Who is to blame for the consistent "bad" picks? Is it the bloated and corrupt AAU system? Is it the John Calipari's of the world that endorse and recruit the known One and Done talent? Is it the media that hypes potential lottery talent years in advance without actually seeing a particular player in a situation that would be considered the equivalent of the pro level? All of these play a large part in the big picture, but at the end of the day the blame lies on the shoulders of the organization drafting the player. I mean what is the said player going to do when a decent portion of the basketball world proclaims them as "The Next Big Thing" or "The Savior". Not everyone can shoulder the burden of a LeBron James or Tim Duncan two key examples of the stars aligning just right for everyone involved.
The Teams are the ones who take the advice of their own scouts as well as the outside consensus. Sometimes the mantra "Best Available Player" or definite player loom larger than the immediate need. The definite pick is overlooked for the alleged "Sure Thing". Not all talent is worth taking a risk on. Some teams resort to the controversial tactic of tanking to get to that potential Golden Nugget (Golden State Warriors 2012 clearly tanked for Harrison Barnes). Sometimes its a ok thing to take the Patient approach. The investment in the "Right Thing" is often better than the "Best Available Player" rule which often leaves teams in an awkward situation years down the road. The search for the immediate gratification of gaining a early playoff spot for a team that may have missed a few seasons could drive them further away from the initial goal.
Below I will detail in no particular order, organizations that have had more luck than most, because lets face it, some of this is about luck. When the right year comes around and the season begins to look a little bleak, GM's often look down the road. The question of who will I keep in the off season and how will that affect next season becomes necessary when looking at how well that talent will blend with the potential draft pick. Prepare to learn a little something and be amazed at how certain organizations maintain without offering up the big bucks to the Dwight's and LeBron's of the world.
1. San Antonio Spurs: Of course "Old Faithful" leads the charge. Their first homerun was with David Robinson in the 1987 draft. They were clearly looking at the long term potential because the Admiral was unable to immediately join the team (Fulfilling that Obligation to Country), but once he arrived they took off. Ten years later they hit another homerun with Tim Duncan in 1997 which led to a total of 4 championships in 16 years. They were also able to capitalize on the foreign market with great success drafting Manu Ginobli, Tony Parker and more recently Tiago Splitter. R.C. Buford the longtime GM is one of the best in the business and the Emporer himself Gregg Popovich gets the most out of this talent.
2. Indiana Pacers: The Pacers have had a pretty decent go of it in the draft. During the 80's they found a pretty decent cornerstone in Reggie Miller which along with several other players drafted by the organization brought the team success in the Eastern Conference. They peaked in 2000 when they made it to the Finals, but ultimately lost against the Lakers. More recently with the guidance of former President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird, current President Donnie Walsh and GM Kevin Pritchard the team has had great success in the draft.
In 2005 they drafted Danny Granger; in 2008 they made a draft day trade for franchise cornerstone and defensive stalwart Roy Hibbert; in 2009 they drafted college legend Tyler Hansbrough; 2010 they hit the jackpot with Paul George (2013 Most Improved Player) and Brooklyn streetball prodigy Lance Stephenson. This measured approach through the draft has led the Indiana Pacers to the Playoffs the last couple of years with a serious chance to contend for years to come.
3. Golden State Warriors: The Titans of tank have had recent success in a major way after going through a series of up and down years through the late 90's and mid 2000's. In the early 90's they had a offensive juggernaut with "Run TMC", the combination of Mitch Richmond, Chris Mullin and Tim Hardaway. In 1993 they traded for Chris Webber the primary piece of the "Fabled Michigan Fab Five". Several players were drafted after Webber, but none could truly restore the feeling that Run TMC brought to the city of Oakland.
That feeling returned when the organization finally decided to draft smart and stop trolling for the quick fix (Troy Murphy, Andris Biedrins, Monta Ellis) and looked for the long term cure. In 2009 they drafted the 3pt shooting wizard Steph Curry. In 2011 they drafted the sweet shooting Klay Thompson continuing the youth movement and slow methodical approach. After acquiring Andrew Bogut in a late season hijacking for the notorious chucker Monta Ellis, the Great Tank project of 2012 paid off for GSW. They drafted the dynamic wing Harrison Barnes from UNC. Throw in the late round steal of Festus Ezeli and second round theft of Draymond Green. This rebuilding process is complete, welcome back to the playoff picture GSW.
4. Chicago Bulls: The legendary Bulls hit possibly the greatest jackpot in professional sports history when the Portland Trailblazers selected Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan. No one blames Houston for taking stud Akeem Olajuwon he won two titles. As we all know His Airness led the franchise to new heights, what happend after his departure left a void the size of New York City. Once the Kingdom fell, the keys to the Bulls organization were handed to Duke PG Jason Williams. After a productive rookie season things looked bright, however they came to a screeching halt. Williams career was cut short during a off seaon injury and the Kingdom was lost.
In 2004 the Bulls drafted Luol Deng and Ben Gordon. Both proved valuable, but Gordon departed in search of dollars after his rookie contract. In 2007 they drafted Joakim Noah, fresh off two National Championships at the University of Florida. The following year they drafted Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis and the sun began to rise yet again. Within two years of entering the league Rose had catapulted the Bulls back into the conversation as a potential contender. Rose won the 2011 MVP and led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals. That same year they found a diamond in the rough in Jimmy Butler who has become one of the best young wings in basketall. Despite a rash of injuries the last two years, the Bulls have remained resilient and will look to contend for years to come.
5. Oklohoma City Thunder: The Organization formally known as the Seattle Supersonics saw lots of success with the NBA Draft prior to becoming the OKC Thunder; Nate McMillan, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Rashard Lewis and the final jewel Kevin Durant. The Sonics were perennial threats during the 90's in the West with their lock down defense and lights out offense. After the lockout shortend season in 1999 the team lost its way for years relying on veterans and off season free agent acquisitions to survive.
In 2007 the Franchise won the second pick in the 2007 draft which they used to draft the aformentioned Kevin Durant.The 6'9 swingman from the University of Texas was College Player of the Year and is a matchup nightmare. In 2008 the team was relocated to Oklohoma City. They drafted Russell Westbrook, the hyper talented guard from UCLA and Big Man Serge Ibaka. Providing the team with the key cornerstones for the future. The following year they drafted James Harden who helped lead the team into the playoffs. Harden would go on to win 6th Man of the year in 2012. This fearsome foursome took the Thunder to the 2012 Finals, where they eventually lost to the Miami Heat. Harden was traded to Houston, but the bulk of the franchise remained intact. The Thunder have also drafted Nick Collison, Reggie Jackson and Perry Jones III. As long as the organization remains in the capable hands of Sam Presti and Scott Brooks they will continue to succeed via the draft with home grown talent.
This measured approach to the draft has led to long term success. Some teams (Bobcats) look for the quick shot, others (Knick and Lakers) have storied organizations in big markets. They are more willing to gamble big in order to please the fans, however this can result in a catastrophic failure; just ask Isaiah Thomas. Patience wins out in running a franchise, yes it requires a few years of empty results but it could end up being the right way to go for the chance to win a Championship.
The Draft Fanatic
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