Can you build a contender from young players?

[freshie2]

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

I think so...wasn't that the year they tanked to get Duncan, and ended up with Billups and Mercer??

[dbodner]

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.

They had 3 years of .500+ ball, and last year had a 49 win season. That may not constitute contender in the most literal sense, but when you're looking at winning 30 games if you're lucky, that's a good success story for someone who built virtually through the draft completely.

and cleveland most of that teams core was built through free agency, Gooden, marshal, snow and jones

Not one of those players averaged 30 minutes per game last year. That team was built around LeBron, Z, and Daniel Gibson is currently more valuable than any of those you listed. Nobody's saying you get EVERYTHING through the draft, but we're talking about people who got their core pieces through the draft.

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.

Again, their core is Dirk Howard and Harris. That's what we're talking about. Sure, they have supporting players who they acquired through other means, but there hasn't been a team in the history of the nba that has build the entire 15 man through the draft.

[freshie2]

Agree on Cleveland and Chicago, but I consider Dallas more of a FA/trade team than a draft team. You are right with the main 3, but they have so many people contribute that were not drafted. I know Dirk was acquired in a draft day trade (Tractor Traylor I think...), but was Harris a trade or just an awful season that landed them that pick??

[SendEm]

The Orlando Magic were a 100% draft team.
The Seattle Supersonics built through the draft.

It can be done if a team has an excellent GM to find the talent and an excellent coach to develop them and place them in the right position.

That's were a "great coach" like Larry Brown sucks. He stinks at putting players in the right position because if you can't play within his system then you are worthless to him. A great coach needs to be able to put good players in the best positions to succeed otherwise you'll have a GM trading away young talent in order to get veterans to play a certain role that a coach like Larry Brown absolutely needs in order to succeed with his system.

A great coach should be able to create a new system tailored to bring out the best in his players.

So a Franchise can certainly build through the draft. But everything in the entire franchise MUST be in great order to pull it off. The front office has to be really good.

[Sixercise]

What about Atlanta's current team? They're a far cry from being a contender for now, but at least a good third of that team is constituted through the draft. I think that team, although young, is appearing to be half-decent.

[freshie2]

A great coach wins...Brown is a great coach...silly to even discuss this. I don't like some of what he does, but there is no debate he is a truly great coach...better than Phil, Pop, Pat...never had the stars those coaches had, yet always lead his team to success until he landed in NY.

Orlando is mostly draft, but now you have to include Turk and Lewis...big pieces of that team. Are you referring to the old Seattle (Kemp, Payton era) or current? Current is all draft, but the probably aren't fully rebuilt at this point.

[Sixercise]

Current [Seattle team] is all draft, but the probably aren't fully rebuilt at this point.

I wouldn't use that example either. That team went through a few changes too many since Nate McMilan (sp?) left. Also they have a few veterans (Wally, Kurt & Wilcox).

[SendEm]

A great coach wins...Brown is a great coach...silly to even discuss this. I don't like some of what he does, but there is no debate he is a truly great coach...better than Phil, Pop, Pat...never had the stars those coaches had, yet always lead his team to success until he landed in NY.

Orlando is mostly draft, but now you have to include Turk and Lewis...big pieces of that team. Are you referring to the old Seattle (Kemp, Payton era) or current? Current is all draft, but the probably aren't fully rebuilt at this point.

Have you eaten your breakfast yet? You missed on every point

There was a better Orlando team. Do some research please. Come back after your lunch break.

[freshie2]

Usually your points are hard to digest. So you are referring to the Shaq/Penny Magic...OK, so a decade ago, they were built through the draft. Assuming then we are going back to when Dikembe was in his early 20's and Kemp only had 5 illegitimate children to get to the Seattle 'draft built' team.

[tk76]

I'm not really wondering if a team can be built without trades.

I more wanted to see if a truly young team can peak with most of its players 28 and under- but I guess they can if they are led by a superstar (esp a big.)