SUPERBALLMAN wrote:The problem is we are completely rebuilding this team from the ground up with basically no assets. We didn't get the haul of.draft picks for Beal or Wall. And we've been running for years on a premise of being close and draft safer complimentary players like Kispert and Rui and Johnny Davis. So we need to make up for lost time. The more picks we can add now, late 1st and 2nd rounders especially, the more long term developmental projects but potential high upside picks we can add with a more swing for the fences approach. Draft guys that can develop on the GoGo for a year or 2 like Patrick Baldwin or play overseas for a year like Vukcevic. Draft guys like Bilal who are raw but have the physical tools that can play and learn the game while we tank. Players like Adem Bona, Pacome Dadiet, Kyshawn George, Carrington, Ware, Salaun, Adjinca, Adama Bal, Klintman, Ulrich Chomche ... So that when we add someone like Flagg, Harper, Bailey, Boozer, we have some young talent that's already here and being developed to add to them. If you hit on 1 or 2 or 3 of them then you've got something to build on. You don't want to get "our guy" here, then start drafting guys that might be ready in 3 years if ever. You want to draft those guys now BEFORE "that guy" is here.
And having too many guys to develop or too many up for 2nd contracts at the same time etc is nonsense. If you draft 5 or 6 guys, maybe only 2 of them "hit". But you bring in as many as you can, so you can weed out the keepers from the sleepers. I mean look at the Orioles!
Baseball has the luxury of multiple minor leagues to send prospects down for seasoning. Years if necessary.
In the NBA you only have 15 roster spots, plus two 2-way slots. And if you are not within 90% of the cap, you don't get any of the Lux tax disbursement.
I like the list of players you tabbed since a few are international guys that you could draft and stash overseas if they don't pan out. Their development over there will be out of your hands. And they may end up signing a longer term contract you will have to wait out. Still,they develop on someone else's playing time. It's a decent strategy as the FIBA rules leagues get stronger every year. If so though you're still not really making up for lost time, since they are marinating for however long it takes. It's not necessarily one year, it's whenever they develop and if they aren't locked in to a longer contract before you're ready for them.
But maybe they are good enough to stay. Better decide quickly if you want them here though, your evaluation time on those sleeper picks will be a few weeks of training camp plus pre-season. Would Giannis have developed into the monster he is today if he went back to Greece? His first couple years only gave flashes of who he became.
I think Winger and Dawkins are smart to simply add a couple extra picks every year. They are building for the long haul not trying to forcefeed talent into the system. Instead of betting heavy on one particular year, you constantly add additional chances, never knowing which year is going to truly have a huge talent load. Dollar cost averaging with basketball talent. It's the same thing you are suggesting, just spread out over time.
Think about it, there are about 500 players in the league every year, with roster turnover one way or the other. But 60 players get selected every year. Last year 242 players declared for the NBA draft. Every year only a few players last in the league past their first contract. The average playing career in the NBA is 4.5 years. It's a constant churn and turnover. But in order to know if anyone is any good you have to put them in position to succeed. Pouring 15 rookies in every year and hoping they stick won't teach anyone how to win.
I like the idea that every year we get a couple extra whacks at the piñata. Some of which may be higher up the talent tree, even into the lotto. If the NBA eventually lets teams draft and stash their entire G-League team, in a true minor league system, then cool, we can try the strategy of hoarding every late pick we can get. But until then, I like how they are playing it so far. Bilal stuck. Vuk developed overseas. PBR was mostly butt after developing with another team, but showed flashes late. We stole Butler. Used our G-League well. So far looks to me like they are taking advantage of the holes in the system without overloading the team with non-players.