duncan228
03-30-2010, 04:57 PM
What’s the Difference Between a Six and an Eight? Depends on the Team (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-whatsthedifferencebe&prov=tsn&type=lgns)
SportingNews
Until New Jersey’s historic win against San Antonio on Monday, the Thunder, Blazers, and Spurs were all tied for sixth place in the West. With three solid teams battling each other for seeding (not to mention the cluster of teams vying for the spots above this trio), these last couple of weeks should be exciting.
Yet while those three teams are headed for similar spots in the playoff bracket, they are at very different places in their developments. The Thunder, with their young core, have already had a successful season and are simply trying to create a stronger playoff foundation for future success. The Blazers, on the other hand, are in a state of limbo between being an up-and-coming squad and a veteran unit. And the Spurs, despite their near certain postseason appearance, are nearing the end of their period of success and must soon decide when to start to rebuild.
First, let’s take a look at the Thunder, the adorable Young Turks of this NBA season. The triumvirate of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Jeff Green seem poised to lead this team to playoff wins and beyond for years to come. In a way, playoff seeding this year is largely irrelevant. But the better OKC does this postseason, the higher its expectations will be going forward. If the Thunder win a series this season, they may gun for the conference finals next season. Their team needs to adjust expectations accordingly right now, and that will be largely dependent on their performance this year.
For instance, if the Thunder win a series, perhaps Sam Presti and the rest of team management will decide that their time to shine is earlier than previously imagined, and that they should make a move for a key role player this summer. However, if they lose in the first round, maybe the front office will decide it’s best to continue to collect young talent (albeit not high-lottery picks) and bide their time until Durant and his minions are more prepared to make a sustained run. Both options are fine, but each is dependent on this postseason’s outcome.
A few seasons ago, the Blazers were much like the Thunder are right now: a collection of young talent poised to make a significant mark on the NBA landscape. But with Kevin Pritchard now potentially on his way out and Greg Oden a continual question mark, the team is at a crossroads. Yes, Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge remain legitimate pieces for any successful team, but Oden was always considered the piece that would push them over the top into championship contention. After seeming primed to take over the NBA, the Blazers haven’t progressed much this year, and seeding is largely immaterial if it’s not followed by a series win. They need clear progress, not just another playoff appearance.
Without a series win, this summer could be a time of flux for Portland. If Oden is deemed too much of an injury liability to count on going forward (not in terms of cutting him, just in the sense that the Blazers need to decide if he can still be a star), they will have to pick up another top-level player for their championship dreams. Given their salary situation, that will likely involve trading young pieces like Nicolas Batum and Rudy Fernandez. Once that young core gets broken up, the future becomes murky.
Unlike the Thunder and Blazers, the Spurs have a very clear sense of their future: It won’t involve Tim Duncan as the team’s top star. The question they need to answer is when to shift the balance of power, and oddly enough, the answer depends very little on their playoff positioning or performance. The Spurs’ days as a championship contender are over, and this team can only stay together as currently constructed if the front office is content with being a good team rather than a great one.
San Antonio has proved to be extremely good at reloading when players surrounding Duncan have passed their primes, but it remains unclear how the Spurs will deal with Duncan’s golden years. When David Robinson reached the end of the line, they lucked out by winning the lottery. They probably won’t be so fortunate this time. There are certainly worse ways to go out than by sticking around the playoffs for a few years, but the best move for the franchise’s future might be to start rebuilding this offseason. If that’s what the Spurs choose to do, the first move would be to let Manu Ginobili walk in free agency. Is that something they’re willing to do?
No matter where these teams end up in playoff seeding, remember that the little number next to their name doesn’t tell the whole story for next season and beyond. These are teams going in varied directions with vastly different needs and questions going forward.
SportingNews
Until New Jersey’s historic win against San Antonio on Monday, the Thunder, Blazers, and Spurs were all tied for sixth place in the West. With three solid teams battling each other for seeding (not to mention the cluster of teams vying for the spots above this trio), these last couple of weeks should be exciting.
Yet while those three teams are headed for similar spots in the playoff bracket, they are at very different places in their developments. The Thunder, with their young core, have already had a successful season and are simply trying to create a stronger playoff foundation for future success. The Blazers, on the other hand, are in a state of limbo between being an up-and-coming squad and a veteran unit. And the Spurs, despite their near certain postseason appearance, are nearing the end of their period of success and must soon decide when to start to rebuild.
First, let’s take a look at the Thunder, the adorable Young Turks of this NBA season. The triumvirate of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Jeff Green seem poised to lead this team to playoff wins and beyond for years to come. In a way, playoff seeding this year is largely irrelevant. But the better OKC does this postseason, the higher its expectations will be going forward. If the Thunder win a series this season, they may gun for the conference finals next season. Their team needs to adjust expectations accordingly right now, and that will be largely dependent on their performance this year.
For instance, if the Thunder win a series, perhaps Sam Presti and the rest of team management will decide that their time to shine is earlier than previously imagined, and that they should make a move for a key role player this summer. However, if they lose in the first round, maybe the front office will decide it’s best to continue to collect young talent (albeit not high-lottery picks) and bide their time until Durant and his minions are more prepared to make a sustained run. Both options are fine, but each is dependent on this postseason’s outcome.
A few seasons ago, the Blazers were much like the Thunder are right now: a collection of young talent poised to make a significant mark on the NBA landscape. But with Kevin Pritchard now potentially on his way out and Greg Oden a continual question mark, the team is at a crossroads. Yes, Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge remain legitimate pieces for any successful team, but Oden was always considered the piece that would push them over the top into championship contention. After seeming primed to take over the NBA, the Blazers haven’t progressed much this year, and seeding is largely immaterial if it’s not followed by a series win. They need clear progress, not just another playoff appearance.
Without a series win, this summer could be a time of flux for Portland. If Oden is deemed too much of an injury liability to count on going forward (not in terms of cutting him, just in the sense that the Blazers need to decide if he can still be a star), they will have to pick up another top-level player for their championship dreams. Given their salary situation, that will likely involve trading young pieces like Nicolas Batum and Rudy Fernandez. Once that young core gets broken up, the future becomes murky.
Unlike the Thunder and Blazers, the Spurs have a very clear sense of their future: It won’t involve Tim Duncan as the team’s top star. The question they need to answer is when to shift the balance of power, and oddly enough, the answer depends very little on their playoff positioning or performance. The Spurs’ days as a championship contender are over, and this team can only stay together as currently constructed if the front office is content with being a good team rather than a great one.
San Antonio has proved to be extremely good at reloading when players surrounding Duncan have passed their primes, but it remains unclear how the Spurs will deal with Duncan’s golden years. When David Robinson reached the end of the line, they lucked out by winning the lottery. They probably won’t be so fortunate this time. There are certainly worse ways to go out than by sticking around the playoffs for a few years, but the best move for the franchise’s future might be to start rebuilding this offseason. If that’s what the Spurs choose to do, the first move would be to let Manu Ginobili walk in free agency. Is that something they’re willing to do?
No matter where these teams end up in playoff seeding, remember that the little number next to their name doesn’t tell the whole story for next season and beyond. These are teams going in varied directions with vastly different needs and questions going forward.