Building – Not Buying – Is the Key to Success in the NBA

Since the mid-2010's, the Golden State Warriors have proved that the key to long term contention in the NBA is to build through the draft, find an appropriate head coach, and to establish a winning culture. Four individuals have largely been responsible for the Warriors near decade long on-court success: Stephen Curry (drafted in 2009), Klay Thompson (drafted in 2011), Draymond Green (drafted in 2012), and Steve Kerr (hired as head coach in 2014). General manager Bob Myers brought in those four and has carefully signed free agents that fit year by year depending on the team's needs. While many of those free agents have come and gone, the core remains, as does a culture that in this case emphasizes three-point shooting, team defense, and constant off-ball movement. Golden State continues to see success nearly a decade after hiring Kerr because they have met these criteria, and it's clear that Myers is already prepping for the next era of Warrior basketball as the primes of Curry, Thompson, and Green seem to be coming to a close by continuing to draft high-upside prospects, namely Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga.

The Warriors success has continued into the 2020's, as they currently have a 1-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. The other three remaining teams have had similar formulas to success. Although the Mavericks are still on the rise, they have a promising future. Luka Dončić has taken the NBA by storm since entering the league in 2018, and is being discussed as a possible top 5, or even top 3 player in many NBA circles. Luka led the NBA in usage percentage at a staggering 37.4% this season, proving that he essentially is the Mavs' offense. As good as Dončić is, however, credit must be given to who Dallas has brought in to compliment the Don. Jalen Brunson, who Dallas drafted, serves as the second go-to ball handler, and has proved he is reliable when Luka needs rest. In addition, guys like Maxi Kleber, also drafted by the Mavs, and Dorian Finney-Smith (signed as an undrafted free agent) have complimented Luka's outstanding passing with their elite catch and shoot ability as well as their stellar defensive capabilities. Although the Mavs probably have the lowest chance out of the other 3 remaining teams to come out on top, they should be near the forefront of the league so long as Luka is there and is surrounded by pieces that work with his strengths and cater to his weaknesses.

Out East, the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat battle for a spot in the Finals. Boston has built through the draft, with their two best players, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, being drafted in 2017 and 2016 respectively. Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and Grant Williams, other key pieces, were also drafted. Key free agent signings such as Al Horford (who was a Celtic from 2016-2019 and is familiar with the team) and Derrick White have also been critical to Boston's playoff run. The Celtics have two young stars, a long term head coach in Ime Udoka, and are building a culture that emphasizes two-way basketball to ensure long term success.

Although the Miami Heat signed their star player Jimmy Butler in 2019, he walked into an organization with an established culture, an experienced head coach with loads of success in Eric Spoelstra, and a promising roster. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro were drafted, and Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and Duncan Robsinson, who were initially signed for cheap as undrafted free agents, have quickly become staples of the organization. The Heat work like a well-oiled machine, and are the only organization that has not had a drop off in success after completely shifting their roster. Only 10 years ago, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade led the Heat to four straight finals appearances. Now, Butler, Spoelstra, and company are three wins away from leading the Heat to their 2nd finals appearance in three years.

Although these three teams are examples as to why this formula works, there are examples, particularly two from this season, of why attempting to buy your way to a championship usually does not work. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets were the top two pre-season favorites to win the NBA title. The Lakers went 33-49 and missed the playoffs while the Nets ended with the 7th seed in the East and got swept in the first round. Both teams were forced to construct older, already established stars, with the goal of short term intention. For the Lakers, this resulted in injury, chemistry difficulties (especially with Russell Westbrook), and older players on the roster burning out as the season progressed. For Brooklyn, the forcing together of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden created off-court dysfunction, a lack of depth due to cap space, and a horrible defensive team.

The Lakers and Nets should serve as a stark reminder to NBA executives that forcing a team to contend in the short term rarely leads to success. Instead, build through the draft, and sign your guys after.