During the Golden State Warriors’ run of dominance from 2015-2019, a majority of the success was associated with the roster, and for good reason: A lethal combination of Steph Curry, prime Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and other essential role players was able to blow past almost any team in the league. However, the front office during that era deserves equal praise for their work: Former General Manager Bob Meyers along with the rest of the front office was instrumental in the dominance the Warriors showed in the league, from retaining Steph Curry, signing Andre Iguodala and other key players in the 2015 championship run, acquiring Kevin Durant in free agency, and more. However, in 2024, the reliability of the current front office has come under pressure from fans and the media.
The team’s front office is largely responsible for the failure of the new role players the team signs every year. This has not been an issue in Warriors history—ever since Myers retired from his position, the new manager, Mike Dunleavy Jr., has guided the franchise in a downward spiral starting from the Jordan Poole trade. With questionable signings, terrible contractual deals, and more, Dunleavy needs to learn from Myers to bring the Warriors back to playoff contenders.
The most questionable move of all was the signing of three-point specialist Buddy Hield. Meant to be “Splash Buddy” and Klay Thompson’s replacement, Hield was lights-out for the first 15 games of the season, contributing to the Warriors first-seed and 12 wins. However, immediately after, Hield entered a shooting slump which, 30 games later, has not ended.
On paper, Hield is a solid role player, with a 36% 3-point percentage and an average rating in the league. However, when watching the game, every loss seems to have his name written all over it—whether it is because of poor shooting from the field or poor defense against other talented wings. It’s hard to see a future where this team is consistently competing against top teams in the playoffs with him.
Although the team’s quest for a secondary star to support Steph Curry on offense finally ended in the form of 35-year-old Heat superstar Jimmy Butler, the 2-year 121 million-dollar extension the front office signed him to is an absurd overpay, clearly in desperation to support Curry offensively. Andrew Wiggins, the small forward the team traded for Butler, is significantly younger than Butler and is a lot better for the team in terms of his contract and his skill set, as he adjusts to the Warriors’ three-point-oriented attack.
Dunleavy’s inability to recognize the Warriors’s lack of a center is another key reason behind the team’s struggles. With other dominant frontcourt players in the West including Nikola Jokíc, Anthony Davis, and Domantas Sabonis, rookie Quentin Post is the only player to match their size. However, Post has consistently had defensive struggles throughout the season, meaning another center with defensive capabilities in our player rotation would have turned the Warriors around.
As for the last two defiant wins against the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks, it may seem as though the Warriors are back in contention. However, there is still a lot that needs to happen for Dunleavy to prove he is a capable general manager. The Bulls are a bottom-five team in the league, so the 22-point deficit by the early third quarter was concerning. Additionally, the Bucks were without 6’11 MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Butler had scored 12 of his 20 total points at the free-throw line. If the Warriors can pull off a win against a top-five team in the league such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, or Oklahoma City Thunder, there’s a lot to look forward to with the team.
The new and improved Warriors team on paper seems like it can challenge any team: Dunleavy has traded for an interior offensive threat in Butler, while simultaneously opening up the court for Curry and other players to shoot the ball more effectively. Kuminga, another dominant interior and post-player is returning from injury in two weeks. This team can sneak into a playoff spot this season, but the future remains dire. Whether Dunleavy made the right move in trading depth for Butler still is up in the air, but so far it seems as though he has made the right decision.
