The Golden State Warriors’ Bob Myers had an eventful offseason.
He first had to get over the pain of his team blowing a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals, which was most likely the most taxing of his tasks in a busy summer.
What he did next will have the biggest reverberations throughout the league: Orchestrating the recruitment of Kevin Durant to the Bay Area.
And earlier this week, he became the president of basketball operations in addition to his already-held role of general manager.
Now, he just wants to get into the action of the season.
“I just want to watch [Durant] play,” Myers told reporters on Thursday. “I want to watch him play basketball and wear our uniform.”
And isn’t that the wish of Dubs fans everywhere?
Sure, they brought a lot of the ridicule upon themselves by espousing an arrogant disposition as Stephen Curry rained in 35-footers during a whirlwind of a 2015-16 season. But the backlash has been tremendous as many Middle Americans revel in the fall of the brash Warriors.
(When you live in Cleveland, what else do you really have during the summer? Humidity and despair? Might as well fire off jokes at someone else’s expense.)
But if Golden State is really going to shake the funk of a massive meltdown, they’re going to have to produce on the floor. And the biggest problem is, early results won’t shake the contempt. A 24-0 start like last year, which Myers admitted is unlikely, will do little because — well — the 73-win Warriors lost in the NBA Finals with a 3-1 lead and the unanimous MVP.
And if they’re going to completely shake the stigma, they’ll need to produce in the playoffs. If they’re going to do that, they need head coach Steve Kerr healthy.
“He is in a better place and hopefully he is in a perfect place at some point,” Myers said of Kerr. “I think he’s working toward that but I have no doubt that he’s ready for camp and ready to go for the season.”
I’m fascinated to see how the team adjusts to the brightest spotlight an NBA team has seen in years. And if the Dubs and their fans thought this summer was bad, just wait and see what happens if they fail to bring home another title next June.Bob MyersGolden State Warriorsjacob c. palmerKevin DurantStephen CurrySteve Kerr
