The NBA Draft takes place this week on Wednesday and Thursday nights. I'm intrigued to find out where the top prospects end up, but I'm also fascinated to see how each team's decisions reveal its focus.
Based on the players they select and the trades they make leading up to or during the draft will indicate the direction the franchise is heading.
With the Atlanta Hawks having the number one pick after missing the playoffs last year, these questions come to mind:
Will they draft a player who can help them right away and pairs well with current stars Trae Young and Dejounte Murray…or will they draft a player with the most potential for the future?
Will they trade Murray and or Young to build the team around their number-one pick?
Will they trade the number one pick?
Are the Hawks focused on rebuilding the roster with the future in mind or tweaking it to return to the playoffs this upcoming season?
The Brooklyn Nets are interesting because they don't have any draft picks this year but have seven future first-round picks available to trade. I wonder if they’ll be patient and plan for the future…or trade their future picks to get into this year's draft to help their team immediately.
The Nets, Hawks, and every other NBA team face the tension of making decisions that help them win now or prepare for the future.
Despite this tension, the teams that have the most consistent success are the ones that are able to manage their roster in a way that allows them to win now and in the future.
Teams run into problems when their focus is lopsided. If their moves are too much about the future, then they continually trade good players for future draft picks at the expense of winning now.
On the flip side, some teams focus so much on winning now that they trade all of their future draft picks for players who can help them right away.
Years later, they realize they had no plan for after those players were gone. This year’s NBA Draft is another test for GMs to determine the ways they can both win now and prepare for the future.
Likewise, we face a similar tension in our own lives. Do we focus on the day-to-day in order to win during this season or make decisions and plans that prepare us for the future?
When we focus on the future, we might sacrifice winning now, but it leads us closer to our dreams and hopes for “winning” down the road. The positive side of thinking about the future is doing so with wisdom and strategy, but the negative side is being so focused on the future that we’re actually neglecting the present or procrastinating and not taking the proper action now.
Other times, our focus is on this season or the here and now, and we get so caught up in immediate responsibilities and trying to make the most of each day that we aren't concerned about the future at all.
Instead, we try to survive and let life happen. Then, some time passes, and we realize we “traded all of our future picks” without a plan or preparation.
The questions become, do I have the proper focus, and what should my focus be? What do my decisions reveal about where my focus is?
As followers of Jesus, our focus, perspective, and approach to life are through the lens of scripture and in light of eternity. I believe we’re called to be diligent in the present relying on God’s strength, plan for the future with wisdom from God, and remain surrendered as we trust God and prepare for eternity with Him.
On one hand, God has us on earth to accomplish His purposes in and through us in the present. Yes, we also have to take care of our responsibilities, our bodies, our families, and our jobs. However, we can't get so caught up in the day-to-day that we lose sight of how our decisions affect our future here on earth and for eternity. We have to determine what’s most important and prioritize accordingly.
I love what it says in 1 Timothy 4:8 (AMP): “For physical training is of some value, but godliness (spiritual training) is of value in everything and in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.”
We’re told in 1 Timothy 6:18-19 (NLT), “Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.”
Today, let’s be encouraged to keep our focus on Jesus so we can have an impact right now and “win” during this season while also preparing us for eternity and future blessings.
I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, teach me to rest in You as I face the tension of this present life and eternity. I pray, Lord, that You would strengthen me to accomplish Your purposes in my life. Please help me wisely prepare for the future and keep an eternal perspective on everything. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
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