Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers seems to be maintaining his usual cool exterior. He’s still sporting the fresh smile, still oozing poise.
But even Myers will tell you he feels the pressure. Sometimes, he said, he’ll wake up at 3 a.m. thinking about the draft Thursday, options and ideas racing about his brain.
“It’s my first time,” Myers acknowledged. “It’s a lot of stress.”
The sports agent-turned-front office exec didn’t get the easy route for his first time. Golden State has four draft picks year, topped by the No. 7 overall selection.
What’s making things even more stressful is the noticeable drop-off after the top five players.
Kentucky freshman power forward Anthony Davis is the unanimous No. 1 overall pick. The next tier, however, goes only four deep: Kansas’ Thomas Robinson, Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Florida’s Bradley Beal and North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes. Any of those would be an easy choice for the Warriors, except they are two slots from being assured of a chance to get one of them.
Some say two others also belong in that second tier: Weber State point guard Damian Lillard, an Oakland native, and Syracuse shooting guard Dion Waiters. But drafting either player would be adding depth to an expected strength, considering the Warriors have Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson inked in as starters next season.
So Myers and his staff have spent the last few weeks vetting one of four options: selecting a player at No. 7, trading up for a higher pick, trading down into the middle of the first round, or using the No. 7 pick to acquire a veteran player.
You can imagine the number of phone calls Myers has made and texts he’s sent, the endless brainstorming he and his staff have done.
“I don’t think I’ve ever spent more time on the phone than I have in the last 10 days,” Myers said. “I’m a very communicative guy by nature, but this recent period has taken the game to an entirely new level. It’s part of the process, and I understand it and accept it.”
After answering about 45 minutes worth of questions with local media last week, Myers turned the table. He went around the room asking media members whom they thought the Warriors should take. It was indicative of his approach.
Myers said he believes in accumulating all the information possible – the opinions of scouts, evaluations based on advance statistics, insight gleaned from workouts and interviews, other teams’ assessments, even morsels from the rumor mill.
“He’s pretty well prepared,” said Warriors executive board member Jerry West, who is a consultant on Myers’ staff. “I don’t think there’s a rough patch for him at all. This seems to be an unbelievably exciting time for him.”
Myers strengths are supposed to come in handy this time of year. His NBA connections figure to help him see through all the rumors and speculation. His experience as an agent is expected to prevent the Warriors from being influenced by a player’s representative.
“That’s the good thing about his experience from both sides of the fence,” West said. “Some of those agents can be pretty persuasive about why you should take their guy.”
A draft goes a long way toward building a general manager’s reputation. So perhaps the true test for Myers will be whether he’s able to make the tough decision and deal with the outcome.
If it comes down to it, will he be able to go against the advice of West, a legendary general manager?
Will he be able to persuade ownership about what should be done?
Does he have it in him to make the unpopular pick and get on the bad side of the passionate Warriors fan base?
“What’s going to be enjoyable about it, with all the stress that comes with making a high selection in a draft,” Myers said, “I do believe we have a group that works well together and is respectful of one another and will reach the right decision.”
– The Warriors extended a qualifying offer to swingman Brandon Rush. The offer makes Rush a restricted free agent, meaning Golden State, despite not having enough space under the salary cap, will have the right to match any offer sheet Rush may sign with another team. The free agency period begins June 30 at 9 p.m.
