So: are we going to be TOO good?

[Tunchi]

Why do people care about getting a top pick? He wouldn't fit in Lillard's window. We already have top 10 picks in Aminu, CJ, and Vonleh who fit in Lillard's window. We are going to win games this season and get better as these young talents get more experience.

Well we can always get a top pick whose a 3-4 year guy from college who wont take no more than 2 seasons to become very good. Then of course we can always use the pick for a trade. Its very important imo we grab a top lottery pick so we can atleast trade it

 

[KingSpeed]

Not sure, for some it seems a top 5 pick = a shoe in to make the playoffs or something...

When was the last top 5 pick

Well we can always get a top pick whose a 3-4 year guy from college who wont take no more than 2 seasons to become very good. Then of course we can always use the pick for a trade. Its very important imo we grab a top lottery pick so we can atleast trade it

Well, it's not gonna happen. We're going to be at least .500. Probably better.

 

[Orion Bailey]

When was the last top 5 pick


Well, it's not gonna happen. We're going to be at least .500. Probably better.

Don't know, but I didn't just mean for our team, I meant for any team. How many top 5 picks from the last 5 years are on a current championship contender? This might be a better assessment to the value of a top 5 pick.


Agreed.

 

[BonesJones]

Well we can always get a top pick whose a 3-4 year guy from college who wont take no more than 2 seasons to become very good. Then of course we can always use the pick for a trade. Its very important imo we grab a top lottery pick so we can atleast trade it

okay, please name a 3 to 4 year guy in next year's draft that could be helping Dame within 2 years... There's no one that fits your criteria.

 

[Tunchi]

okay, please name a 3 to 4 year guy in next year's draft that could be helping Dame within 2 years... There's no one that fits your criteria.

Yea you might have a point

 

[Nikolokolus]

I find the line of reasoning that we should only be concerned with Damian's "timeline" a little spurious.

 

[Natebishop3]

Dame is 25 years old........ window?

 

[Orion Bailey]

I find the line of reasoning that we should only be concerned with Damian's "timeline" a little spurious.

Man you sure are so, black and white... when its really colorful.

That isn't the only concern, but it is a good thing to try to do. The long term thought is to have a core together for a decade. How else do you do that without building around the same age?

 

[Nikolokolus]

A core for a decade? Damian is what, 25-26? How many peak years do you think he has left exactly? So I'm not suggesting that Damian can't be part of a very good team that competes for a title, I'm just not sure he can be the best player on this team.

EDIT: to clarify, "be the best player on a team that is ready for serious contention in hopefully three or four years (which seems about the best case scenario for a rebuild if history is any guide).

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Man you sure are so, black and white... when its really colorful.

That isn't the only concern, but it is a good thing to try to do. The long term thought is to have a core together for a decade. How else do you do that without building around the same age?

To play devil's advocate, it's often better to have a good mix of players at various stages of their careers. However, if our goal is to get back into the playoffs by the end of next season, adding a top 5 pick probably isn't going to do it.

The concern with Damian's timeline isn't just because we love Dame, but also because he's just entering his prime, and we'd like or team back in the mix sooner rather than later.

 

[Natebishop3]

A core for a decade? Damian is what, 25-26? How many peak years do you think he has left exactly? So I'm not suggesting that Damian can't be part of a very good team that competes for a title, I'm just not sure he can be the best player on this team.

He just turned 25 in July. I would say at least five or six years at his peak.

 

[Orion Bailey]

A core for a decade? Damian is what, 25-26? How many peak years do you think he has left exactly? So I'm not suggesting that Damian can't be part of a very good team that competes for a title, I'm just not sure he can be the best player on this team.

EDIT: to clarify, "be the best player on a team that is ready for serious contention in hopefully three or four years (which seems about the best case scenario for a rebuild if history is any guide).

It seems like your rebuttals aren't very thought out.

Yes a decade. Just because a player is past his peak doesn't mean he cant still be part of a core, especially an already established core.
For the last 3 years Duncan, Ginobli and Parker have been a core, but they are all past their peak.

Also, for a core to be established around your franchise, doesn't mean the franchise player is actually the best player., but still part of the core. I am not saying that Dame will always be our number one.

To play devil's advocate, it's often better to have a good mix of players at various stages of their careers. However, if our goal is to get back into the playoffs by the end of next season, adding a top 5 pick probably isn't going to do it.

The concern with Damian's timeline isn't just because we love Dame, but also because he's just entering his prime, and we'd like or team back in the mix sooner rather than later.

A good mix of players yes, but not the core. Look at the core of most champs, the three or four main guys are almost always within a 3-4 year window.
Garnett/Peirce
LBJ, Dwade/Bosch
Duncan/Parker/Ginobli

Etc.

Those guys all had a mix of ages around them.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

A good mix of players yes, but not the core. Look at the core of most champs, the three or four main guys are almost always within a 3-4 year window.
Garnett/Peirce
LBJ, Dwade/Bosch
Duncan/Parker/Ginobli

Etc.

Those guys all had a mix of ages around them.

Parker and Duncan are 6 years apart. Shaq and Kobe were 6 years apart.

Still, I agree with you, and so does Olshey, considering HE is the one who first started referencing Dame's timeline this off-season.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Parker and Duncan are 6 years apart. Shaq and Kobe were 6 years apart.

Still, I agree with you, and so does Olshey, considering HE is the one who first started referencing Dame's timeline this off-season.

I knew Duncan was the old one of that bunch.

