Warriors are winning the next 2 chips, so lets talk about who will dethrone them in 2019?

[Professor K.]

The Warriors are a total anomaly though, there's absolutely no reason to believe that perfect set of unforeseen circumstances and luck will happen for another team, especially so soon. But then again that's why you said your "bold prediction."




As for the thread, as a biased Sixers fan, I'm gona say the Sixers. They have something like $50 mil in cap space to add a legitimate superstar and a core of solid vets for leadership to an already potentially great young core.

Everyone's talking about Lebron and Paul George joining up in 2018. If they did and it was about rings first and foremost they should seriously consider joining Philly in 2018. Say they get De'aaron Fox this season. Still have the Lakers unprotected pick next year and the Kings unprotected in 2019. They'd have a starting lineup of:

De'aaronFox
Paul George
Lebron
Ben Simmons
Embiid
6th man - Saric

Obviously that scenario is little more than a pipe dream but that would be a scary team, and it shows what the Sixers have the freedom and cap space to pull off. AND most importantly it shows what the Sixers and every team in here would have to do to actually have a chance to beat the Warriors.

What was the last consistently championship caliber "non-super" team to not have crazy luck work in their favor?

13-14 Spurs: Kawhi came out of nowhere
08-10 Lakers: Gasol trade, Odom reaching his potential, Artest keeping his head on straight
Mid-00's Pistons: really a gang of misfits and castoffs

It's more likely for some random team to suddenly pull it together OR another super team is built than it is for one of these #1 pick-laden teams to fulfill their potential.

And I hope for the Sixers sake that DOESN'T happen. Y'all would win but the basketball would be hideous

 

[New Username]

The Rockets

 

[prophecypro]

In terms of skill and athleticism, Andrew Wiggins looks like a young Kobe.


Wiggins problem is his beta male tendencies and his lack of aggression offensively every night.

If somehow he got the Mamba Mentality in him, he would be the best player in the NBA in 2-3 years.

I'm not taking issue with how good he is, I'm just laughing cause you basically said he's like Kobe but without the key thing that makes Kobe, Kobe.

 

[Professor K.]

I'm not taking issue with how good he is, I'm just laughing cause you basically said he's like Kobe but without the key thing that makes Kobe, Kobe.

nikka might as well said Ron Mercer

 

[H.J.Duck]

Lavine shouldn't even be starting for the T'Wolves yet he's a potential top 10 player?

 

[Lifer11]

What was the last consistently championship caliber "non-super" team to not have crazy luck work in their favor?

13-14 Spurs: Kawhi came out of nowhere
08-10 Lakers: Gasol trade, Odom reaching his potential, Artest keeping his head on straight
Mid-00's Pistons: really a gang of misfits and castoffs

It's more likely for some random team to suddenly pull it together OR another super team is built than it is for one of these #1 pick-laden teams to fulfill their potential.

And I hope for the Sixers sake that DOESN'T happen. Y'all would win but the basketball would be hideous

I'm not claiming luck's not involved I'm just saying besides the Warriors who's the last team to come out of nowhere and become a legitimate contender?

That's what I was talking about, their unexptected rise is a total anomaly.

Lakers (Shaq number 1 pick/Kobe)
Spurs (Duncan
Celtics
Mavericks
Heat
Cavs
Thunder

All teams that have been great in the last 15+ years, all had luck on their side, but all also built their teams basically in traditional ways (Warriors did too but like the OP I quoted said Steph was their highest pick at 7-prior to Durant) and didn't come out of nowhere to be great. And I was responding to his claim that it won't be one of these teams (Wolves, Sixers, Lakers etc) to dethrone the Warriors, but a team that no one expects at all, and that's not the norm in basketball. Sure every great team we talked about needed luck, but none of them came out of nowhere to be great.

 

[Malta]

It's more likely for some random team to suddenly pull it together OR another super team is built than it is for one of these #1 pick-laden teams to fulfill their potential.

And I hope for the Sixers sake that DOESN'T happen. Y'all would win but the basketball would be hideous

That's not really fair, not a lot of teams tried the "tank" method until after the Thunder showed it was possible. The Thunder had all the makings of a super team with high lottery picks, they just got cheap and blew it. If those players had been drafted in LA, NY or any other market the Harden, Ibaka, Westbrook, Durant core would be shytting all over the league right now.

 

[Professor K.]

I'm not claiming luck's not involved I'm just saying besides the Warriors who's the last team to come out of nowhere and become a legitimate contender?

