Apologies for digressing from the game thread, but wanted to comment on a recent post by STD, but the thread is closed
https://community.kingsfans.com/thr...21-3pm-pacific-6pm-eastern.82780/post-1612967
Thought it wasn't worth to create a new thread. Hopefully, the admins let it pass.
On this topic, I do think that it's really difficult to build a contender with just draft picks. You can get very very lucky and land a generational talent like Duncan/James, but most teams hope to achieve a superstar and potentially another good player if they fall to the top of the lottery and build around them. The luck of the ping pong balls, the strength of the class, a little luck in identifying and picking the right talent, and then developing that talent, all play a part.
If we consider some of the recent teams that built contenders through the draft (mostly), a common theme is that they either sucked for a few years and got very very lucky, or they found some gems late in the draft. I think the latter is the key. Let's take a look at some of these teams (ad-hoc list, mostly from memory. Please feel free to add. Also, I am listing teams that won, or were in serious contention, even if they eventually fell short). Discounting teams that had significant pieces acquired via trades/FA.
1. Spurs: They shut down DR the year TD was available, and got really lucky in the draft to pick the best PF of all times, who also was a great leader and team player. The dynasty continued since they picked TP, Manu, Kawhi with late draft picks.
2. OKC: In 3 successive years, they drafted 3 future MVPs (KD, Russ, Harden), including two of the all time best scorers. Good luck replicating that.
3. GSW: Within a span of 3 years, they picked Curry (7), Klay (11), and Green (35). While they added KD via FA later, this core had already won prior to his joining.
4. The Philly "Process": In four successive drafts starting 2014, they picked in top 4. Embiid (3), Jahlil Okafor (3), Ben Simmons (1), and Fultz (1). They took a chance on Embiid, who sat out 2 full seasons. It allowed them to continue to suck, and continue the process. Had he played, at least their own draft picks would not have been so good, and the process likely would have suffered from the same problem you point out for Memphis.
5. Celtics: Including them here since their current core consists of two guys they drafted in successive years (Brown, Tatum), even though a lot of their plans were to build a team via the usual routes. Think they were unlucky. Else, the team at different times had IT/Kyrie/Hayward/Horford/Kemba, along with the two studs they drafted. They could have been a dynasty, but somehow it never worked out.
Any team(s) folks would like to add to this discussion. The point I'm making is that it's extremely difficult and rare to build a contender primarily through the draft. For folks who are always talking of tanking, in the hopes of getting a superstar, even if we suck quite bad, with the new lottery rules in particular, we would be lucky to get a superstar. And then, we will need to continue to suck to hopefully get another. And then, we shall need to surround them with a good coach, veteran leaders, solid support cast and role players to become meaningful. In short, we will need to become a good organization, which we have shown to be quite incapable of.
That said, I have come around to the view that the team should trade Buddy and Barnes. Till some time back, I was of the opinion that the team should try and push for the post season, and that while we might fall short, it will be good for the long term development. I don't subscribe to that any more, since the team seems too far off. If Monte can trade these guys for enders and prospects/picks, I would be happy. It might be good for Buddy and Barnes too, since the team that takes them will likely be in a better position than us, hoping for a push to land unknown to the current group of guys.