I think it's bad to be in the "middle" but I think there is something to be said for having a team that has played together for a long time under a great coach with relatively mediocre talent (compared to the Miami's and Lakers of the league that is). Look at how the Pistons built their team. No superstars. Billups and Hamilton were traded players, Ben Wallace was a 2nd round pick, Prince was drafted in the late first, and Rasheed Wallace was traded. And you go... "oh, but that was a good defensive team". Honestly I think we're just a solid big guy from being a good defensive team again. Being a good defensive team has just as much to do with chemistry and strategy than it does how good individually your players are on the defensive end. And this big guy we get could be a guy we draft with one of our picks in the up coming year.
Houston and LA should just switch franchises. Rockets -> LA Clippers -> Houston The pro-tanking crowd could watch the Clippers get a lottery pick every year and be happy with it. Les and Morey could actually have a chance of luring one of the superstars to the Los Angeles Rockets? Maybe maybe no?
How did you come up with a roster that has stayed together for a long time and then say look at how the Pistons built their team? The got Rasheed 2 months before the playoffs started. Billups was a free agent that joined one season before the championship run. Rasheed was an 2x all-star with behavioral issues, so he got traded to the Pistons, after being traded from Portland to Atlanta.
