Building a Winner, Part 5
2012-02-17Part 5 – The other champions of the last 20 years
It’s Friday and this series is on a downward trajectory, so today the post will quickly look at the other four champions of the last twenty years, starting with the greatest team of all time.
Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls
Chicago’s 1990’s dynasty was the last NBA champion built primarily on the strength of multiple elite lottery selections. Their construction was more similar to today’s Bulls though, (arduous, 10 year lottery dip) than today’s Thunder (easy-in, easy-out lottery based contender). Prior to drafting Jordan, the Bulls picked in the top ten in seven of eight drafts, including four top-fives. This ended with them back in the lottery in 1984, where they hit the jackpot and drafted the greatest of all time at #3. The next year, they made a lottery pick swap and nabbed Charles Oakley. Two years after that, using a pick acquired from New York for 29 year old journeyman center Jawann Oldham, the Bulls traded it and a future first rounder to draft Scottie Pippen at #5. Horace Grant was picked 10th, Charles Oakley and a future selection were traded for Bill Cartwright & Will Perdue, and the Bulls were set up for their first three-peat.
For their second three-peat, the core of Jordan and Pippen was supplemented with Toni Kukoc (29th pick in 1990), Dennis Rodman (maniac, acquired for Will Perdue) and a couple of free agents (Steve Kerr and Ron Harper).
Honestly, I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do this; clearly, drafting the G.O.A.T = multiple championships. Duh.
1994 & 1995 Houston Rockets
In 1983 and 1984, the Rockets chose 1st, 3rd, and 1st, ending up with Ralph Sampson, Rodney McCray and Hakeem Olajuwon. That group won 47 games per season over 4 years and played in one NBA finals, before Sampson and McCray were traded. Over the next five seasons, the Rockets averaged 47 wins while making it beyond the 1st round of the playoffs only once. In his tenth season, Olajuwon embarked on one of the greatest two-year playoff runs in history, but McCray and Sampson…not so much. McCray contributed to the championships by being traded for Otis Thorpe, the second most used player on the 1994 team. Thorpe was then traded for Clyde Drexler, the second most valuable player on the 1995 team. The other main cogs on the champs were mid to late draft picks: Vernon Maxwell (47th in ’88, purchased from Spurs), Robert Horry (11th in ’92), Sam Cassell (24th in ’93), and Carl Herrera (12th in ’90). Mario Elie was acquired by trading a 2nd round draft pick and Kenny Smith was acquired in a trade for John Lucas and a future 1st rounder.
1999 San Antonio Spurs
After drafting 10th, 1st (David Robinson), 10th, and 3rd (Sean Elliot) from 1986 through 1989, the Spurs went on a seven year run where they averaged 55 wins. Unfortunately, this run was marked by several playoff failures, as the team only reached one conference championship. In 1996 – 1997, David Robinson and Sean Elliot got hurt and the Spurs struggled, finishing with 20 wins. These struggles amounted to the greatest thing that ever happened to the franchise though; the Spurs won the lottery and drafted the best power forward of all time. Tim Duncan turned the team into dynasty. The 1999 team was built around Duncan, Robinson, Elliot and a slew of role players acquired as cheap free agents.
2006 Miami Heat
The final champ of the last twenty years is the Dwayne Wade – Shaq Miami Heat. This team was built around one top eight pick and NBA players’ insatiable desire to play in Miami. Wade was drafted 5th in one of the better drafts of all time. Shaq and Eddie Jones were acquired via trade, while the rest of the team was free agents.
Epilogue
The best teams of the 1990’s were definitely more high lottery-driven than the cream of the 2000’s, but other than the Bulls, not overwhelmingly. The Malone / Stockton Jazz and Barkley Suns didn’t rely on a several year run of high lottery picks. After a decade in the lottery, the Bulls struck gold drafting the most talented, driven player ever. Using a pick acquired by trading a 4 point, 4 rebound career average player, they snagged Scottie Pippen. This is the ultimate lottery success story (if only Kyrie can be the next MJ…).
The Rockets and Spurs built “good” teams through the lottery. The Rockets had three top-three picks in two years, and for nine years after that, they averaged 47 wins. Ten years later, the prize of that draft haul spearheaded two championships with epic playoff performances.
The Spurs late 80’s drafts built a really solid team that routinely underperformed in the playoffs. As that core was nearing the end of their primes, an irreproducible sequence of events landed the player that created into a dynasty.
As has been discussed here previously, the assembly of the best teams of the 2000’s was accomplished with very little assistance from the high lottery. Ten years from now, maybe I’ll look back and realize how dumb this series was, after the reign of the Durant – Westbrook – Harden Thunder, the Griffin – Paul Clippers (Paul acquired for Eric Gordon), the Love-Rubio Wolves, and the five-time-defending-champion Irving & Davis Cavaliers.
Maybe not though. By 2015, Love could be with the Lakers and Rubio in Spain. The Clippers may fall apart, because they’re the Clippers. The five-time champ Cavs…that’s a lock. Regardless of how the 2010’s unfold, the basic tenets established in these posts are correct; good management and decision making will always be more important that draft position. Cleveland has a good thing started with Irving, Thompson, Gee, Varejao, future draft picks and cap flexibility; regardless of 2012 draft position, a winner is constructible. If it is not, it’s probable they have themselves to blame.
