Most Franchises improve only one way

[Kiorrik]

if luck is one of the needed ingedients, then we are out of it, apparently.

i thought the Curse of Lenny had finally been vanquished with the '08 title, but judging from our bad fortune since that season, i'd say we are still paying some heavy karma debts, or else Red had a deal with the devil all those years and the agreement ran out in the summer of 1986.

when we finally put together a winner again after many years of suffering,  the very next season sees our most important player go down before we can defend our title. the next year, against all odds, we make a valiant run to the finals only to have it all taken away by one 4th quarter from hell. now, when Danny does make a move for fresher horses, their hearts mysteriously falter.

what have we done to deserve such cruel fates ??

This. TP.

[LB3533]

Most franchises improve through hard work and good coaching.

Most franchises win championships through one way = getting good players anyway you can (trade, draft, FA)

The bottom line is your team and franchise needs the best player and in some cases 2 or 3 of the best players.

And if you don't have the right coach, the right GM to work with, etc, having great players/great talent still don't mean jack.

Look at the 2nd House Rockets championship, the Detroit Pistons or last year's Dallas Mavericks....they all needed some good fortune to go their way.

[mqtcelticsfan]

It's not the draft that necessarily allows a team to improve. The only way to win a title is to either be the 2004 Detroit Pistons or to have a genuine superstar player. How you get that superstar is inconsequential.

[MosheP]

If this logic held through, no team would ever suck for more than a year or two, because the draft would immediately catapult them up.

Heck, how did Boston improve to win in 2008? It sure as heck wasn't through the draft.

without ainge landing delonte, perk, rondo, jefferson in the draft there is no 2008. Also without tanking 2007 and getting a top 5 pick there is no 2008.

The only really great trades is where you get guys that want out, and if you wanna land those guys, you gotta land draft picks

or cap space, like miami did, and how Memphis got Randolph as well. You are overating the draft imo

If Miami didn't have Wade, they'd have never attracted LeBron and Bosh.

[MosheP]

Acquiring players in the free-agency means market level contracts for players with +5 years in the league. 

Meaning players under rookie contracts are always necessary because their value are so high (age+salary) - as contributors or as trade assets to widen the chances of getting stars beyond free-agency.

As someone said, 2008 would have never happened if it wasn't for Al Jefferson, Rondo, Perkins, Powe... and let's not forget, Pierce.

[wdleehi]

It's not the draft that necessarily allows a team to improve. The only way to win a title is to either be the 2004 Detroit Pistons or to have a genuine superstar player. How you get that superstar is inconsequential.

The Pistons were that once every two decades team.


You have to have stars.  You have to either get lucky in the draft or build up multiple attractive pieces to trade.


The Celtics have one piece at the moment.  

[RajonRondo9Dime]

If this logic held through, no team would ever suck for more than a year or two, because the draft would immediately catapult them up.

Heck, how did Boston improve to win in 2008? It sure as heck wasn't through the draft.

without ainge landing delonte, perk, rondo, jefferson in the draft there is no 2008. Also without tanking 2007 and getting a top 5 pick there is no 2008.

The only really great trades is where you get guys that want out, and if you wanna land those guys, you gotta land draft picks

or cap space, like miami did, and how Memphis got Randolph as well. You are overating the draft imo

Cap space is great if star free agents want to come to you... When has Boston been an attractive place for free agency? Unfortunately, we don't attract them, even though we really should, given the fanbase, FO, coaching staff, and history