Will we ever see an organic champion again?

[uberhikari]

Some in here are missing the point. Players have left for decades.

It has become something different than that. Teams with stars are on borrowed time from the moment they draft them. They have to compete against star studded teams that can just stack their teams with stars every year.

It is a recurring cycle.

The game has become the ultimate sport for casuals. Who cares about rivalries, good storylines etc? If you lose in the NBA now you can just run off to a buddy and beat everyone.

It makes for a crap product. Who here other than Warriors fans enjoyed the Warriors winning with ease with KD every year?

Yeah? Clubs should make good signings and championship teams if they expect their players to stay. Why should we go back to when owners had all the power?

7 years is plenty of time, and is a significant chunk of an athletes career. James Harden certainly paid his dues, I don't see a problem with him getting traded.

The NBA was never big on club rivalries.

Storylines? There is plenty of them every year, otherwise no one would have anything to talk about.

The Warriors were an outlier, no team was ever that stacked before the Warriors came into the picture, maybe except for the 83 Sixers.

Teams do make good moves. Even the best teams make some mistakes with players. You could point to countless examples of star players who won titles after sticking it out with teams after rough times.

I don’t have a problem with him leaving. It’s for him being traded for peanuts so he can play on a stacked team. He just decided he wanted to win easy like numerous other stars now and forced Houston to cater to his will.

The NBA has always had rivalries I have no idea what you are talking about. I don’t know about you but I much prefer seeing a few teams build genuine rivalries and go at it for a few years. That is a thing of the past now. Someone loses to someone in the conference finals and they’ll go run off crying to another team to their pal.

The Warriors weren’t an outlier. They were the best of the super teams but they are one of a number. Before that LeBron sleptwalked to the NBA finals every year with Miami. Now he’s going to do the same with LA.

The lack of competitiveness stinks. I don’t care about this star vs star BS. It is not a better product .

I can guarantee that you can't name 5 stars who won a championship after "sticking it out through tough times."

[Mikey111690]

Seriously. The NBA is completely rooted in my opinion.

The players clearly have all the power. A top 5 player can now force his out of while contracted for a pile of steaming ****.

Nobody wants to preserve through anything it seems like and they’d rather force their way to go play with LeBron, KD etc.

Does anyone actually find this **** entertaining?

If you hate superteams then fine, but tell me when KD or LeBron forced their way out? They both played out their contracts and left which is exactly what a FA is ALLOWED to do. They didn't do what Kyrie, AD, and Harden did.

[Bergmaniac]

I don't see how building a team by tanking and pure luck in the lottery is somehow better than through trades.

[mrtcsm]

Kobe Bryant was the very last one.

2011 Dallas Mavs was the last one imo

[cjmcallist]

Seriously. The NBA is completely rooted in my opinion.

The players clearly have all the power. A top 5 player can now force his out of while contracted for a pile of steaming ****.

Nobody wants to preserve through anything it seems like and they’d rather force their way to go play with LeBron, KD etc.

Does anyone actually find this **** entertaining?

The OKC Thunder 2029 NBA Champs will be organic... hehe

[Jadoogar]

Kobe Bryant was the very last one.

2015 Warriors?
and LOL, the team that traded for Pau?

I thought the question meant about a player, winning championships and staying with said team.

Curry still qualifies. Duncan also did that more recently than Kobe.

[Jadoogar]

Kobe Bryant was the very last one.

2011 Dallas Mavs was the last one imo

Spurs and Warriors?

[Mr B]

2015 dubs were organic. Curry, Klay, draymond all drafted. Bogut gained by a smart trade, iggy being their only big FA signing.

I believe they are the last “organic” team to win a title.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Yeggo Poleggo]

I don't see how building a team by tanking and pure luck in the lottery is somehow better than through trades.

Name a team that tanked to a championship.

I'll wait.

[kenwood3333]

Right now, Giannis is still 'organic'. But this could change quickly if the Bucks underperform again.

[shotsquatch]

"Organic" is an absurd term to use. You're making it sound like good teams spring up from the ground like a vegetable garden.

Based on this thread, what "organic" really means is "the front office controlled everything". Why is that a good thing? I like that players now have more of a say where they play. I like that great players aren't forced to waste their entire careers on crappy teams. And what I like the most is seeing owners and GM's lose some of their power.

