Posted by BRIGGS:
right now, with our improvement, I think drafting schemes have to change a bit.
I disagree. NY is playing better, but we're still several cuts below a true contender, even to the most optimistic of fans. To use your example, say Jack will be better for the first 3 years, but Diaz will surpass him after that. Well, are the Knicks going to have a strong shot at a title in those 3 years that Jack is better? Maybe, if Isiah works some magic, but I wouldn't take it as a given. We can probably expect the team as a whole to get better and better over those 3 years, but we could also expect the gap between Jack and Diaz to narrow as Diaz closes in on surpassing him. So even if NY is a strong contender by year 3, Jack is now only slightly better than Diaz-- having that slightly better player for that one (perhaps contending) season is not worth having the worse player every year thereafter.
Really, the only teams that have any business forgoing better long term projects for a more sure-fire thing in the short term are those that are in complete, desperate, 'win now' mode. That list is more or less restricted to the title contenders (San Antonio, Miami, etc.), particularly those with veteran/old stars, with perhaps some rare exceptions-- eg teams that already have plenty of long term projects, like this era's Bulls. NY does not fit either category and in general should select the best long term, highest-ceiling talent available (but with preference for swingmen or centers).
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