Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers put himself in the running for the Executive of the Year award once again by quickly acquiring DeMarcus Cousins the second day of free agency, but he made yet another important move by adding a center to back him in Andrew Bogut.
The Warriors executive has been encouraged by Cousins' addition and his ability to mesh with this All-Star-laden core.
“He’s been great. I think he’s been great on the court. I think he’s been great off the court,” said Myers, according to Mark Medina of the San Jose Mercury News. “He brings a different dimension and something that we didn’t have as a physical, low-post scoring threat. That’s important in the playoffs. People forget about Houston in last year’s series, we were struggling to score. It was two of the best offenses in the league, and the point totals were in the low 90’s. So you have to find a way to score. DeMarcus gives you a better option on the block, and is something we never had. He plays with great physicality.
“I’m excited for him. He’s also going to bring this child-like enthusiasm. Him about to play in the playoffs for the first time is good for our team. We don’t have to have just guys that take it for granted. I don’t think they do. But it’s nice to have a new guy. I imagine if you took the pulse of everybody, his would be the highest going into the playoffs because he’s going to be so excited. There’s nothing like your first playoff game. I’m very very happy he gets to experience it either Saturday or Sunday.”
Equally important was Bogut's addition, which has given this team a renewed sense of joy and instant familiarity, making it a seamless transition — something much-needed after incorporating Cousins.
“We determined what is our best fit and what we need. Having another center was important for us,” said Myers, who noted the Warriors had their eyes on Bogut for a while. “Andrew, especially, with knowing our system and knowing our players. We thought it would be a seamless transition. I would argue it’s been great. He’s been a great energy guy. He’s come back for all the right reasons. All he wants to do is come out and compete for another championship. The rim protection, passing, the screening and experience – he checks a lot of boxes for us. We were thrilled he wanted to come. It wasn’t mentioned much. It’s rare these days that it didn’t leak out. But he was our primary target. I know there are other people many thought we were targeting. But he was on the forefront. He’s the guy we really wanted.”
If this is indeed Kevin Durant's last season in the Bay Area, Myers has managed every year of his stay masterfully, surrounding him and the other All-Stars with plenty of weapons to put them in championship contention every season.
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