I don't know why some people are so nostalgic for the era when team owners moved players around like pawns on a chessboard. You seem to forget that front offices screw over players just as often as players screw over front offices -- if not more. It's hypocritical to be fine with the former while criticizing the latter for "ruining" the NBA.

[Kukoc-Lauri]

2015 were definition of organic as Bulls dynasty. Drafted their best three players, lose couple of times,improves internally, changed first coach, signed couple of savy veterans as guidence and gett over the hump. Spurs were kinda cheat code with Timmy, because Robinson missed season in his prime because injury and they deliberalty tanked. After that they were organic, but their base was suspiciuos cause tanking similar to Lakers with blackmailing Hornets on draft day. Tbh Hornets at the time geniunly preffered Divac as fringe all star center and had Glen Rice all star as sf and backcourt set Wesley& Bobby Phills(rip) for playoffs run. Toronto have pass because 80% their team they develope with VanVleet,Siakam as underdogs and Lowry was dropped by several teams. Heat,Gsw with Durant, Lakers with Lebron&Ad were classic examples of teamming up era.

[shotsquatch]

It has become something different than that. Teams with stars are on borrowed time from the moment they draft them. They have to compete against star studded teams that can just stack their teams with stars every year.

There's more incentive for teams to build a competent roster around their star player to convince them to stay, instead of wasting their talent with cheap decisions and crappy management? Good. If five years isn't enough time for you to convince your star rookie to stay put, then you don't deserve them on your team.

The game has become the ultimate sport for casuals. Who cares about rivalries, good storylines etc? If you lose in the NBA now you can just run off to a buddy and beat everyone.

What's the difference between two players deciding to play together and a front office deciding to put together two star players? I'll give you a hint: you're okay with one of those groups having power, but not the other.

It makes for a crap product. Who here other than Warriors fans enjoyed the Warriors winning with ease with KD every year?

That Warriors team was an aberration created by Kevin Durant's unique cowardice. Not every super-team succeeds, and it will probably be a long time before the stars align for a team to match that Warriors squad. Not even the Nets have the depth and versatility of the 2017 Warriors.

And now a new precedent has been set with Harden. Your star cracks it and you are forced to give him up for peanuts.

Harden gave Houston eight playoffs appearances in eight seasons. He stayed with that team for almost a decade, despite conflicts with management. What more do you want from him? Houston ended up with Victor Oladipo and nine first round picks for Harden. That's not "peanuts".

[MrPerfect1]

Organic = white guys in suits making decisions for the team because I don’t want players having any power ...........except for guys like Luka and Jokic.

Just because they have power doesn't mean they should all team up in the same 4 cities and kill all interest in the sport.

The NFL crushes the NBA in ratings because every team has a chance to compete and players don't just flock to the same team.

[MrPerfect1]

I don't see how building a team by tanking and pure luck in the lottery is somehow better than through trades.

Name a team that tanked to a championship.

I'll wait.

Spurs tanked for Duncan. Created a dynasty.

[MavfanAus]

Lebron started this BS. It's really all his fault. Can't wait for this fraud to retire.

Hmmmm. Boston 2008? Or were you born around this era?

[Cactus Jack]

Seriously. The NBA is completely rooted in my opinion.

The players clearly have all the power. A top 5 player can now force his out of while contracted for a pile of steaming ****.

Nobody wants to preserve through anything it seems like and they’d rather force their way to go play with LeBron, KD etc.

Does anyone actually find this **** entertaining?

The OKC Thunder Seattle Supersonics, 2029 NBA Champs will be organic... hehe

[cjmcallist]

Seriously. The NBA is completely rooted in my opinion.

The players clearly have all the power. A top 5 player can now force his out of while contracted for a pile of steaming ****.

Nobody wants to preserve through anything it seems like and they’d rather force their way to go play with LeBron, KD etc.

Does anyone actually find this **** entertaining?

The OKC Thunder Seattle Supersonics, 2029 NBA Champs will be organic... hehe

Touche'

[packforfreedom]

I don't see how building a team by tanking and pure luck in the lottery is somehow better than through trades.

Name a team that tanked to a championship.

I'll wait.

The Heat tanked before the 2003 draft.

[druggas]

I don't see how building a team by tanking and pure luck in the lottery is somehow better than through trades.

Name a team that tanked to a championship.

I'll wait.

Spurs tanked to get Duncan.