That's what I was talking about, their unexptected rise is a total anomaly.

Lakers (Shaq number 1 pick/Kobe)
Spurs (Duncan
Celtics
Mavericks
Heat
Cavs
Thunder

All teams that have been great in the last 15+ years, all had luck on their side, but all also built their teams basically in traditional ways (Warriors did too but like the OP I quoted said Steph was their highest pick at 7-prior to Durant) and didn't come out of nowhere to be great. And I was responding to his claim that it won't be one of these teams (Wolves, Sixers, Lakers etc) to dethrone the Warriors, but a team that no one expects at all, and that's not the norm in basketball. Sure every great team we talked about needed luck, but none of them came out of nowhere to be great.

That was me breh

I'd argue everyone on that list besides the Lakers and Spurs "came out of nowhere". BOS/CLE/MIA weren't considered contenders until the moment their big personnel moves happened. Thunder were still mad young and likely thought to be at least a year away. Don't think anyone took the Mavs seriously until they were already bussin ass in the finals. My point is, based on everything that has happened this millennium, it's more likely that a team is built into a contender from great drafting(taking obvious #1 talents isn't great drafting) and timely transactions OR throwing together a "super team" than it is the Wolves, Sixers, or Lakers become dynasties.

 

[Floyd Pinkerton]

Make a list of top-5 players that has more than 5 players, brehs.

 

[Professor K.]

That's not really fair, not a lot of teams tried the "tank" method until after the Thunder showed it was possible. The Thunder had all the makings of a super team with high lottery picks, they just got cheap and blew it. If those players had been drafted in LA, NY or any other market the Harden, Ibaka, Westbrook, Durant core would be shytting all over the league right now.

Valid

I don't think they would be better than the Warriors now though because their games weren't as complimentary. Golden State got the perfect pieces to play with each other and it elevated all of their games. That's the question I have with these squads, sure you have young talent but does it all work together? Lavine and Wiggins would both be better at the 2, Ball and Russell would both be better at the 1, Simmons may not work defensively with Saric, etc. If it'sless about fit and more about them being more talented than everyone else like the Thunder, then there will be some Heat-esque "super team" that is that much more talented than they are.

 

[ThaGlow]

If Kawhi gets help.....

 

[Malta]

Valid

I don't think they would be better than the Warriors now though because their games weren't as complimentary. Golden State got the perfect pieces to play with each other and it elevated all of their games. That's the question I have with these squads, sure you have young talent but does it all work together? Lavine and Wiggins would both be better at the 2, Ball and Russell would both be better at the 1, Simmons may not work defensively with Saric, etc. If it'sless about fit and more about them being more talented than everyone else like the Thunder, then there will be some Heat-esque "super team" that is that much more talented than they are.

I think they would have worked, but only with a better coach that understands you have to play Durant a lot of minutes at PF. They didn't understand where the league was going when they traded Jeff Green for Perkins, they would have been better off keeping him and playing him at the 4 with Ibaka at the 5. That team has more outright high end talent than the Warriors and realistically we never got to see Harden start with them and it probably could have helped with the cohesion between KD & Westbrook. They are the biggest "what if" squad outside of the Blazers, because they just never actually played their best young guys altogether as a unit, with that much talent you need to find a way to make it work.

As for the young teams, I think Saric ends up being the 6th man for the Sixers with Simmons being their PF, that's if they're smart enough to realize having Ben play PF is their best bet for the future.

 

[Professor K.]

I think they would have worked, but only with a better coach that understands you have to play Durant a lot of minutes at PF. They didn't understand where the league was going when they traded Jeff Green for Perkins, they would have been better off keeping him and playing him at the 4 with Ibaka at the 5. That team has more outright high end talent than the Warriors and realistically we never got to see Harden start with them and it probably could have helped with the cohesion between KD & Westbrook. They are the biggest "what if" squad outside of the Blazers, because they just never actually played their best young guys altogether as a unit, with that much talent you need to find a way to make it work.

As for the young teams, I think Saric ends up being the 6th man for the Sixers with Simmons being their PF, that's if they're smart enough to realize having Ben play PF is their best bet for the future.

Hindsight is 20/20 so we can look back on that Thunder team and see what they shouldawouldacoulda did to build a champion but failed to do. I personally think they could've won by sheer talent but the facts are that team was not complimentary. Not sure how having Harden there would've made it better ON the court, as if they needed someone else to dominate the ball. If you mean it would've made their relationship better off the court and that may have translated to better communication on the court, then I might agree.