3 Thriving Small Market Teams Prove Jazz Can Win Without Tanking

It appears the Utah Jazz have chosen a path. Jazz CEO Danny Ainge made it clear in his post-game press conference that the goal of this off-season is to make the Jazz a better team. 

There are still fans out there who believe tanking is the way to go. However, if we look at recent history, the small market teams that have won championships have proved that creating a losing culture via the tank is clearly not the best route.

Let’s take a look at three modern-day small-market franchises that have recently won rings without letting their foot off the gas.

Yes, once upon a time, the Golden State Warriors were considered a small market franchise. Attracting top tier free agents was never a thing in the pre-Curry days. Before Curry burst onto the scene, the Warriors only made the playoffs once (2006-07) between the 1994-95 and 2011-12 seasons.

Drafting consistently in the top 10 doesn't guarantee anything. In fact, during that span, the Warriors drafted four times in the top five and another five times in the top ten with nothing to show for it. Just like any franchise, they drafted some Hall of Fame/All-Star caliber players, but some duds as well.

Chris Weber (acquired via trade at the draft), Antoine Jamison (acquired via trade at the draft), and Gilbert Arenas played for Golden State and had noteworthy careers. The biggest busts were Joe Smith (No. 1), Mike Dunleavy (No. 3), and Ekpe Udoh (No. 6).

So how did Golden State go from a lost franchise to a juggernaut almost overnight? They drafted three future Hall of Famers over a four-year span. Steph Curry (No. 7), Klay Thompson (No. 11), and Draymond Green (No. 35) have been the foundation of what’s been arguably the most relevant franchise over the last 10+ years.

The season before the Warriors drafted Curry, they finished tenth in the Western Conference with a 29-53 record. Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good. Other NBA franchises passed on Curry for the likes of Hasheem Thabeet, Tyrese Evans, Ricky Rubio, and Johnny Flynn. Where would Curry be playing today if the Warriors had tanked that season?

Here’s another example of a small market franchise that won a championship without drafting top-five talent. The Milwaukee Bucks struck gold when they selected Giannis Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick of the 2013 draft.

The Bucks were fairly competitive before drafting the future NBA Finals MVP. A 38-44 record put them in a position to take Antetokounmpo, and there was no purposefully losing games prior to that selection.

Also, Milwaukee’s second-best player on its championship team wasn’t even selected in the first round. All-Star forward Kris Middleton wasn’t taken until the 39th pick of the second round in 2012 and spent time in the G-League before he emerged to All-Star status.

One might call those two picks an example of dumb luck, but it does demonstrate that a small market franchise can build a champion without top-ten picks. Prior to their 2021 championship, the Bucks only picked in the top nine once over a ten-year span, and it was a bust. Jabari Parker was selected by Milwaukee, with the second overall pick in 2014.

Interestingly, the top five picks the year Antetokounmpo was taken were Anthony Bennett, Victor Oladipo, Otto Porter Jr., Cody Zeller, and Alex Len. It's a good thing for the Bucks they put their best foot forward in the 2012-13 regular season.

The Denver Nuggets are a small market franchise that may be in the midst of a dynasty by being at the right place at the right time. Their three best players weren't exactly headline news on their draft days. Jamal Murray (No. 7), Michael Porter Jr.(No. 14), and Nikola Jokic (No.41) are the core of a franchise that's knocking on the door of back-to-back championships.

The Nuggets went 33-49 the year before they drafted Murray at No. 7, but the team that did play for the No.1 overall pick that season was the Philadelphia 76ers. For their losing efforts, they drafted one of the biggest busts in NBA history, Ben Simmons.

The Nugget's highest draft pick on their team is Aaron Gordon (No.4), who was acquired via trade from the Orlando Magic. Drafting a future MVP in Jokic in the second round is certainly not the norm, but tanking for championships isn’t, either. 

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