Since defeating the Boston Celtics in the 2021-22 NBA Finals and capturing their fourth championship in eight years, the Golden State Warriors have been in decline.
Last year, their season was derailed by Draymond Green’s on-court misconduct, resulting in multiple suspensions. Green missed a total of 17 games, stemming from two notable suspensions. To the Warriors’ credit, the team still managed to win 46 games. They were good enough to compete in the Play-In Tournament.
Steve Kerr puts things into perspective after the Warriors play-in loss pic.twitter.com/5Ffx7PMWv0
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 17, 2024
With each passing year, the Warriors’ window of opportunity truncates. Draymond Green turned 34 in early March. Less than two weeks later, Stephen Curry turned 36. Executive Mike Dunleavy Jr. recognized that the Warriors needed to make significant changes if they had any chance of returning to their former glory. Conventional wisdom would indicate that meant acquiring a player like Paul George or Lauri Markannen. Instead, Dunleavy Jr. followed in his predecessor’s footsteps.
Until his departure at the end of the 2022-23 season, Bob Myers was at the helm for Golden State, serving as the architect of the Warriors’ dynasty.
When Myers was the assistant general manager, he played a pivotal role in the Warriors’ landmark deal, trading Monta Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks for Andrew Bogut. Ellis was a vaunted point guard, but the move allowed Klay Thompson to join the Warriors’ starting lineup, paving the way for the “Splash Bros.”
After the 2011-12 season, Myers was promoted to General Manager and began reconstructing his team around the unique talents of Stephen Curry. Myers drafted Draymond Green, acquired Andre Iguodala from the Denver Nuggets, and hired Steve Kerr as the Warriors’ head coach.
Myers’ greatest achievement, however, was acquiring Kevin Durant in 2016 — transforming the Warriors into a dynastic force.
Yet, it was Myers’ ability to constantly re-equip that allowed the Warriors to win their fourth NBA championship. After losing Kevin Durant in 2019, Myers drafted Jordan Poole and acquired Andrew Wiggins from the Minnesota Timberwolves. He rounded out the team’s rotation by signing Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr.
Bob Myers’ time in Golden State:
2012: Drafted Draymond
2014: Hired Steve Kerr as HC
2014-15: First 🏆
2015-16: 73-9 record, made Finals
2016: Signed KD
2016-17: Second 🏆
2017-18: Third 🏆
2018-19: Made Finals
2021-22: Fourth 🏆 pic.twitter.com/xbRl3HSO46— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 30, 2023
After a disappointing season in 2022-23, marred by debilitating injuries and interpersonal turmoil, Myers left the Warriors.
Since taking over as executive, Mike Dunleavy Jr. has followed in Myers’ footsteps, drafting Brandin Podziemski and signing defensive stalwart De’Anthony Melton.
However, Dunleavy was faced with an unprecedented challenge.
After several major injuries and over 950 games logged, Klay Thompson’s stardom was beginning to dwindle. Last season, the Warriors faced the Sacramento Kings in the Play-In Tournament — a do-or-die scenario. Thompson was abysmal, missing all 10 of his field goals. The performance proved to be Thompson’s last as a Warrior.
Dunleavy traded Thompson in a six-team deal, ultimately receiving Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield in return. Anderson was a key contributor in the Timberwolves’ rotation last season. Hield is one of the NBA’s most prolific three-point marksmen and a natural fit to replicate Thompson’s unique skill set.
Through 13 games, the Warriors are second in the Western Conference with a 10-3 record. Their extraordinary success can be attributed to their renewed effort on the defensive end.
Last season, Golden State ranked 15th in defensive rating. This year, they’ve improved dramatically. The Warriors currently rank fifth in defensive rating, third in steals, eighth in blocks, second in deflections, first in charges drawn, and first in shots contested per game.
Every time the warriors have been 10-2 they went to the finals pic.twitter.com/kTT7bTtd6m
— ᴀꜱꜱᴀꜱꜱɪɴ (@shotbysteph30) November 16, 2024
Assistant coach Jerry Stackhouse has played a vital role in the Warriors’ defensive resurgence. Stackhouse was hired by Dunleavy in the offseason to serve as the team’s defensive coordinator.
Melton and Hield have paid dividends for the Warriors’ pick-and-roll defense, giving them more options to attack ball-screens.
Ultimately, the Warriors’ success won’t be determined by their depth or their collective experience, but by their leader, Stephen Curry. If Curry can continue to affect games on command and impose his will on other teams, then the Warriors will certainly vie for the top spot in the Western Conference — and, more importantly, their fifth NBA championship in only 10 years.
Main Image Credit: Golden State Warriors on X
