On Team Building

[dogwoodmaple 380]

When it comes to building a team, the most important facet is a unifying vision from the general manager.  It's easy to simply try to accumulate the best talent, but it's so much more complicated than that.  You have to account for the psyche of different players, how the team gels, and you have to be able to predict how each personality of each player will work in concert with the rest.  That's why not only is general managing the most difficult job in the league, but it's one that has the most direct relationship between championships and utter defeat.  In my estimation, there are three main things you have to account for in order to be a successful GM. 

 

First, you have to sign a roster full of players who will remain active, first and foremost.  Many players start strong and burn hot, but they're not cut out for the long haul of keeping up a consistent career. Identifying players and users who will be cornerstones of your franchise with their activity is a crucial task.  Sometimes, that even means targeting a new user or someone without a bunch of experience if you can get them in on the ground floor of your franchise to help them buy in to the process.

 

Second, you have to always think two or three years ahead.  In this game, your success can evaporate overnight and can turn your entire fanbase on its head.  It's not enough to simply build a winner, you have to have the wherewithal to build a consistent power.  That often requires taking short steps backwards if it means a bid step forward later down the road.  By far the most difficult thing about running a team is maintaining the consistency and never falling down to the cellar, but it's something that must be done in order to build a dynasty.  It can often be hard to predict exactly how players will age, but you are doing your fanbase and players a disservice if you're not even contemplating what the roster will look like a few years down the road.  You have to always be thinking ahead.

 

And last, you have to know what type of team you're building.  What I mean is that you have to have a base strategy behind all the moves you make.  If you sign the best players but don't have a cohesive vision for what type of system you want to run, you'll be fitting square pegs into round holes.  Like I've mentioned above, it sometimes means signing or trading for players who aren't, on paper, as talented, but will be much more successful in the system that you're going to run.  Will you build a roster made of speed demons?  Sharp shooters?  Will you employ a goon strategy?  Focus on defending and goalkeeping?  You need to always have your vision in mind when you are making moves as general manager and every step you take in that direction, the more successful you'll be.  And to that end, you have to trust your plan and not worry about what other people are thinking and saying.  Stick to your guns, general managers!

 

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Edited October 3, 2022 by dogwoodmaple