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The Indiana Pacers Offseason, the anatomy of rebirth

By Jonathan Matthes

Composite/Getty Images
Composite/Getty Images /
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Three Golden Musketeers
All four (barely) of the Warriors big four. From left to right: Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson’s ear. David West was not included in this photo. /

Golden State Warriors

There is a difference between intentionally tanking for a rebuild and just being terrible. After Golden State traded Chris Webber, the Warriors spent the next 15 years being mostly awful. The difference is not just the duration but also the intention. Once you repeatedly change direction and core pieces of your rebuild, you cease rebuilding and now stink, needing to build anew.

Golden State won 38 percent of their games and went to the playoffs once during their 15-year sojourn.

What’s weird about how these Warriors were constructed was they never hit rock bottom, they were just mediocre. From 2003 on, their earliest pick was sixth (Ekpe Udoh) in 2011. None of their major pieces were top picks: Stephen Curry (seventh, 2010), Klay Thompson (11th, 2012), Draymond Green (35th, 2013) and then Harrison Barnes (seventh, 2013) wasn’t re-signed to make room for free agent Kevin Durant.

They were built through being mediocre and hitting on less than savory draft picks.

2003-07 Spurs

San Antonio’s Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili during a game against the the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on November 7, 2005. (Photo by Bill Smith/WireImage)
San Antonio’s Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili during a game against the the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on November 7, 2005. (Photo by Bill Smith/WireImage) /

I’ve already told the story of how the Spurs tanked to get Tim Duncan. The Spurs were no rebuilding team. They won 67 percent of their games from 1990-1996 and 70 percent from 1997-2002. And, contrary to popular belief, San Antonio wasn’t an expert drafting team either (legends Dwayne Schintzius, Tracy Murray, Bill Curley, Cory Alexander, Felipe Lopez and Leon Smith were most of their first-rounders during that stretch).

But the Spurs dynasty wasn’t built through a rebuild, they were built through finding diamonds in the rough, with the lone exception being Duncan.

Besides Duncan, there were three Spurs on each of the 2000’s championships: Tony Parker (28th, 2001), Manu Ginobili (57th, 1999), and Bruce Bowen (signed as a free agent after playing for four different teams).

There were three other players that won two rings with the Spurs during that stretch: Beno Udrih was drafted (28th, 2004), while Brent Barry and Robert Horry were both free agents signed in their mid-thirties.

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