Scrolling through the Daily Links yesterday, I came across not one, but two articles from Chicago papers theorizing that the Bulls need only look to the Celtics to see how a team can turn its fortunes around in the span of an offseason. (Daily Herald | Chicago Tribune)
I couldn't help but laugh. They have no idea what perfect storm of events and circumstances it took for The Offseason to happen. At the time I just dismissed the writers' attempts at wishful thinking.
Happily, I later found a link (hat tip TrueHoop) to a blog called Shooting The Messenger that took the time to illustrate exactly how difficult it would be to pull off a haul similar to Danny's. The whole thing is great, but here's the conclusion:
So just to recap, here is what you need to remake a team the way the Celtics did: Cap flexibility, young talent, expiring contracts, a high lottery pick in a deep draft, serviceable role players you can live without, jerkface owners in another town summarily dismantling their team, an inept front office in yet another city, a superstar who wants to win badly and knows it won’t happen on the team he’s given his career to, more young talent you can somehow not trade in the process, a hometown hero to anchor the whole process, and the two acquisitions, along with that anchor, should be at the tail ends of their prime where they’re eager to lead, teach and win. Piece of cake, right?