Is there hope for small market teams?

[Absinthe]

I'm beyond annoyed at the current state of the NBA. The league has something like 30 teams, yet only five or six teams have won a title in the past twenty years. For most fans, making the playoffs or even advancing is their version of a championship. I'm kind of praying for a lockout in hopes that major changes will stem from it. If the Lakers win another title then I'm very tempted to quit watching the NBA. I've always felt that college basketball is a more fun watch anyway.

[teej]

It has less to do with market and more to do with management. Utah is a small market, they were a contender for years. Houston is a small market, they won 2 rings. Detroit isn't a big market. And obviously the Spurs are a tiny market.

However, a hard cap would be nice.

[ammofan]

Of course there's hope. As teej said, SAS and UTA are small markets and they are very successful. POR, OKC are also small market teams.

They key is how you build your team. If you build through the draft with young players and make them be part of the team I think there's a ton of hope for any small market franchise. For example, Memphis this year. They have been building for years and years(probably too many...) and they have a great young team that has bought into the team concept and the coach.

[Absinthe]

Of course there's hope. As teej said, SAS and UTA are small markets and they are very successful. POR, OKC are also small market teams.

They key is how you build your team. If you build through the draft with young players and make them be part of the team I think there's a ton of hope for any small market franchise. For example, Memphis this year. They have been building for years and years(probably too many...) and they have a great young team that has bought into the team concept and the coach.

San Antonio tanked and drafted perhaps the best PF in NBA history. Tim Duncan will go down as one of the greatest players of all time. Not to mention that they got very lucky by drafting Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in the late rounds. After those three players retire they'll likely descend into total irrelevance. Out of all of the teams you listed, Oklahoma City and San Antonio are the only two that have a chance at winning a title. Utah is going to miss the playoffs (and they're likely going to be awful for years to come) and Portland is cemented as a mediocre team.

How you build your team is irrelevant. Totally irrelevant. Look at the super teams like LA, Miami, and New York. Even if you build your team perfectly and luck out you're not going to contend with those teams. Small market teams don't have a chance. Here's the main problem: most free agents will sign in NY, Miami, and LA without thinking twice about it. Would they do the same for Charlotte or Minnesota? In my eyes, the most effective small market team so far is Oklahoma City. They have a MVP type player in Durant, they have a solid PG, and they have a bunch of great role players. Even they can't compete with the Lakers and Miami and that is my point.

[ammofan]

San Antonio tanked and drafted perhaps the best PF in NBA history. Tim Duncan will go down as one of the greatest players of all time. Not to mention that they got very lucky by drafting Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in the late rounds. After those three players retire they'll likely descend into total irrelevance. Out of all of the teams you listed, Oklahoma City and San Antonio are the only two that have a chance at winning a title. Utah is going to miss the playoffs (and they're likely going to be awful for years to come) and Portland is cemented as a mediocre team.

How you build your team is irrelevant. Totally irrelevant. Look at the super teams like LA, Miami, and New York. Even if you build your team perfectly and luck out you're not going to contend with those teams. Small market teams don't have a chance. Here's the main problem: most free agents will sign in NY, Miami, and LA without thinking twice about it. Would they do the same for Charlotte or Minnesota? In my eyes, the most effective small market team so far is Oklahoma City. They have a MVP type player in Durant, they have a solid PG, and they have a bunch of great role players. Even they can't compete with the Lakers and Miami and that is my point.

UTAH has been good for a long time. They lost Stockton and Malone, a numbe rof years they followed up with D-Will and Boozer. It is about how you build your team. San Antonio has doen a phenomenol job building their team that is why they are successful.

[millst2]

Absinthe,.. The spurs you think are going to suck once those three leave/retire? Tiago, Hill, Neal, Blair etc hung with the blazers without Timmy, Parker, Ginobli and Dice.. even if they did tank to get duncan it's no different than seattle tanking to get durant, and the wiz getting wall, oden etc etc

It is all about management and the bobcats are nowhere near the spurs or okc's level as far as drafting and trades. The bench from the spurs can about hang with any team of starters ( they may not win but it usually wouldnt be a blow out). Thats the sign of a deep team.

Our FO sucks, and we freed up cap recently to make jordan a few dollars, get us some draft picks.. But .. We will probably trade the 2 drafts for a 2nd rd pick and a veteran that we will overpay for for the next 5 yrs. Thats the pattern and thats why some small market teams stay in perpetual bottom feeder to 8th seed.

[teej]

The Spurs will suck without Duncan?

George Hill and Tiago are really, really good pieces for the future. And James Anderson is pretty damn good, too.

It's all about how you manage it, yes drafting a star is part of that, but there's a reason the Spurs win and a team like, say, the Knicks, don't. Management. Knicks had Patrick Ewing. Didn't matter. It's easier to draft a star than it is to get a solid cast.

[SWedd523]

Big markets will always have the advantage by being the first choice for free agents and the like. Really the only way small market teams have a chance is being terrible before drafting a great player or three: Duncan, Parker, Ginobili...Durant, Westbrook... Deron... CP3... etc. that more importantly want to stay in town instead of shipping out to a big market like Bron/Bosh.

So other than drafting a fantastic player or two, small markets like us have no real chance. Detroit being the one fluke.

[BRNC]

I agree with you SWedd...it makes the draft that much more important...and trading for the right players helps...

A new CBA will not stop the big market teams from spending money so small markets just have to be smarter...let's hope we get there soon...

[Absinthe]

Absinthe,.. The spurs you think are going to suck once those three leave/retire? Tiago, Hill, Neal, Blair etc hung with the blazers without Timmy, Parker, Ginobli and Dice.. even if they did tank to get duncan it's no different than seattle tanking to get durant, and the wiz getting wall, oden etc etc

It is all about management and the bobcats are nowhere near the spurs or okc's level as far as drafting and trades. The bench from the spurs can about hang with any team of starters ( they may not win but it usually wouldnt be a blow out). Thats the sign of a deep team.

Our FO sucks, and we freed up cap recently to make jordan a few dollars, get us some draft picks.. But .. We will probably trade the 2 drafts for a 2nd rd pick and a veteran that we will overpay for for the next 5 yrs. Thats the pattern and thats why some small market teams stay in perpetual bottom feeder to 8th seed.

It doesn't matter if your front office is good or not. A good front office isn't going to prevent Dwight Howard going to Lakers. A good front office isn't going to prevent Chris Paul from going to New York. A good front office won't prevent Miami from adding more players. How is any team supposed to contend when all of these super teams are being built?