Kawakami: Warriors say playoff appearance was just the start

[Allen]

Golden State Warriors say playoff appearance was just the start
By Marcus Thompson II
mtho...@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted: 05/20/2013 06:55:12 PM PDT
Updated: 05/20/2013 10:06:26 PM PDT
http://www.insidebayarea.com/warriors/ci_23286289/golden-state-warriors-say-playoff-appearance-was-just


OAKLAND -- General manager Bob Myers personified the comfortable
disposition of the Warriors. Relaxed in his gray suit, no tie, his shirt
suavely unbuttoned, he reclined in a chair and breezed through questions
from the local media.

"We're not in the period of desperation," Myers said Monday. "We have a
core we like and are confident that (it) can win."

This is unfamiliar ground for the Warriors. Usually the franchise is
explaining away another losing season, pinning their hopes on pipe dream
blockbuster trades and free-agent coups and banking on their own young,
flawed players.

But this offseason is different. The Warriors are coming off their best
postseason showing in 36 years. They have a star in Stephen Curry who
appears to be approaching the NBA elite. They have a crew of young
players who look more promising than flawed. And with the prospects of a
healthy Andrew Bogut in the middle, defense is looking more like a
possible calling card than a utopian suggestion.

One of the youngest teams in the playoffs, the Warriors don't need to
look outward to get better.

"We were more than capable," coach Mark Jackson said when asked if his
team was a serious contender. "I don't look at any team and think we
couldn't beat them. I don't think we're far at all. But we've got to
continue to build."

That doesn't mean Myers & Co. will not look to make moves. Co-owner Joe
Lacob once pined for the Warriors to get in the mix with the big names.
They were willing to throw in the kitchen sink in pursuit of Dwight
Howard. They considered trading for Chris Paul without him agreeing to a
contract extension.

But their thirst for relevance was quenched by a first-round upset of
the Nuggets and by pushing the Spurs to six games.

The Warriors don't have a draft pick in June, but will they find a way
to get one?

"It's all about the price," Myers said. "It's a cost-benefit analysis.
What does it cost to get a pick? What does it cost in a player? What
does it cost in whatever trade's proposed? We'll see what comes up."

Are the Warriors looking to make upgrades?

"We have some great pieces," Jackson said. "I have no problem coming
back with the same group."

Now, when the Warriors talk about getting better, it doesn't necessarily
mean getting a franchise savior. It means Curry building on the stardom
he earned in the postseason. It means young players such as rookie
Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson continuing to progress.

It means retaining a free agent or two who have proclaimed their desire
to remain with the Warriors.

None of those are locks. Backup point guard Jarrett Jack is an
unrestricted free agent who might get a tempting offer on the market.
Forward Carl Landry has a player option for next season, and it figures
he would give free agency a chance. He might end up being too expensive
for the Warriors.

Plus, there are other concerns: center Bogut's health, how injured
swingman Brandon Rush will fit in, whether Curry can handle the extra
defensive attention he is sure to get.

"When you're trying to do anything to get over the hump you do sometimes
chase things that may be difficult to acquire," Myers said. "It doesn't
mean we're satisfied, it doesn't mean we think our work is through, but
we can be prudent and patient with opportunities as they come along. ...
We feel that a lot of our players stepped it up in the playoffs and
showed us what they could do. It was good to see on a bigger stage."

[Allen]

Oops - I should have put MT2 instead of Kawakami. I'm so used to typing
"Kawakami" so often it became a reflex action. -AL

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