Lottery teams with best future?
Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2019 8:50 pm
A recent Athletic article had polling of insiders regarding the lottery teams with the best future. Mavs won followed by Kings and Hawks and no one else close.
Say what?
There is not sufficient reason to elevate these 3 way above all others, imo. Seem like the quick easy answers but may be too quick.
It is clearly influenced by people being very optimistic about the most recent top draft picks. I dunno the exact order I'd give but I'd say all but the Suns are being under-rated relative to these 3. There isn't that big a gap. It is about far more than a few young players with big roles and big boxscore stats. Most of these teams won't get above meh anytime soon.
There were 8 teams that failed to get a single vote. A couple might deserve to be at least closer to the teams on the lower end of the list. The Heat and Hornets were better this season than most of those getting votes and could get better with a change or two and / or better lineup management. The Lakers probably have as much chance to make playoffs or do something in them in next year or two as any of the others yet got few votes.
Kings probably deserve to be in top 3. But faded a lot down the stretch and might lose a starter and / or coach. In long run they will have to pay or lose players. There will be a squeeze.
Mavs will have major new chemistry challenges, played losing basketball with Doncic and have a lot of cap space being eaten by below average wings. Porzingis may not be that good anymore. Seemed overrated to me even before the injury..
Hawks got better over time. The next draft picks may help in a few years but if they play a lot the Hawks record may not improve next season. Dedmon may or may not still be around.
Bright future may mean 5 plus years. Admittedly I am more focused on next year or two. Still it seems like too much is being pinned on young stars becoming much better. "Next in line to dominate?" Get to playoffs first. Squeak out a underdog series win. Then we might have a basis to start even thinking about dominating.
Say what?
There is not sufficient reason to elevate these 3 way above all others, imo. Seem like the quick easy answers but may be too quick.
It is clearly influenced by people being very optimistic about the most recent top draft picks. I dunno the exact order I'd give but I'd say all but the Suns are being under-rated relative to these 3. There isn't that big a gap. It is about far more than a few young players with big roles and big boxscore stats. Most of these teams won't get above meh anytime soon.
There were 8 teams that failed to get a single vote. A couple might deserve to be at least closer to the teams on the lower end of the list. The Heat and Hornets were better this season than most of those getting votes and could get better with a change or two and / or better lineup management. The Lakers probably have as much chance to make playoffs or do something in them in next year or two as any of the others yet got few votes.
Kings probably deserve to be in top 3. But faded a lot down the stretch and might lose a starter and / or coach. In long run they will have to pay or lose players. There will be a squeeze.
Mavs will have major new chemistry challenges, played losing basketball with Doncic and have a lot of cap space being eaten by below average wings. Porzingis may not be that good anymore. Seemed overrated to me even before the injury..
Hawks got better over time. The next draft picks may help in a few years but if they play a lot the Hawks record may not improve next season. Dedmon may or may not still be around.
Bright future may mean 5 plus years. Admittedly I am more focused on next year or two. Still it seems like too much is being pinned on young stars becoming much better. "Next in line to dominate?" Get to playoffs first. Squeak out a underdog series win. Then we might have a basis to start even thinking about dominating.