Which Will Be Easier: Competing for a Title

[TheStormofWar]

He’s not asking about the Jazz, he mistakenly put this in the Jazz forum.

Fair enough. Doesn't change my feelings though.

 

[The Midnight]

Mods, please put this in General Sport, Cy made a mistake.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Mods, please put this in General Sport, Cy made a mistake.

Mods please ban Midnight for backseat moderating.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

I think the order is fairly critical especially for us. Basically get the guy in the next two years or you should move on from Lauri. It’s also critical we don’t push win now stuff right now as this draft is loaded up top AND we lose our pick outright if we are not bottom 10.

This idea that building a pie in the sky top 6 team is just flat out silly imo. It’s much more likely to end in the worst possible way with us landing as a low end play in and sending the pick. Then we pivot? Each year the anxiety in the fan base grows and deciding to tear it down next year would be met with so much “we told you so” from the fans.

We just gotta take our medicine this next year and see where we end up. Buying opportunities will still be there next year.

I promise I see the merits of what you are proposing, and in fact have been a proponent of it. I just don't think it's the only way, and comes with a lot of risks as well. Specifically we'll have the same risks, if not more risks trying to be good for the 2026 season as we have for the 2025 season. I don't think we can go in to the 2025 season with the idea that we've just drafted this stud and we are going to automatically be able to put a good team around him. First of all, he might not actually be a stud and likely needs a couple of seasons to be good even if he is. Secondly, there is a chance the 2026 draft is even better than 2025 and we have lower protections on the pick that year, so we could end up giving OKC an even better pick than trying to be good this year.

As far as the fan base goes they are going to be upset if we aren't winning either way.

 

[str8line]

Thats fine. But anointing this guy as the next Hakeem is laughable. That’s essentially what Cy is doing. So much more goes into being elite at a sport than having the talent and skill. And so more goes into being elite as a team than one player…who isn’t even elite yet.

He's definitely elite though.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Being able to flip a switch next year and build a team to compete is much more of a hope than a sure thing. I know I'm a little bit of a broken record on this subject, but we'll have just as much of incentive to be bad for the 2026 draft as we do now and we could actually have less options than we do now to add talent.

Its not about being able to flip a switch. Its about the possibility of a pivot one way or another. With the Lauri extension you extend the runway. Don't land Flagg or another top 5 guy you really believe in... then you can move Lauri and play in the 2026 draft as well. If you get the guy you can be opportunistic with buying opportunities. And its not about a #1 or whatever type of guy imo. I think you just need someone that can be on Lauri's level or better... then you can go grab an Ingram type to layer on top of the decent prospects you have collected. I think the order is important and that having a top 8 pick with the chance it could jump into the top 4 is critical. Putz around with some of these additions in a "ya never know it could be good" type of way and you'll endanger that pick.

If we wanted to add talent on the cheap we have had chances. Certain FAs are settling for minimums and we could have bought pretty easily. Hell just keep Dunn even. We aren't really interested in being better this year regardless of what we do with Lauri. If Ingram helps us then we really aren't interested imo. I could see it going either way with him. But the premise of this thread and other by the OP is to do this weird compete really hard now thing and it makes no sense.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I promise I see the merits of what you are proposing, and in fact have been a proponent of it. I just don't think it's the only way, and comes with a lot of risks as well. Specifically we'll have the same risks, if not more risks trying to be good for the 2026 season as we have for the 2025 season. I don't think we can go in to the 2025 season with the idea that we've just drafted this stud and we are going to automatically be able to put a good team around him. First of all, he might not actually be a stud and likely needs a couple of seasons to be good even if he is. Secondly, there is a chance the 2026 draft is even better than 2025 and we have lower protections on the pick that year, so we could end up giving OKC an even better pick than trying to be good this year.

As far as the fan base goes they are going to be upset if we aren't winning either way.

I get that... its just even if the guy isn't amazing right now you have the guy in house and he is developing. If he sucks and you end up being bad for the 2026 draft I don't see that as a risk per se. Lauri likely very impatient by then though. I just think next summer is a summer to be more opportunistic with an Ingram type addition... I wouldn't force it though.

I think the fan base will want wins but as long as we are drafting in the top 5 there will be some understanding of what we are doing and less overall frustration. Pushing some chips now to be a play in would produce mid results and lots of WTF with the fanbase... then hitting a full reset after that? ooooof.

 

[bigmike]

Yeah but if you don't absolutely hit on a top 20 caliber player in the next two drafts then that 4-7 year window isn't some magical spot

I would agree. Despite my 4-6 vote, I still don't think it's particularly "likely" we win a championship in that window (or any window, lol).

 

[SoberasHotRod]

Its not about being able to flip a switch. Its about the possibility of a pivot one way or another. With the Lauri extension you extend the runway. Don't land Flagg or another top 5 guy you really believe in... then you can move Lauri and play in the 2026 draft as well. If you get the guy you can be opportunistic with buying opportunities. And its not about a #1 or whatever type of guy imo. I think you just need someone that can be on Lauri's level or better... then you can go grab an Ingram type to layer on top of the decent prospects you have collected. I think the order is important and that having a top 8 pick with the chance it could jump into the top 4 is critical. Putz around with some of these additions in a "ya never know it could be good" type of way and you'll endanger that pick.

If we wanted to add talent on the cheap we have had chances. Certain FAs are settling for minimums and we could have bought pretty easily. Hell just keep Dunn even. We aren't really interested in being better this year regardless of what we do with Lauri. If Ingram helps us then we really aren't interested imo. I could see it going either way with him. But the premise of this thread and other by the OP is to do this weird compete really hard now thing and it makes no sense.

Yes, and I know that you are able to think critically, so a lot of this isn't aimed at you. I just think that the proponents of the tank with Lauri (I consider myself in that group) need to realize what this strategy could look like next off season.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Also got to consider people are deciding to make this Jazz-centric and have decided we will draft a top 20 guy in 25 or 26, but what if Portland drafts that player? What if Detroit drafts that player? Doesnt that also make that far out date harder? We have an idea about who the teams/players are in the next 3 years and none of them are unbeatable.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Also got to consider people are deciding to make this Jazz-centric and have decided we will draft a top 20 guy in 25 or 26, but what if Portland drafts that player? What if Detroit drafts that player? Doesnt that also make that far out date harder? We have an idea about who the teams/players are in the next 3 years and none of them are unbeatable.

What if, what if, what if... there are no foolproof plans. There are a lot of really good NBA teams and players right now. In the next few years there will be a lot of good NBA teams. Trying to force fetch to happen now cuz you are scared of the boogie man is not something to base your decision making around.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

What if, what if, what if... there are no foolproof plans. There are a lot of really good NBA teams and players right now. In the next few years there will be a lot of good NBA teams. Trying to force fetch to happen now cuz you are scared of the boogie man is not something to base your decision making around.

I'm not tryin to make anything happen. I just think it will be much easier to win a ring in the next 3 years vs the following 3. I think the next 3 years are somewhat of a transition period for the NBA and the following 3 will be when the next era of stars are entering their primes and forming great teams.

And yes, this is a poll about "what if" that's the point. To think about possibilities and make your own opinion. I just find it funny how many people are taking this as an attack on their safety blanket.