"If that’s all you can do is shoot the three, then you’re not necessarily that weapon" - Golden State Warriors GM highlights difference between regular season and playoffs
Player evaluation should primarily be done in the playoffs, according to Golden State Warriors President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Bob Myers. A video has resurfaced from a past MIT Sloan Analytics Conference with a panel including retired 10-time NBA All-Star Paul Pierce and others. During the conference, Myers shared his thoughts on the differences between the playoffs and the regular season, as well as how players differentiate themselves:
“The playoffs are nothing like the regular season. They are two completely different sports. The way it’s officiated … We played some great shooters in the playoffs and have neutralized them. Because if that’s all you can do is shoot the three, then you’re not necessarily that weapon that we make you out to be in the regular season."
"That two feet of space you had in the regular season is two inches, and you watch how many players cannot make a shot in the playoffs and shoot 42% in the regular season. It’s not the same thing.”
“The more dimensions you have to your game, the harder you are to take away. Shoot the three, get fouled, get to the free throw line, get to the basket … That’s what makes a Hall of Fame player. So you want as many of those guys as you can.”
“You watch the playoffs, you'll know who can play basketball. That’s when you evaluate players.”
Basketball Twitter understands this but NBA Twitter doesn’t.
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Bob Myers has been the Warriors' GM since 2012 and has helped lead the team to four NBA championships. So Myers' opinion on how to evaluate players and build a roster certainly has merit.
The Warriors have been known for their elite three-point shooting, with stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson leading the way. However, Golden State has always prioritized adding versatile two-way players.
The Warriors 2022 Championship team had many players in this two-way 3-and-D mold, including Andrew Wiggins, Otto Porter Jr. and Klay Thompson. Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole are also multi-dimensional with their abilities to create shots and finish around the rim.
The Warriors have never relied on one-dimensional three-point specialists in their title runs. As a result, the Warriors are always contenders come playoff time, while many other teams are exposed as pretenders.
Did Bob Myers and the Golden State Warriors make enough moves to be able to defend their title in 2023?
Bob Myers has done a great job at building championship rosters over the years. But the cost of winning a championship is usually not being able to afford to keep your entire roster together.
Key role players from title teams are routinely overpaid by competitors looking to improve their rosters and weaken their opponents. For example, this offseason, the Warriors lost Otto Porter Jr. to the Toronto Raptors and Gary Payton II to the Portland Trailblazers.
However, they have recovered with the under-the-radar signings of 3-and-D guard Donte DiVincenzo and 3-and-D forward JaMychal Green.
With all their top players returning and their usual savvy front office signings, the Warriors look like they are in good shape entering 2023. They should also be able to expect some internal development from Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman.
The Western Conference will be as challenging as ever with the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets healthy and entering the mix. But as long as Golden State stays healthy, they will have a good shot at winning back-to-back titles. It would be their fifth title in the Stephen Curry era if they do so.