team would definitely make the playoffs, maybe even with the division, but would have a helluva time getting out of the first round without a real go-to scorer.
Yep. I'm on board with you. Having that real go-to scorer is, unfortunately, the starting point for building a really good team, and as we've discussed all year, it's very difficult to get that sort of guy without making home run trades or drafting one, and that usually (though not always) requires a high pick.
We've got a high pick this season, but it may not yield a go-to scorer (it probably won't). So the only option may be to develop young players again (i.e. lose a lot of games) and hope for luck in next year's draft, or else wait multiple years for a superstar to become available via trade.