I didn't list Shaq and Kobe because I knew they were further apart. Most cores though are pretty close in age throughout the history of great teams.

If you have 2 players in the top 50 best players ever, then yes, the age wont matter as much. but we don't and I think that's in part a bigger reason to keep the ages closer. So they can groom together. Kobe was brought in as an 18 year old and rode the bench and learned from Magic. By the time he was thrust next to Shaq, he was ready and was the next Jordan. with players of that caliber, age isn't as big a factor. The same could be said about Parker and Duncan. Duncan is a top 50 player (not sure about Parker).

I think though SA is the model you are describing, especially as we watch them continue to tweak and modify.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Kobe was brought in as an 18 year old and rode the bench and learned from Magic. By the time he was thrust next to Shaq, he was ready and was the next Jordan.

Yeah...no. Shaq was there Kobe's rookie year, and Magic was long gone when Kobe got there. But still, trying to compare our team to any team containing two of the top five players in the league is silly. That's not what we're shooting for.

I think though SA is the model you are describing, especially as we watch them continue to tweak and modify.

Really, I'm more looking at the Pistons, Mavs, and Warriors. Get a franchise cornerstone, surround him with a bevy of talented complements, and implement a coaching system that makes the most of the available resources.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Yeah...no. Shaq was there Kobe's rookie year, and Magic was long gone when Kobe got there. But still, trying to compare our team to any team containing two of the top five players in the league is silly. That's not what we're shooting for.




Really, I'm more looking at the Pistons, Mavs, and Warriors. Get a franchise cornerstone, surround him with a bevy of talented complements, and implement a coaching system that makes the most of the available resources.

I could have sworn Magic came back that one season during Kobes rookie year? I thought Shaq was still in Orlando Kobes rookie year? Ahh symantics anyhow.

Great examples of model teams that didn't have the 3 superstars, but rather team ball. That goes for both of Detroits' ring teams, the bad boys and the Wallace brothers.

 

[BlazerWookee]

I said this back a couple years ago during Dame's rookie year and was booed off stage.

Not by me, lol...

 

[Draco]

No I disagree with OP. Ideally this team wins more games because that means we have multiple valuable pieces on the roster. The benefit of having multiple players exceeding expectations trumps the downside of losing value with our draft pick.

The draft pick becomes a consolation price if our season goes worse than we hope. But that isn't the goal. If we get a top draft pick it means the rest of our roster is bad. If that's the case we would need much more than one great player to contend.

 

[Natebishop3]

Kevin Durant or bust!

 

[ThugginPaulyGAllen]

Why are we concerned with dame's timeline? Is this a real question?

When was the last time we had an all star PG?

It's a guards league right now, so ya...I'd say it would make sense to focus on the franchise centerpieces timeline so we can surround him and contend.

Maybe New Orleans should say screw it and start building for when Anthony Davis is 30, they should tank. Fuck how long Ant Davis will be in his prime.

 

[Draco]

Why are we concerned with dame's timeline? Is this a real question?

When was the last time we had an all star PG?

It's a guards league right now, so ya...I'd say it would make sense to focus on the franchise centerpieces timeline so we can surround him and contend.

Maybe New Orleans should say screw it and start building for when Anthony Davis is 30, they should tank. Fuck how long Ant Davis will be in his prime.

It shouldn't be a concern this year. Even next season if the team is losing its still fine. But if we aren't a playoff team by 2017-18 it might be time to consider trading Lillard while he's in the final couple years of his prime. So I think because of Damian's age this rebuild has a two year window. If we were rebuilding around a 19 year old rookie it would be very different.

 

[Natebishop3]

It shouldn't be a concern this year. Even next season if the team is losing its still fine. But if we aren't a playoff team by 2017-18 it might be time to consider trading Lillard while he's in the final couple years of his prime. So I think because of Damian's age this rebuild has a two year window. If we were rebuilding around a 19 year old rookie it would be very different.

But he'll be 27... that still gives him 3-4 really good years, maybe more if he can get his shot back.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Make the play-offs or get a top 5 pick. Any other result is a failure.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Make the play-offs or get a top 5 pick. Any other result is a failure.

That's simply an absolutely ridiculous way to look at things.

 

[riverman]

Sooner you want to be a contender, the more playoff experience you want young players to have..tanking is for pussys..I like getting high draft picks after they've been in the league a couple of years

 

[oldmangrouch]

That's simply an absolutely ridiculous way to look at things.

Finish 8th in your conference and you make the play-offs. Finish 15th and you get a high draft pick. Finish 9th or 10th and what do you get? The knowledge that next season is going to suck also.

Ridiculous? It is the only sensible way to look at it. Name one person in the HOF who cared about "moral victories".

 

[riverman]

Finish 8th in your conference and you make the play-offs. Finish 15th and you get a high draft pick. Finish 9th or 10th and what do you get? The knowledge that next season is going to suck also.

Ridiculous? It is the only sensible way to look at it. Name one person in the HOF who cared about "moral victories".

Charles Barkley

 

[riverman]

I think the playoff is its own school. If you want a team to improve, they need to get some playoff experience..we have cap space and assets to trade..the draft is as much a crap shoot as a strategy.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Charles Barkley

Not sure what you base that on. I've never heard Barkley singing the praises of just missing the play-offs.

 

[riverman]

Not sure what you base that on. I've never heard Barkley singing the praises of just missing the play-offs.

No..in Barkley's case he talked about being a HOFer without a championship..I thought that was praising a moral victory