Save for the Warriors, every team enters the off-season with depth chart holes at one position or another. For some teams* the blank spaces outnumber the occupied ones. (*Read: The Knicks).
Each year fans fall into the trap of thinking their team can fix what ails them simply by calling a name on Draft night. “NBA-Ready” might be the buzziest of all the commonly used refrains this time of year, yet it’s also almost always devoid of meaning once the new NBA season rolls around. Rookies generally stink. Picking up the nuances of defense, adjusting to the speed and strength of the competition and learning how to, you know, be an adult, all take time.