Bob Myers’ best moves as Warriors GM? Ranking the top 10 – The Mercury News

Take Our PollOAKLAND As we twiddle our thumbs waiting to see who the Warriors will play in the NBA Western Conference semifinals, the break in the action might be a good time to assess how Bob Myers latest wondrous year as general manager fits within the context of his wildly successful four-year tenure.

Admit it, even after the Warriors scored their blockbuster free agent coup with Kevin Durant last summer, you might have been fretful about the mass departures of so many team fixtures Andrew Bogut, Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, Leandro Barbosa, Mo Speights and how Myers could possibly fill in the gaps with very limited resources.

If Myers doesnt win NBA Executive of the Year for the second time in three years, the award is a farce. The Warriors added so many solid complementary pieces to their core at ridiculously low expense, they didnt even need to force first-round draft pick Damian Jones into the frontcourt mix, and used 2016-17 as a developmental year for the promising young big man.

With all that in mind, heres a subjective ranking of Myers best free agent/trade decisions since being named general manager in April of 2012, incorporating this years additions:

1. Andre Iguodala.Myers first big move, and it remains his best. It still rates ahead of Durant for now, because the acquisition of Iguodala in a complicated three-way deal with Utah and Denver and the subsequent signing of the all-purpose veteran for four years gave the Warriors full-fledged legitimacy as a title contender. In the second season after the deal, the team had a championship in which Iguodala was the NBA Finals MVP. The Warriors are 238-70 in the regular season and 38-18 in the postseason since Iguodala arrived, have won at least 50 games and made the playoffs every season. On top of all that, as part of the Iguodala deal, Myers somehow got rid of the crippling final contract year of Andris Biedrins, which was remarkable all by itself.

2. Kevin Durant.Acquiring one of the best players in the league and adding him to an already tremendous nucleus was an organizational pursuit, but it was Myers who initially recognized the possibility of it and the team went into full-court press mode to get it done. We dont yet know what the long-term rewards will be in terms of championships, but Durants signing ensured the Warriors will be a top-drawer attraction for the foreseeable future and give them an excellent shot at multiple titles. A less capable executive wouldnt have been bold enough to even shoot so high.

3. Shaun Livingston.After the misfire of Toney Douglas and the one-and-done year with Jarrett Jack, who left via free agency, Myers finally got it right in his attempt to find a permanent backup point guard to Stephen Curry. In the middle of Mark Jacksons final season as coach, the Warriors won the first six games of a seven-game road trip but lost the finale in Brooklyn, and Livingston, finally returning to form after a devastating knee injury rendered him an NBA vagabond for several seasons, was one of the biggest reasons with a terrific all-around performance for the Nets. Myers clearly didnt forget that game, and he signed Livingston to a three-year mid-level exception deal almost immediately after that season. He has been paying huge dividends off the bench ever since.

4. Leandro Barbosa.Coach Steve Kerr knew Barbosas capabilities well from his own G.M. days in Phoenix, and when Kerr arrived to replace Jackson, Myers recognized the Brazilian Blur as a valuable reserve upgrade and a natural fit to provide instant up-tempo offense. While sometimes lacking at the defensive end, he was more often electric in his two seasons as an offensive bench spark and gave the club another 3-point weapon to bedevil opponents.

5. JaVale McGee.McGee ranks highly on the list because he best typifies Myers ability to understand how a player nobody else wanted could fit into the Warriors system with a rare skill set. Signed in mid-September to the NBA minimum just before the start of the season, it was a roll of the dice that consistently came up seven throughout the year. McGee gave the Warriors quick bursts of energy and excitement and flourished on the court with players who could maximize his abilities around the basket on lob plays and pick-and-rolls. Myers not only improved his team, he saved McGees checkered career.

6. Marreese Speights.After losing serviceable forward-center Carl Landry to free agency after his first season as G.M., Myers improved the position by signing Speights to a three-year free agent deal. Speights had a so-so first season with the Warriors, but improved dramatically in the second once he got in better shape and evolved into his Mo Buckets identity as a spot-up shooter off the bench. Like Barbosa, Speights was often a defensive liability, but he was a major contributor to the teams 2015 title and their uncanny 73-win season. Cant forget Mo, even if he did go on to sign with the Clippers.

7. David West.Wests stats dont leap off the page as they once did when he was in his Indiana Pacers prime, but at age 36, he provides a wise veteran presence off the court, particularly for the hot-blooded Draymond Green, and a savvy second-unit facilitator on the court who not only can defend and rebound but pass with efficient aplomb. Wests main goal is to win a ring to complete his career, but he already has a championship mentality and winners pedigree. Myers got all that for a song.

8. Zaza Pachulia.The first big man Myers signed to try and replace many of the things Bogut provided, Pachulias game doesnt dazzle at first glance. But like West, he knows his role, and thats to do a lot of the dirty work with the starting unit setting screens, providing physical interior defense, finding creases for easy baskets. Pachulia is also a maniac for loose balls, which has made him a favorite of his teammates, if not so much fans who dont appreciate the finer points of his game.

9. Ian Clark.Since Myers snapped him up after he was cut loose by Utah two years ago, Clark has slowly but surely elevated from a shaky end-of-the-bench option to a consistently reliable backup, providing offense much as Barbosa did but with a better defensive mindset and significantly better ballhandling. As his confidence has grown, he has become an asset any team would want, and at 26, hes still on a career upswing. Its one of those seemingly minor Myers moves thats starting to pay off in a major way.

10. Kent Bazemore.Myers signed the long, athletic Bazemore out of the summer league because he fancied the undrafted guards defensive skills and his unbridled energy. Bazemore showed flashes of his potential in the very limited time he received with the Warriors. He eventually was traded for veteran Steve Blake when the club needed an experienced backup guard, but Bazemore has subsequently established himself as an NBA starter and double-figure scorer in Atlanta. Sometimes you cant keep all of your finds.

Honorable mentions:Jack, Matt Barnes, Brandon Rush (second time around), James Michael McAdoo, Landry, Justin Holiday, Anderson Varejao.

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Bob Myers' best moves as Warriors GM? Ranking the top 10 - The Mercury News