Detroit Pistons: Quick or slow the better way to win an NBA Championship?

The Quick Way

Some teams intentionally try to win a championship from day one. They shuttle in high-profile executives like Phil Jackson with the New York Knicks in 2014 or Magic Johnson with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017 and attempt to recruit the stars of the league. Sometimes this works and other times it fails.

A little luck never hurts either. Sometimes a star player ends up joining a team and leading them to victory.  For example, Shaquille O’Neal decided to join the Lakers in 1996, leading them to a historic run. Despite recent back-and-forth remarks between the two, Shaq and Kobe Bryant ended up winning a rare three-peat championship together (2000, 2001, 2002). Regardless of how many NBA championships they could have won, their union contributed to the Lakers quick ascent to the NBA elite.

Title teams that are built the quick way are numerous. They fly in like shooting stars and most times they consist of superstars.

Cleveland Cavaliers

A recent example of a quick ascent to win their first championship is the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hometown hero, LeBron James, returned after his “Miami college trip.” Here’s a look back into Cavaliers history.

Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a mortal blow on July 8, 2010, when LeBron made a public statement on The Decision.

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The team struggled to find their footing after the greatest player to ever play in Cleveland left them stranded.

In 2011, Kyrie Irving was drafted as the first overall pick. He became the face of the franchise and remained their only hope for three seasons. The 2013-2014 Cavaliers team consisted of Irving and role players. The team finished with a 33-49 record.

June 25, 2014, was a normal day for Cavalier fans until the unexpected happened: LeBron James returned. This led to an immediate restructuring to configure a team that worked for James.

Over the next year, the team rapidly changed as players were signed, traded, waived and recruited around the league. The Cavaliers went to the 2015 NBA Finals but lost to the Golden State Warriors.

This led to a hungrier Cavs team, as they shuffled their team around again throughout the 2015-16 year. Making it to the finals only to meet the Warriors once again, the Cavs won 4-3 and brought home their first NBA title.

Former Cavaliers GM David Griffin showed that it is possible to build an NBA championship team in a short amount of time. They had to make quick sacrifices; sacrificing players they never thought they would. However,  the opportunity arose, sacrifices were made and it paid off in the form of a championship.

Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets are rolling the dice with this approach now.

The Nets appeared to be a team taking the slow approach. The 2017-18 team was unified, gritty, and finished 42-40 to clinch the sixth spot in the East. Coach Kenny Atkinson did a good job of developing the core players, led by D’Angelo Russell.

The team, as it stood, conceivably could have kept improving through player development, smart coaching, and incremental roster improvements. That Nets team could have been a four or five seed in this upcoming season.

Instead, they chose to strike on the opportunity to build an immediate championship-contending team. In June 2019, they signed Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan and traded Russell to the Golden State Warriors for Kevin Durant. This poses an immediate threat to all eastern conference teams. Once Durant comes back from his Achilles injury, the team will be in championship contention talks.

Last year’s team had chemistry and experience playing with each other. When organizations shift personnel, there is usually a period of adjustment. Even with the greatness of these new additions, time is needed to see how this new version of the Nets will gel. It could be similar to when LeBron joined the Lakers. It took all season for the team to find their new normal. On the other hand, Irving, Jordan and eventually Durant could immediately click on the court. Only time will tell.

It will be interesting to see how far the Nets will go in this upcoming season, especially with Durant being out. I think they could make it to the second round of playoffs. When Durant returns, the team will be in talks for winning it all. While this might not work out, Nets GM Sean Marks may just win executive of the year if it does.

Pros and Cons

There are clear benefits to a team taking the quick approach. For one, every team wants to win a championship. If a championship team can be created in just a year or two, then, by all means, it seems necessary to explore that option. A championship-contending team brings fans to the seats. It brings revenue. It also brings other players to consider playing for the team as well. Small market teams that could win a championship will attract star players when otherwise they might not have a chance.

One major downside to this approach is building a team too quickly without a stable foundation. As teams that have been built slowly can attest, chemistry and bonds form between players that can’t be formed in one season. Forging an identity takes work and it takes time. When a team comes onto the scene seemingly overnight, it is possible they may only be a one-hit-wonder and fade away after winning their championship. There is a reason it is so hard to win back-to-back championships. It takes toughness and a culture that knows how to stay connected through the ups and downs of a season.