maybe Middleton and one max guy is enough to make the team a contender.
Sometimes it would be nice to live in Candyland like this, how are the cotton candy trees?
I don't believe Stevens envisions a team with 1-2 or 3 stars surrounded by role players who's job it is to facilitate the stars.
I believe he incisions a team of equals who win together.
So far it has worked.
The next step is to upgrade the talent across the board.
Ideally 6 or 7 "3rd best" players, each of which would be at least good defenders and willing passers. each with an above average talent, be it scoring, distributing, 3pt shooting, rim protection, perimeter d...
KM is an ideal pick up in this system, add an athletic shot blocker (who has an additional above average skill and a little more of fence and Stevens would have the team he's looking to build.
I hope not, because such a team maxes out in the second round. Teams stacked with third options, but no stars, don't win titles.
It's pretty difficult to say where a team as young as ours currently maxes out. Adding a guy like Middleton at the max doesn't cap our ceiling as a team because our young players could improve and become stars (or improve to the point they should be traded for stars)
I don't think that any of our guys has superstar potential. The premise was that Stevens wants a team full of third options. That's a recipe for mediocrity.
Stars win. Teams full of role players don't. NBA history is pretty clear on this point. Similarly, spending large chunks of your cap on role players, without stars being in place, is a great way to ensure you never reach the next level.
I just don't understand the "the cap is going up, so let's massively overpay role players" argument. You spend money on stars, period. Paying $15+ million to a guy who is worth $6 to $8 million is lunacy.