Can you build a contender from young players?

[tk76]

The Sixers seem to be collecting a solid group of young NBA calibre players. They also aren't burdened by the cap.

Do people think the Sixers can add a star and a supporting player or two and have this team grow into a contender in 2-3 years, or are we destined to just be a bad team that accumulates young talent and picks until we are finally ready to trade most of the youth away for vets like Boston did last year?

You need a core of 8 players in your rotation, and, argueably, they have 5 players 26 or under who should become NBA level in the next 3 years (Sam, Dala, Lou, Young and Smith.) Obviously theose are not our 5 future starters, but all 5 easily could be good enough to be top 8 on a good team.

Can we build a winner with this young core by adding one big named vet and another two role players? I think history shows its hard to win with a young team built from the ground up.

Before this year I would say the Bulls were a great example of a team that built through young talent, and then added a vet to put them over the top- but now the Bulls have imploded. Portland has a great chance through their lottery luck to build from youth- but they are still a work in progress (although ahead of the Sixers in talent and potential.)

What contending teams in the last 25 years has been built through developing a core of their own young players and then adding through the draft? It seems like most current contenders (Suns, Spurs, Celtics and Pistons) are a collection of 28-30+ year old vets who have been cobble together through trades and acquisitions.

I guess the MJ's Bulls were built from the draft- but that team was an abberation in many ways because of Jordan's transcendence. The Mavs also have mostly built from within.

Are we destined to just be a bad team that accumulates young talent and picks until we are finally ready to trade most of the youth away for vets like Boston did last year?

[SendEm]

San Antonio built through the draft...

[tk76]

I thought about San Antonio. I think their pre-Duncan teams were built through the draft.

They have built from within- but mostly have fielded older, veteran laden teams.

They drafted Duncan- but he was added to a team of 30+ year old vets, and then when the older players retired they added young players.

Can a team be built with 23-28 year old players primarily built through a teams draft- or are those players too young to be consitant winners?

[Grenerd686]

I think that it is too diffucult to build through the draft. I cant think of any team that has done this

[SendEm]

I think what you are missing is the "Bad General Management" factor. A team shouldn't HAVE to be built from the absolute ground up by way of the draft. The team should already have some quality veterans to go along with the young players. Like for instance if Billy King/Larry Brown had made all of the right moves instead of the wrong moves we could have had players like Paul Pierce and/or Dirk to play alongside Iverson. Kevin Martin and Maurice Williams would have been better draft picks than Igudala and Willie Green. If a team has a great GM or a lucky drafting streak it can happen.

Greg Pop is a GREAT GM. He drafted the right players.

Many teams COULD have been contenders if they didn't draft the wrong players. Just think about how good Atlanta would be with Chris Paul instead of Marvin Williams.

[dbodner]

I think that it is too diffucult to build through the draft. I cant think of any team that has done this

chicago and cleveland come immediately to mind. As do the Mavs. San Antonio does too, but their talent is spread out.

[SendEm]

You can say that the Miami Heat built through the draft. Didn't they draft everyone that they traded to acquire Shaq in order to win that Championship? Just restricting a team to being a contender through the draft is kind of not realistic. Trades are part of the business. The Orlando Magic went to the finals by way of the draft. I believe the first Houston Rockets Championship team had a core of players that they drafted 93-94? Hakeem was the core lol...

[tk76]

I guess if you draft a great big man (Duncan, Shaq, Hakeem, Dirk) you can build a relatively young winner around them through the draft.

Bodes well for the Magic, and doubley so for Portland. Not as promissing considering our young core lacks a top flight big man.

[dbodner]

Orlando and Portland are two great examples from this year.

Not as promissing considering our young core lacks a top flight big man.

This league has little promise if you don't have a top flight big man.

[philly262]

You basically need a 20/10 big man, and a all-star level guard and a bunch of above average pieces around them with good depth, and a good to great coach.

How you get those pieces are up to you, there's not one real set way to get a contender. Some do it via trades like the Celtics, some do trades and draft like the Suns did, and some do it straight via the draft like the Raptors, Blazers and Magic did.

The Bulls they did it by two very good drafts and a big but stupid free agent siging.

[Sixerscan]

The Celtics drafted pretty much everyone they traded for Allen and KG. There's no one thing you do to make it work, you build through all 3 options.

[Oldmanriver82]

Miami traded Odom as part of the Shaq trade...they didn't draft him...i'm pretty sure he was drafted by the Clips

[LieCheatSteal]

Yes, if you can find them. Apart from drafting, a team must be able to recognize hidden gems who don't get drafted. Haslem for Miami, Billups for Pistons, Oberto for San Antonio. These players play integral parts of the last couple of championship teams and they weren't drafted but signed.

[bigdavid]

The young players we have will never be good enough to win a title.

[Grenerd686]

-= original quote snipped =-



chicago and cleveland come immediately to mind. As do the Mavs. San Antonio does too, but their talent is spread out.

The chicago team is looking like a contender for the title this year; yeah right. Even last year when they had a good record they were stilll never considered a contender. That team is young but that does not make them contenders. and cleveland most of that teams core was built through free agency, Gooden, marshal, snow and jones. As with the mavs terry, stackhouse, dampier, diop, george all aquired through free agency. The only players from the draft that have an impact are harris and dirk.

You think that a team can build through the draft because they have one amazing player that they drafted. Spurs - Duncan. Cavs - Lebron. Mavs - Dirk.

These type of players come around once and a while. Which makes building a team through the draft difficult.

[freshie2]

You can draft into success with some luck. San Antonio got the #1 pick in two drafts, and obtained Robinson and Duncan. The Sixers get the #1 pick and got Iverson, who was a great talent, but is not a cornerstone big man around which to build like a Robinson or Duncan.

Portland is a great example...a little luck with the ping pong balls, but they really have a great core of young talent.

[SendEm]

All you need is the draft and trades. Free agency is GREAT for bench depth, perimeter players and role players. The draft is for your post players, play makers, and scorers. Trades tend to accomplish both.

[Choppy]

-= original quote snipped =-
As with the mavs terry, stackhouse, dampier, diop, george all aquired through free agency. The only players from the draft that have an impact are harris and dirk.

Really? where did Josh Howard come from? i'm pretty sure 3 of their top 4 players were acquired in the draft.

End of the day, you don't build a contender just from the draft nor do you build it just through trades. you need to use both and a bit of luck...

and the spurs got their top 3 players through the draft as well, but without trades for their supporting cast they might not be so dominant over the last 10 years.

[Choppy]

Yes, if you can find them. Apart from drafting, a team must be able to recognize hidden gems who don't get drafted. Haslem for Miami, Billups for Pistons, Oberto for San Antonio. These players play integral parts of the last couple of championship teams and they weren't drafted but signed.

Billups was drafted #3... just not by detroit. boston i think??

[76ciology]

Although they have some excemptions like the Pistons, contenders are built from franchise players. And until Sixers find one, they'll never be a contender.