Licensed to Il wrote:Hakeem won a ring with four vet role players, and two solid youngsters (Cassell and Horry). Giannis is Hakeem with handles. I don’t think there is any way we can contend next season. But there is a path to surrounding GA with the same type of cast (4-5 vets who fit the system, 1-2 up and coming youngsters) over the next two years and letting greatness rise. GA would have an easier path than Hakeem had through the mid 90s western conference.
I know it's tempting to say there's no way it can be done, but also, the Pacers had the 12th best regular season net rating this year and now are a win away from the Finals. Where they likely get waxed, granted. But we thought the same thing about the 2019 Raps. Get in there and you never know.
I don't think there's anything theoretically preventing us from putting the kind of team you described around Giannis in one offseason. It's an inside straight, for sure, and two months from now we might have already missed the boat (or gotten on the wrong boat, or hit the ground in Horst's rocketship), but right now all things are possible. Retain who we need to retain, make a couple smart trades, and let's see what we've got.
Teams are close together. A little change can go a long way.