Quote:
Originally Posted by Scrap Irony
I'm not saying draft second round local talent in lieu of first-round others.
I'm saying that a Louisville team might choose to boost attendance by finding local role players. Frankly, it's not as outlandish as some are suggesting. It's worked for OKC, San Antonio (in the past), Dallas, Indiana, and others.
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If you are referring to George Hill - my apologies if you are not - I have to believe that the Pacers targeted him because he provided them with an element that they clearly lacked at the time: a play-making combo guard with a 6-9 wingspan to shore up perimeter defense. The fact that Hill is a local hero is/was an added bonus.
For the record, I'm inclined to agree with you about local heroes - assuming a front office has done their due diligence - filling roles in a rotation, now that you have put it that way. However, it may be too tempting to overplay a role-playing local hero/gate attraction to the detriment of the franchise.
I can state a case of a local hero, who should have been a role player, miscast as a 30 + mpg starter because he was such a popular player, even though an obvious upgrade was sorely needed in order to at least reach the Conference finals.
The player in question? Charlotte's 5' 3" Muggsy Bouges circa '93.