Thirty teams fight for the NBA Championship. What’s the best way for the Detroit Pistons to build a championship team? Quickly or slowly?
Each year, 30 teams fight to win the NBA Championship.
Only one will be king of the hill, obtaining the coveted prize and glory of bringing home the Larry O’Brien trophy. Some teams are still fighting for their first title. Some have won it numerous times.
Although the record books don’t detail how a ring was won, there is merit to the process of this feat. Championships are not won in a vacuum, they have a story. Some were won quickly and some slowly. But does it matter how the crown is won? Whether it was earned quickly or slowly?
A championship is a championship no matter the method and there are no asterisks to dismiss or minimize it.
Every team must decide their method of chasing glory. Will it be through the draft? Will it be by negotiating a trade that puts the team over the top? Will it be by signing a free agent? Often one of these scenarios lead to success for a particular team. Sometimes all three options play into a team’s journey toward that title.
Once in a while, there might be a player that comes along that can put any team they play for over the top. It is the instant coffee approach – just add water. Miami and Cleveland took turns doing this by adding LeBron James. Each team won championships with him (one for Cleveland and two for Miami). Seeing this success, other NBA teams sought an instant championship by doing the plug and play with James or players like James leading their team to an NBA Championship.
Sometimes a team repeatedly tries over many years to win. They might get close only to lose in the Finals. They tweak their strategy, make a few changes, and finally rise to the top of the NBA food chain. They devour the league, get their fill, and receive the NBA crown. They are the new top dog and the league needs a hero to overpower them. Until then, the championship team holds prominence and superior status in the league.
Let’s explore two methods teams use when attempting to build a championship team. Some teams look to recruit key players that will instantly take them to the top. Other teams slowly and systematically build a team over time that leads them to victory. Is there a “best way” to create an NBA championship team? Is there a more impressive way to achieve this coveted victory?