Draft superstar = NBA Championship

[ecutch]

In looking at the NBA champions during the modern draft era, it can be argued that a team needs to draft a superstar to win.

Considering the Lakers, Celtics, Pistons, Bulls, and Spurs have won 70% of all NBA titles let's look at their "star" player acquisitions. I am further restrictng my analysis to players and teams that won in my lifetime (past 25 years). Sorry, Wilt, Russell, Cousy, etc.

Lakers: Kareem (trade), Magic (draft), Worthy (draft)
Celtics: Bird (draft), McHale (draft), Parish (trade)
Pistons: Isaiah (draft), Dumars (draft), Rodman (draft), Laimbeer (trade)
Bulls: Jordan (draft), Pippen (draft-day-trade), Grant (trade)
Lakers Part Deux: Kobe (draft), Shaq (free-agent)
Spurs: Duncan (draft), Robinson (draft), Flop'u (draft), Eva's Bi-o tch (draft)

So, of the 19 "stars" of the dominant NBA Championship teams of the past three decades, 14 won titles for the teams that drafted them (I'm counting Pippen as being "drafted" by the Bulls). Only one team's star (Shaq) was signed as a free-agent. Only four teams traded for one of their stars.

Additionally, all of these teams, with the exception of the Pistons, have, arguably, the first or second most dominant player of their era.

Are we (the Suns) screwed until we draft a "superstar"?

Have we drafted our superstar (Amare)? If so, do we simply need to build our team around his skillset vice building the team around Nash's?

 

[fordronken]

This could be the first team to win a championship with a star who was drafted and signed as a free agent.

 

[green machine]

Technically Kobe was not drafted by the Lakers, he was taken by the Hornets and then traded to LA for Vlade Divac.

 

[Ollie]

And McHale and Parish were parts of the infamous Joe Barry Carroll draft-day trade with the Warriors. By the way, don't forget the Rockets 94-95 who drafted Olajuwon, Cassell and Horry (and who knows what would have happened without Sampson's knees injuries). But I'm nitpicking...

Anyway, there's no doubt that you build NBA champs and dynasties through superstar drafting.

During the modern draft era, 2004's Pistons is the only champ that was not build through the draft : Billups (FA), Hamilton (trade), Prince (draft) and the Wallaces (trades). These players were either busts, headcases or unknowns and none of them was or is a superstar.

So basically you can build a championship team through the draft after years of suckage, or through risky front offices moves after years of suckage. You need a pretty good GM to do that, meh ?

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

And McHale and Parish were parts of the infamous Joe Barry Carroll draft-day trade with the Warriors. By the way, don't forget the Rockets 94-95 who drafted Olajuwon, Cassell and Horry (and who knows what would have happened without Sampson's knees injuries). But I'm nitpicking...

?

As a W's fan, please never utter this name again! I may have been 6,7,8 when I started watching the Warriors, but I remember what a lazy, no heart, underacheiver Barry was...

This was a top 3 Worst trade in NBA history...

 

[ecutch]

By the way, don't forget the Rockets 94-95 who drafted Olajuwon, Cassell and Horry (and who knows what would have happened without Sampson's knees injuries). But I'm nitpicking...

I thought about the Rockets, but did not consider them because if David Stern hadn't told Jordan to get his gambling habit in order...er, Michael Jordan hadn't pursued his lifelong dream of being a crappy minor-league baseball player, the Rockets never would have won in '94 and '95 and the Bulls would have had an 8-peat. But, the Rockets do help prove my draft well-win championships theory.

BTW, for my theory I considered Kobe as drafted by the Lakers since he was part of a draft-day trade also.

 

[Bufalay]

Isn't this a pretty obvious statement? I mean if you have a superstar you have a great chance at winning a championship. If you draft a superstar you are basically getting him for free whereas if you trade for one you have to give something up.

 

[azirish]

Isn't this a pretty obvious statement? I mean if you have a superstar you have a great chance at winning a championship. If you draft a superstar you are basically getting him for free whereas if you trade for one you have to give something up.

It's more circular that that. Winning a championship is what defines the players as superstars, or so it seems. Top players on weak teams are far less likely to get superstar consideration than guys of similar performance on championship teams.

In any case, the key to winning championships is having guys who consistently up their performance levels under pressure. This is not just about talent, but temperment, ie having the "heart of a champion".