Not a GM, but still thinking like one
Tim Hardaway wants to be the general manager of an NBA team.
Able to admit when he’s wrong and possessing proven leadership and communication skills, he would seem to be worthy of an opportunity. But his phone isn’t buzzing. “It’s not what you know. It’s who you know,” Hardaway said Monday before Game 5 of the NBA Finals. “They’re missing out on a mind and knowledge from someone who truly knows the game. There’s no question that once I get the opportunity, I’m going to thrive.”
What Hardaway, who was at Oracle Arena for Games 3 and 4, sees is a Warriors team that desperately needs another scorer. Sure, the franchise wants to resign Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson this offseason, but Hardaway says its summer shopping needs to go beyond the high-priced players.
When the Warriors started their run in 2014-15, they had four bench players average at least seven points per game during the regular season. In 2015-16, it was down to three. In 2016-17, only Andre Iguodala remained.
This season, not one of the reserves reached that threshold.
“There’s just a lack of scoring,” Hardaway said. “Toronto has five guys on the court at all times who are a threat to score. The Warriors sometimes have only one guy. They need some more scoring. It doesn’t matter who it is, you can’t be afraid to shoot the ball. You can’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s why you’re on the team and why they put you in the game. “This is your time to shine.” On Monday, Hardaway helped install the final seats at Chase Center, the Warriors’ soon-toopen San Francisco arena and surprised the fan who purchased those season tickets.
Calling on images from being part of the Warriors’ “Run TMC” era, Hardaway laughed and smiled for the cameras. He dapped up construction workers and did his best to handle his conflicted emotions.
“Having played at Oracle when it was the Coliseum and knowing the fan base that came there for years and years and years, it’s just tough,” said Hardaway, whose NBA-playing son was born in Alameda. “I feel for the people in Oakland and the East Bay, but the bright side of it is: This arena in San Francisco offers a bigger and brighter opportunity.
“If you’re worried about going further into the luxury tax, this will help pay that bill.”
Hardaway typically says what’s on his mind, but he’s not too prideful to adjust his initial thoughts. During a radio interview with Dan Le Batard 12 years ago, Hardaway made a homophobic rant that still haunts him.
“You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known,” Hardaway said in 2007. “I don’t like gay people, and I don’t like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don’t like it. It shouldn’t be in the world or in the United States.”
Hardaway has apologized for his comments and has since worked in alliance with the LGBTQ community.
Perhaps that comment has kept him out of the league, but he thinks it has more to do with people in decision-making positions filling their undercards with people they know. In any case, Hardaway knows his stuff.
He knows the Warriors already have $113 million committed to salary next season and hope to re-sign Durant and Thompson to max deals. He knows DeMarcus Cousins, Kevon Looney, Quinn Cook, Jordan Bell and Jonas Jerebko also are set to be free agents.
As the math goes now, the franchise may make an addition only with the taxpayer mid-level exception (about $5.3 million), and the rest will have to be on veteran’s minimum deals. He knows what else they should consider.
“I know they’re going to do all that they can to keep Klay and KD, which they should,” Hardaway said. “But they’ve got to look past those two.”