Build a set of championship level
The lineup requires not only skill, but also a little luck.
We’re not disparaging the work of Bob Myers and Steve Kerr, who respectively created and steered the fastest 50-win team in history.
Such an achievement is strength, but it is undeniable that it is also mixed with luck. After all, they got Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes in the draft.
It only took four years with Festus Ezeli.
Even if you can spot superstars before they reach maturity, you have to have a chance to get them in the draft.
An important factor that makes a team a top team is their lineup depth and how to build the team’s second team.
More and more people are comparing today’s Warriors team to the 1996 Chicago Bulls.
That team had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman on it.
Of course, they also have bench killers like Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr and Bill Wennington.
They also need the favor of the goddess of luck to be able to choose Jordan, but in the final analysis they still have to rely on strength.
The team’s management needs to carefully calculate its salary space and attract free agents who can become the core of the team.
The Warriors’ signing of Shaun Livingston two summers ago has been one of the smartest decisions they’ve made on the road to building a great team.
Prior to this, Livingston had an outstanding season with the Brooklyn Nets.
Then-rookie coach Jason Kidd redesigned how Livingston was used.
Prior to this, Livingston had been tossed around the league, and he had played for seven teams in the past five years.
Livingston stands out from a team full of talent and thickness.
On defense, he can switch to any position to defend; on offense, he can create a lot of misplaced attack opportunities.
The Nets made the playoffs that year, and things seemed to be going well.
But the Nets messed up their cap space situation, which prevented them from re-signing Livingston.
As a result, the 6-foot-7 point guard signed a three-year deal with the Warriors.
The Nets lost all their money, but the Warriors picked up a treasure.
Now, Livingston has become Curry’s substitute, averaging 6 points and 3 assists in 19 minutes per game.
He and another player with the height to play multiple positions, Andre Iguodala, make up the thickness of the Warriors’ roster.
According to NBA official website statistics, when the Warriors adopted a lineup of Curry, Thompson, Barnes and Green without a center, Livingston was the player who played the most minutes besides Iguodala.
For a player like Livingston, who suffered a serious leg injury nine years ago, it is not easy to achieve such achievements.
At that time, people were not sure whether he could continue his career, let alone think about making him live up to the expectations of him.
After graduating from high school, he entered the NBA with the fourth overall pick.
After this injury, the player who was once considered to be like “Magic” Johnson and “Penny” Hardaway became a wanderer in the league.
In an instant, his goal went from being one of the best players in the NBA to earning a spot on any team.
Yes, any team will do.
Players who rely on outstanding physical gifts often have a difficult time after returning from injury.
One example is 2011 MVP Derrick Rose.
He tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the 2012 playoffs, and he is still adjusting his state.
Athletic talent gradually declines with age.
So players like Tim Duncan and Dwyane Wade can age “gracefully”.
They can give up their dependence on their athletic ability little by little, gradually change their game style, and finally become a completely different player at the age of 33 from when they were 23 years old.
However, some players have been running tirelessly on the field for many years.
Then one day, they couldn’t run, they couldn’t jump, and Livingston couldn’t even walk.
It took Livingston a few years to find his own style of play, and if he can’t find the best fit for the team’s starting lineup in the Nets and Warriors, he will still be a player at the end of the bench.
Livingston is well aware of this.
“Yes, as long as the idea of team basketball is still prevailing, it is very important for any player’s career,” Livingston said in an interview with FanSided. “Players will find the most suitable position,
The right system, the right place. That way they can gain experience and a confidence that will serve them well in their careers. Very few can achieve the same level of success anywhere.”
Livingston did it.
Not only does the Warriors have the 3-pointer in their blood, they also love to send their guards to the paint.
According to statistics from the NBA official website, in terms of the number of touches in the restricted area, Curry, Thompson and Livingston are three.