Sund: Draft Isn't As Helpful To Playoff Clubs

[djkadafi]

Hawks general manager Rick Sund doesn't believe that the NBA Draft is overly helpful to playoff-caliber teams.

"Generally if you're a playoff caliber club, whoever you get in that draft pick isn't going to play because it's tough to beat any of your 8 man rotation," Sund told 790 The Zone.

Atlanta, however, does have a number of players on their roster that could leave via free agency.

"It's going to be very difficult to say, 'What are we looking for that we need?' We really need the growth from within. Here's the point - I can build a case and sit here today and say, 'We should get a center because we don't know the status of Zaza.' We can say, 'Hey, let's get a forward because we might lose Marvin we can say, 'What if Flip goes and we need a scorer off the bench and what if Bibby goes?' You can build a case for any of these, which leads me to think we really should get the best player."

The Hawks have the 19th overall pick.

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/ ... off_clubs/


Rick Sund better draft Ty Lawson or Maynor with the 19th pick!!!

[HMFFL]

"Generally if you're a playoff caliber club, whoever you get in that draft pick isn't going to play because it's tough to beat any of your 8 man rotation," Sund told 790 The Zone.

As of right now we don't have a solid 8 man rotation until we fill the void at the 1 and the 3. Mike Bibby and Marvin Williams will most likely be back, but I can't assuming anything. We lack depth on our bench and we have a number of question marks. By just reading this Sund comes off as cocky to me, or maybe he just feels more confident about free agency.

[raleigh]

^^^Sund justs rambles. I never take anything he says seriously.

[evildallas]

While I understand what he's trying to say, he's coming dangerously close to coming across as an idiot. The draft is very important to playoff clubs whether the player cracks the 8 man rotation right away or not and here are some reasons why:
If your 9+ players on the roster suck, then your injury risk is great.
You have to manage your roster with an eye on the future. He hints at this in his statement, but with a very short term POV. It shouldn't be if we lose Zaza vs. Marvin vs. Flip this year. It should be what do you plan to do next summer and the year after that. Sure the plan changes, but with a plan of some sorts you aren't totally reacting to each season's free agency crop as if it's a make or break summer.


He is right that BPA is the best strategy because:
We aren't talking the upper lottery where you expect a player to play right away and there for positional need within long term plan is important.
We have a need for depth at every position on the roster if not now in the next year or two, so no position is a complete waste for us. Having said that roles are even more important that position (for instance, bench scorer, bench rebounder, perimeter defender, point guard, etc.), but within a few years every role that you could realistically stock with a pick at the 19th slot needs filled as well.