Imagine winning an NBA championship without any lottery pick

[mr. dee]

Kawhi Leonard = 15th pick (2011)
Kyle Lowry = 24th pick (2006)
Marc Gasol = 48th pick (2007)
Pascal Siakam = 27th pick (2016)
Danny Green = 46th pick (2009)
Fred VanVleet = Undrafted (2016)
Serge Ibaka = 24th pick (2008)
Norman Powell = 46th pick (2015)
OG Anunoby = 23rd pick (2017)
Jeremy Lin = Undrafted (2010)
Patrick McCaw = 38th pick (2016)
Chris Boucher = Undrafted (2017)
Jodie Meeks = 41st pick (2009)
Eric Moreland = Undrafted (2014)
Malcom Miller = Undrafted (2016)

Granted they traded their players who were lottery picks to obtain these guy. But even the fact that they traded those lottery pick players for guys who were drafted much lower is crazy. What's more crazy is there are 5 undrafted guys on the team and one is a major contributor.

Demar Derozan = 9th pick (2009)
Jonas Valenciunas = 5th pick (2011)
Jakob Poltl = 9th pick (2016)
Terrence Ross = 8th pick (2012)

Has there been a team in NBA history with this type of circumstance?

[PhoSita]

The warriors pre-durant

[mr. dee]

The warriors pre-durant

Steph Curry = 7th pick (2009)
Klay Thompson = 11th pick (2011)
Harrison Barnes = 7th pick (2012)
Andre Iguodala =9th pick (2009)
Andrew Bogut = 1st pick (2005)
Shaun Livingston = 4th pick (2004)

Warriors have abundance of lottery pick guys

[PhoSita]

The warriors pre-durant

Steph Curry = 7th pick (2009)
Klay Thompson = 11th pick (2011)
Harrison Barnes = 7th pick (2012)
Andre Iguodala =9th pick (2009)
Andrew Bogut = 1st pick (2005)
Shaun Livingston = 4th pick (2004)

Warriors have abundance of lottery pick guys

Sure but none of their primary guys were selected with a top 5 pick.

And you acknowledged that the raptors made this team by trading several top 10 pick guys

[mr. dee]

The warriors pre-durant

Steph Curry = 7th pick (2009)
Klay Thompson = 11th pick (2011)
Harrison Barnes = 7th pick (2012)
Andre Iguodala =9th pick (2009)
Andrew Bogut = 1st pick (2005)
Shaun Livingston = 4th pick (2004)

Warriors have abundance of lottery pick guys

Sure but none of their primary guys were selected with a top 5 pick.

And you acknowledged that the raptors made this team by trading several top 10 pick guys

They are still lottery pick, nonetheless. And these Raptors lottery picks weren't exactly top 3 pick as main guys. Derozan is drafted 9th and he's arguably the best player on that team prior. Jonas was picked at 5, but he wasn't the main guy either. And if you traded those players straight when these players were drafted, people would probably laugh at decision. Imagine trading away #5 pick for a 48th pick straight up in hindsight.

[PhoSita]

Curry was 7th, Klay was 11 or 12, Draymond was a second round pick.

Iguodala was a 9th pick.

Barnes was a 7th pick.


The warriors pre-durant are the shining example of a championship team built without top 5 picks.

[Atzar]

Curry was 7th, Klay was 11 or 12, Draymond was a second round pick.

Iguodala was a 9th pick.

Barnes was a 7th pick.


The warriors pre-durant are the shining example of a championship team built without top 5 picks.

You moved the goalposts, though.  The thread is about lottery picks, not top 5 picks.

[CelticSooner]

I believe this Toronto team is the first to ever make the Finals. They have arguably the best player in the world on their team though regardless of where he was selected in the draft.

[gouki88]

Curry was 7th, Klay was 11 or 12, Draymond was a second round pick.

Iguodala was a 9th pick.

Barnes was a 7th pick.


The warriors pre-durant are the shining example of a championship team built without top 5 picks.

That's not at all what this thread is about though

[mr. dee]

Curry was 7th, Klay was 11 or 12, Draymond was a second round pick.

Iguodala was a 9th pick.

Barnes was a 7th pick.


The warriors pre-durant are the shining example of a championship team built without top 5 picks.

That's not at all what this thread is about though

I'll bite. Warriors isn't exactly the first team with such feat.

1979 Sonics:

Jack Sikma = 8th overall (1977)
Dennis Johnson = 29th overall (1976)
Gus Williams = 20th overall (1975)
John Johnson = 7th overall (1970)
Lonnie Shelton = 25th overall (1976)
Fred Brown = 6th overall (1971)
Tom LaGarde = 9th overall (1977)
Paul Silas = 10th overall (1964)
Wally Walker = 5th overall (1976)
Dennis Awtrey = 46th overall (1970)
Dick Snyder = 14th overall (1966)
Jackie Robinson = 67th overall (1978)
Joe Hassett = 52nd overall (1977)

Now, if you say they have #5 in Tom LaGarde, might as well count Shaun Livingston and Andrew Bogut since they were drafted much higher than any in the Sonics team.

[PhoSita]

Curry was 7th, Klay was 11 or 12, Draymond was a second round pick.

Iguodala was a 9th pick.

Barnes was a 7th pick.


The warriors pre-durant are the shining example of a championship team built without top 5 picks.

You moved the goalposts, though.  The thread is about lottery picks, not top 5 picks.

Except I didn't --- the OP acknowledged that the Raptors built their team by trading multiple important players who were drafted with top 10 picks.

It's true that the Raptors have a championship caliber team comprised of players who were selected outside of the top 10.

But the Raptors didn't actually draft any of those players with the exception of Siakam.


Kawhi is obviously the key piece of this Raptors team.  He was not a top 10 pick, but was already established as a superstar player by the time the Raptors traded for him.  They paid a superstar price to acquire him, and that price involved trading two players who were drafted by the Raptors with top 10 picks.


What the Raptors have done is very impressive but if they win I think it would be more than a little disingenuous to characterize it as "winning a championship without any lottery picks."


The phrase implies that the team managed to find a number of diamonds in the rough.  How does that apply if the player's value was already well established when the team acquired them?

[SparzWizard]

I believe this Toronto team is the first to ever make the Finals. They have arguably the best player in the world on their team though regardless of where he was selected in the draft.

It's their first NBA finals appearance.

[GreenFaith1819]

Two words:

Masai Ujiri.

[Ogaju]

FOUR WORDS

Kawhi Leonard trade demand