Warriors came to an NBA Draft realization the Cavaliers need to learn
Cavs will need to hit on their late picks
The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t want to get anything from the Golden State Warriors of all teams, but they should be looking closely at how the Warriors have sustained their depth despite years of contending for titles.
The Cavaliers are absolutely brimming with talent and depth right now. riding their third double-digit win streak of the season and running away with the best record in the Eastern Conference. They have the league’s best offense and go 12-deep with viable rotation players. Their core is also young and under contract for multiple seasons; while they will get expensive, this group should have an extended window of contention ahead of it.
The trick to maintaining a contender is adding inexpensive depth on the margins. That can come from tactical minimum contract signings, but the best pathway is to nail draft picks later in the draft to ensure help at a severe discount for multiple seasons.
The flip side of that approach, however, is that you have to nail those picks — and they have to be ready to contribute right away. The Milwaukee Bucks continue to whiff on their picks in recent seasons, in part because they choose the wrong players but in part because they pick young, raw projects. A contending team cannot use up roster spots and draft picks on long-term prospects who might develop into something in three or four years.
