Maybe Bob Myers Was Right...
Bob Myers unexpectedly left the Golden State Warriors one year removed from winning the NBA Championship. Now, almost halfway through the 2024 regular season, that move is looking smarter by the day.
As a General Manager in any sport, you dream of a scenario where you have one of the greatest players of all time in the peak of their prime on your team. Every year, you see GMs across all sports fired and replaced. It is a cutthroat job in a cutthroat industry. That is why Bob Myers stepping down from his position last summer came as such a surprise to many Warriors fans. He was in a spot that many of his peers envy. He had an owner that was (and still is) willing to spend whatever it takes to win, a desirable market, a proven winning organization, and the most important piece of all: an unselfish superstar committed to his organization long-term. I do not think many GMs would walk away from the chance to run a team led by a top ten NBA player of all time in Stephen Curry. That is why this decision by Myers in the Summer of 23’ was so surprising. But now, writing this article in January 2024, it seems like maybe Bob Myers wasn’t wrong for this decision. Maybe he saw it coming. Maybe he saw what could be the downfall of the Golden State Warriors dynasty unfolding right in front of our eyes.
Setting the Scene
At the time of this article, the Golden State Warriors are sitting at 12th place in the Western Conference with a record of 17-19. The Warriors big offseason acquisition was Chris Paul, who just had surgery to repair a broken hand and will be out at least another month. Draymond Green has yet to return from his indefinite suspension, only playing in 15 of 36 games so far this season. In back to back days last week, reports came out that both Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody are upset with their roles on the team and are confused about how to earn more playing time from Coach Kerr. Andrew Wiggins is having the worst season of his career. Gary Payton has been hurt for most of the season. Kevon Looney has looked like a 50 year old man in a 27 year old NBA player’s body. The Warriors have already blown five games where they were winning by 18 points or more. All these issues listed, and still no mention that Steve Kerr is on the last year of his contract, looking like he is burnt out as being the Warriors' head coach. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is Kerr’s last season with the team. Klay Thompson entered the season far apart on a contract extension with the front office and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. These are turbulent times in San Francisco.
What Did He Know?
I have the advantage of seeing how this season has played out to surmise what Myers may have seen coming, and what ultimately may have lead to him stepping down. But, maybe the clues were there the whole time.
Draymond Green’s History
It’s possible that most of Draymond’s incidents were accidental. Hitting Lebron James down below in the 2016 NBA finals, kicking Steven Adams, stomping on Domantas Sabonis chest, and multiple ejections from verbally attacking referees. Unlikely, but not impossible. To start the 2023 NBA season though, the Warriors had to deal with a preseason teammate-on-teammate assault, all caught on video, instigated by whom other than Draymond Green. Maybe this list of incidents was enough for Myers to see that Draymond Green would offend again. He has been suspended for half the season so far for multiple incidents from this season alone, including the latest strike to the face of Jusuf Nurkic.
Coach Kerr’s Inability to Develop Youth
Two Timelines and Light Years Ahead are two triggering phrases for Warriors fans these days. Even if Lacob and co. want to deny it (at every opportunity, he has), it was put out there that the Warriors were “Light Years” ahead of other NBA teams because they put a team together that could compete for championships in the present, while also building a team for the future. This notion was arguably proven right by the 2022 NBA championship (Although I would argue the second timeline had little impact on that. I would say they won that championship in spite of the second timeline, not because of it). Jacob Evans, Damion Jones, Eric Paschall, Nico Mannion, James Wiseman, Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga are draft picks that Kerr has not been able to get to succeed, for whatever reason. Obviously, there is blame on the front office and ownership for some of these choices. We have also seen older rookies have an impact under Kerr (Jordan Bell, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson Davis). I believe that Kerr is not the best coach for young players that need development and a different style of coaching than vets. The biggest example of this was Kerr playing Ty Jerome and Anthony Lamb over Kuminga and Moody all season last year. That choice was a huge disservice to the Warriors organization and has had consequences this season, as Moody and Kuminga are now upset with their standing in the Warriors organization.
Wiggins Aberration Season
In 2020, the Warriors traded D’Angelo Russell for Andrew Wiggins and draft picks. Although Russell was obviously not a fit for the Warriors, this was still viewed by some as a risky trade for the Warriors. Wiggins was viewed around the NBA as a negative asset. Obviously, this has been proven wrong. Andrew Wiggins was the second best player on a title team in 2022, making the acquisition extremely worthwhile (not to mention they also were able to draft Jonathan Kuminga because of this trade). With Wiggins’ struggles before that 2022 season, and struggling again on and off the court the past two seasons, this has me wondering if Myers saw what many are seeing now. Was 2022 Wiggins an aberration? Did he know Wiggins would regress? Did he know that it was going to always be an issue with both Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga on the roster, that they just cannot play together (Kuminga & Wiggins on the floor this season is a negative 20.6 net rating)? Did he know he would have to trade one of them?
Joe Lacob’s Insufferable Managing Style
All the benefits that make Joe Lacob a great NBA owner, also probably make him a difficult boss to work for. I found this most apparent at Bob Myers’ exit interview with the media last summer. There was a tension in the air that could be felt even watching through a screen. Lacob joked that he still didn’t understand Myers decision, and hoped he would still be willing to come back. Myers also joked about not having to pick up the phone in the middle of the night with calls from Joe. It is understood that Lacob has sway in draft and personnel decisions, and also may have been the deciding voice on draft misses like James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga. I think that Myers may have been burnt out from dealing with an owner like Lacob.
Breaking Up the Core
Michael Jordan on the Washington Wizards. Tony Parker on the Charlotte Hornets. Dwayne Wade on the Cleveland Cavaliers. There are many examples in NBA history of NBA Legends of championship teams not retiring with their franchise they have their whole career on. Think of the fan/player relationships with players that retired with the team that drafted them. Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics. That is what Steph, Klay and Draymond would have if they are all able to retire as Warriors with four (possibly more) NBA Championships. They would be immortalized in Warriors history forever. Would you want to be the person in charge of possibly having the break that up? Did Bob Myers know that this could be a possibility? Did he see the signs of regression from Klay along with Klay’s steadfast belief that he is still a max contract player, who should always be starting and closing games, never accepting a reduced role? Did he see that Draymond was declining both physically and mentally, and may need to trade him in order to improve team chemistry? All I know is, I would not want my name attached to breaking up one of the NBA’s most iconic trios.
Bob Myers Since Leaving the Warriors:
It was announced just two months after stepping down from the Warriors, Myers signed a multiyear deal with ESPN as an in studio and in game analyst. It was announced on January 8th, Myers had struck a deal with the NFL’s Washington Commanders to join the organization as a lead executive. He left the Warriors organization with two NBA Executive of the Year Awards, Four Championships, and being the architect for arguably the best constructed NBA team of all time.
Do you think it was the right move by Bob Myers to move on from his Hall of Fame esque role with the Golden State Warriors? Do you think he saw the struggles the Warriors have had this season coming?
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Hopefully Curry and the Warriors prove Meyers wrong, but it is looking like he got out of town at the right time...
Painful but probably true insight the more we watch this team fall apart.