentioning the Thunder as a part of your reasoning just shatters your entire argument. Winning the draft is a consolation prize for all of the teams that suck. You win the lottery and even though you are clearly not capable of winning right now, you have the choice to select the best player alive to build your team around.
Do you honestly think Sonic/Thunder fans were upset when they drafted Durant? The dude lit up the NCAA for one season and everyone said this kid is going to score tons of buckets in the NBA and he's doing it right now. They get Durant but still suck, so what happens? They go into the lottery and Westbrook. And guess what? They still sucked after that. Went into the lottery and got James Harden.
The Thunder became who they were because they were very bad for a few years and are now one of the best teams in the NBA SOLELY because of the draft.
Also..you clearly don't under the psychology of sports fans other than yourself. No one is saying championship or bust. Everything is a part of the process. When the Lakers first got Gasol, they lost in the Finals. Does that mean lets panic and start fresh? No, they retooled and won the next two.
Look at the Clippers. They sucked and then got Gordon. Sucked again and got Blake Griffin. They're still sucking this year and are on their way to another lottery pick. But because they already have a solid base, they'll probably try to trade the pick for its high value and get another good wing to complement Gordon.
The Kings have the same thing. Sucking turned into Tyreke. Sucking again turned into DeMarcus. Sucking this year will turn out another lottery pick.
The biggest question is when do you start turning your lottery picks into players with talent and winning team.
Look at Boston. If they didn't suck, they would have never had the 5th overall pick that was traded for Ray Allen. Once Ray Allen joined Boston, that convinced KG to accept a trade to Boston. What happens next? A championship!
Look at Orlando. If they didn't suck, no Dwight Howard.
Look at Cleveland. If they didn't suck, no LeBron.
Shall I continue? Of course, we want the Nets to win but you have to consider the cost.
If you're the type of person who enjoys just making the playoffs no matter what every year then all I've said so far probably means nothing.
We could've got Melo and you would be excited because we'd be an 8th seed with no cap space to improve via FA. And we'd be stuck forever like the Sixers. We would never have the chance to win the draft and build around the best college prospect because we need to be able to make the playoffs every year.
You can't be like the Thunder unless you're willing to go through what the Thunder go through. Stars don't grow on trees. They are drafted by teams that suck and win championships a few years later.
If Miami didn't suck several years ago, they would've never got D-Wade, who helped them win a championship, and who recruited LBJ and Bosh to Miami. Do you really think that every team that doesn't make the playoffs is uber pissed because they didn't make it? No!!!
The teams at the top of the draft aka the teams that suck the most are excited because they have a chance to grab a player who will (hopefully) in the near future help them to win and attract other players to the team, make a Thunder-like transition and win a championship.
The draft is where future superstars and champions come from. That's where all of the bottom feeding teams get the picks that can use to trade for better players (like Boston of '07) of draft the next beast to help you become better (like the Sonics/Thunder).
That's why if you know your team sucks, you don't hang your head in shame everyday. Even if no FAs want to go to a bad team, your high draft pick must go to your team. The draft gives you the building blocks to become great.
Some of us have the ability to see that making any move just to win a few more games isn't always the best deal. We're trying to build a team that will become great and beat other teams in the playoffs. Not just retool to get bounced out in the first round every year.
If we would've put top-3 protection on the pick, that ensures that no matter the Jazz don't get the byproduct of our sucking. If we played bad for so long, I want the pride in taking the talent of the high draft pick that I should get in return. However, considering the fact that we have arguably the best PG in the game negates that feeling that some of us. But if you have the chance to have D-Will plus a top 3 player from this year's draft on a rookie contract, you wouldn't take it? Of course you would.
I don't want to be like the Sixers during much of the Iverson and post-Iverson era that were good enough to make the playoffs but not attractive enough to FAs nor bad enough to get a top college player to come to the team. Getting that player allows you to win and win more often.
If you can't see the logic behind all that I've said then I just don't know what to say. Go ask E to explain it to you. Although, I can guarantee he won't be as nice as me trying to explain it to you lol.