Thanks to anyone who read all five days. Hopefully they were fun and informative for all.
Chris, I’m not really intending to put LeBron at the center of the plans as much as I am just including him as a possibility. The idea is to stay flexible with the rebuild plan and try to cover as many options as possible. I am also trying to do that without deconstructing the plan to build from the draft. Remember also that as Kevin pointed out with the Dallas build, the player(s) acquired by trading Jamison’s expiring contract also become tradeable expiring contracts in a year or two. If the James option isn’t open, they could be used in… Read more »
JAG, The thing is, do you really want to rely on LeBron James’ comments about “being open” to playing for Cleveland? We all knows his comments about being open to play for probably five or six different teams last summer, yet only one team signed him (and it wasn’t us). If he truly matures and sincerely wants to come back, chances are he would 1) take less money, and 2) actually have to commit. That’s not even mentioning, having to win back the fans, some players (Gibson, Varejao), and, perhaps most importantly, Dan Gilbert. I would not put him at… Read more »
Kevin’s series gave me the insight to think up the following rebuild plan. Not sure if this would a dream or nightmare scenario for the Cavs??? This is sorta’ kinda’ following the Dallas construct. What if the Cavs traded Jamison’s expiring contract for either Ben Gordon. Emeka Okafor or Hedo Turkoglu. Their contracts could be gone after the 2013-4 season but are currently crippling their teams CAP wise. The Cavs might even be able to acquire a distant future draft pick in any of these deals. None of the three are going to make the Cavs a championship quality team… Read more »
I just don’t want to root for Cavs losses.
Kevin, I guess here’s the biggest way we differ. Your argument is that with great management you can overcome not drafting in the high lottery. My argument is that great management and drafting in the high lottery don’t have to be mutually exclusive (At least not this year. Obviously greatly managed teams won’t draft in the lottery many times. This is why I don’t think the Timberwolves, Grizzlies, etc. lack of success in multiple high lottery picks is relevant). No matter how you build a contendor, it will almost certainly rely on great management/scouting/etc. So yes, with that great management… Read more »
Josh, I’m not sure where another “star” comes from, but my point is, even going to the high lottery, neither do you. Also, the Pistons champions of 2003 and of ’89and ’90 had point guards as debatably their best player. The Cavs could pick Andre Drummond, who may never figure it out. I’ve seen Harrison Barnes compared to Danny Granger. Granger’s is good, but he’s not really a championship level star. (PLus Granger was picked 17th, so players like that can be unnearthed later in the draft). Also several of the team’s covered didn’t have two all-time greats, or at… Read more »
To echo Eric, series like this is what blogs were made for. An excellent read all around. What you said about MJ though made me think. He was extremely telented and extremely driven. A rare combination, and also maybe a good way of looking at this whole paradigm your building. In sports, I’d say that drive always trumps talent. You’ve said here that sound management trumps lottery opportunity. It would seem that OKC may a case where sound managment and opportunity meet, just like MJ had the best of both worlds. Meanwhile, all of our hopes for another high lottery… Read more »
Dang, think my comment got eaten again. Are you able to bring it back?
Again, well thought out and written. But looking back at every team in this series, with the possible exception of the Pistons (who I also believe is the only realistic model we could emulate aside from the Thunders), every single champion had an all-time great player. Where are the Cavs going to get that all-time great player? Maybe it’s Irving, but that is a long shot. And even he is, unfortunately none of these teams you featured were built on a PG being their best player (again with the possible exception of the Pistons). So we know we probably need… Read more »
HoopsDogg,
You didn’t explicitly make that point, but I second that notion.
Come on, Cavs…take one tonight!
You did. I forgot. I generally wanted to make a point about the Heat’s championship. Did I mention I hate the Heat?
Great series Kevin. Thanks for all your hard work, read and loved every one of them!
It was a draft day trade though.
Hoopsdogg,
I covered a lot of the Mavs players on Tuesday. Harris was acquired with stackhouse in the trade for jamison.
Great series Kevin, Very informative and thought provoking. I’m very comfortable with how Grant has positioned the team both roster and CAP wise, and with multiple extra future picks. I was comfortable thinking the multiple picks were almost a given to make good acquisitions because of random chance alone. This series has made me realize that good management has more facets than I considered. Grant has passed all the early tests but still has to make the most of the assets in hand. On one hand, his first draft looks good. On the other, the questions arise as to whether… Read more »
2006 Miami Heat championship: built around the most ridiculous officiating in an NBA finals history. Their opponent that year should be measured too. The core of that Mavs team was built almost entirely through the draft: Daniels, Harris, Terry, Nowitzki, and Howard were the core of a very good team that was mostly drafted by the Mavs. Dampier, Christie, Armstrong, Diop, Stackhouse, and Van Horne were all veterans added by trade or mid-level contracts.
Great series!!! I commend you for your efforts, loved the insight and research. You really helped ‘challenge’ some conventional thinking about draft position. Keep up the great work.
Just wanted to commend you for an excellent series. Superb and inspired writing backed with in-depth research, had to be fun to write. Endless speculation & sorrow is our fate as Cleveland fans, but you put a fun spin of optimism to combat the usual pessimism. This is why blogs were created.