05-20-2023, 10:33 AM
(05-20-2023, 07:17 AM)loki Wrote: Dirk had declined enough that he wasn't carrying a team to a title again. We also weren't worried about him asking out. Luka is in his prime and wants to win now. That's a pretty big difference.
If there are truly no decent trades to be had then fine, keep the pick. But I think everyone is a bit overly optimistic about how much some of these prospects could contribute immediately. The majority of players being discussed will be total busts.
First, Dirk had just come off a championship winning season in that year was the best version of himself. He was in his prime. A NBA players athletic prime is usually between 27 y.o and 34 years old. Dirk didn't start showing decline until he was 35 with ankle and other injuries starting to catching up to him.
Next, during a similar time in Dirk career (his 6th season) they made the best decision in it which eventually led to being a high seed in the playoffs and a championship. They drafted Josh Howard and inserted him into the starting lineup. Josh would eventually be traded for Caron Butler a move that was key to bringing toughness to a championship team that was considered soft.