Myerswon’t talk about LeBron buzz.
General manager supports cohesiveness the current Warriors team has developed
OAKLAND » Before anyone could even ask the question, Warriors general manager Bob Myers declined to answer it. You know, the one involving LeBron James and if the Warriors would try to accommodate his reported inter- ested, as noted by ESPN, in amax contract this summer.
“I know you guys have to ask, but I can’t talk about other players on other teams,” Myers said. “I’mnot allowed to. I wouldn’t do it, anyway.”
In a 17-minute interview with reporters after Thursday’s practice, however, Myers spoke in clear terms about the team’s in- tentions heading into the Feb. 8 trade deadline and in free agency in July. Myers did so without violating any NBA tampering rules.
“The cohesiveness of our team matters to us and the continuity matters to us,” Myers said. “It may matter differently to other organizations. But we have guys who have been here. Probably more importantly they have shown in the bigger moments in the playoffs that they can produce. Not that the regular season doesn’t matter. It does matter. But to have guys that we know well and know each other well, we have to keep an eye on that.”
In other words, the Warriors (40-11) enter Friday’s game against the Sacramento Kings (1634) appearing satisfied with the star players they do have (Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson) instead
of trimming their $135 million payroll to create a max slot for a star player they don’t have (James). Unlike most teams approaching the trade deadline, the Warriors do not have a lot of needs. After all, they have the league’s best record, have won two championships in the past three years and have four All-Stars on their roster in Curry, Durant, Green and Thompson. Yet, Myers said he has become “pretty active” with an estimated “two-thirds” of the other 29 NBA front offices.
“We’re fortunate to have a very good roster. But no roster is perfect,” Myers said. “That’s why we listen and look around and explore different things. Everything is unique in its own way. So we look to get better and look to address some of our weaknesses.”
Yet, Myers downplayed most of the Warriors’ relative weaknesses because of their obvious success.
What about the Warriors’ bench that ranks last in the NBA in 3-point field goals made? Myers downplayed that since Thompson and Green often play with the reserves.
What about the Warriors’ rebounding that ranks 14th among 30 NBA teams? Myers countered “we’re pretty darn good with what we have?”
What about the Warriors’ surplus of frontcourt players that include seldom- used center JaVale McGee? Myers brought up McGee’s 14-point outing in Tuesday’s loss in Utah, the league’s declining supply of wing players. Myers added, “It has to make sense for us. And it clearly has to make sense for whoever we’re trading with.”
What about pursuing any players who become available after negotiating buyouts? Though he noted most of those players are veterans who will seek playing time the Warriors may not have available, Myers added, “If I sat here and said we don’t do buyouts, I’d find myself wrong.”
“The fear in this job is you wish you would have a conversation and you didn’t,” Myers said. “That’s always the fear.”
But Myers stressed he has done this more out of due diligence than feeling any pressure to upgrade a team already heavy on talent.
“The dialogue that happens in this trade deadline may lead to something two summers from now. You just don’t know,” Myers said “Saying nothing and doing nothing and not talking does absolutely nothing. Even if you do nothing, to take the approach of ‘I’m not talking to anybody.’ That’s not what I believe or our organization believes.”
Instead, the Warriors believe on leaving nothing unturned without compromising their long-term-continuity.
“I feel pressure every day to try to help us win. If that means making a move, make a move. We always put internal pressure on ourselves,” Myers said. “I don’t feel exter- nal pressure. I know this group is capable. It doesn’t mean we’ll sit back and say, ‘ We’re good, I don’t want to do anything.’ That’s not what it is now. That’s not what it’ll ever be.
“Look. Everybody else is working. It’s a competitive league. There’s pressure for everybody. People may not believe this. But we have pressure. Our players have pressure to win every night. Every time we lose, it’s a catastrophe. That’s pressure. We feel it because people expect a certain outcome for us. That’s constant pressure for us. That’s fine. That’s probably where you want to be. But that doesn’t mean you react to that pressure and do something short sighted.”