Where do the Warriors Go After Myers Departs?
There are many similarities between the real world and the sports worlds: Dealing with heartbreak, adversity, and conflict. Still, one significant aspect that people gloss over is that all good things must come to an end.
ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news early this week that Golden State Warriors President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Bob Myers will be stepping down from his role.
"For any professional general manager or coach requires complete engagement, complete effort, one thousand percent, and if you can't do it, you shouldn't do it. And that's the answer to why," Bob Myers explained his decision to step down.
Undoubtedly, he had an incredible run with the organization through his twelve seasons as general manager, appearing in six NBA Finals and winning four championships as the architect of the Dubs Dynasty. As a result, whoever replaces Myers has big shoes to fill on multiple accounts.
Like in life, professional sports move fast and furiously, with little time to dwell and reminisce.
Speculation is running wild through the fanbase and social media regarding who will be the next general manager of the Warriors. There is a growing sense that they will hire someone from within the organization to fill the vacancy.
"We have a great organization. We believe in bench strength. Within this organization, we have a lot of bench strength, and we have a lot of people who are good at their jobs. We're constantly training for situations like this, you can only sometimes achieve it, but Bob has trained some great people within the organization. I think they'll play a great role going forward," Warriors Owner Joe Lacob on the franchise's direction.
One candidate to replace Myers is the man who worked directly under him for five years, Mike Dunleavy Jr.
"Mike is great. If he wants it, he'll be great. If that's what he wants to do, he'll be great. He knows more about basketball than I do. He was born into it with his dad, he played in it, it’s his calling. He's really good, and he would be fantastic if that is the choice," Myers on Dunleavy Jr. potentially being his successor.
Promoting the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Warriors seems like a seamless transition for Lacob, Kerr, and the organization. Moreover, all signs hint at Dunleay Jr. being the next man in line for the open availability based on seniority. But, of course, it doesn't hurt when you get a glowing endorsement from the previous man in the position.
Another candidate making headlines around NBA circles is the son of the Warriors Owner, an Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for Golden State, Kirk Lacob.
According to the Wojnarowski report, "With Myers' departure, Warriors owner Joe Lacob is expected to seek more prominent roles for his son, Kirk, an executive VP of Basketball Operations".
Lacob promoting his son to replace the most successful GM in franchise history figures to be a daunting task during one of the most critical offseasons in recent memory. It is a lot of pressure to put on a family member, specifically the owner's son, to keep one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history running smoothly during a major transition phase.
A dark horse to replace Myers is the current head coach Steve Kerr. He was once the GM of the Phoenix Suns back in the year 2007. He's been around many legendary basketball minds in his playing career, including Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Michael Jordan & Tim Duncan.
He does have one more year on his contract heading into the season. In an interview on the Warriors radio flagship, 95.7 The Game, Kerr stated that he enjoys coaching and is solely focused on coaching, and he will always be a coach. This makes him a far less likely candidate, but Kerr is one of the few people who could multitask both GMing and coaching.
However, if they truly wanted to hire and promote from within, Kerr would be a fit, along with Dunleavy Jr. & Kirk Lacob, because they have a keen sense of the interpersonal relationships within the organization along with having a healthy professional standing with their fearless leader, Joe Lacob.
Ultimately, the Warriors have a significant decision to make that will significantly impact the future direction of the Dubs Dynasty. No matter who will be the next President of Basketball Operations and GM in Golden State, replacing what Myers brought to the organization on a basketball and personal level will be a challenging task.
(Photo credit: Noah Graham / Getty Images)