Jerry West, Mr. West, The Logo, if you don’t know him he is the NBA logo. One of the NBA’s first ever superstars, he led the Los Angeles Lakers to multiple championships, whether it was through playing, or coaching or being a General Manager. He then moved on to work for the Memphis Grizzlies, retired, and came back to work with the championship Golden State Warriors. He has experience in the front office people can only dream of. He’s a legend in all facets of basketball. Despite his tenure with the Lakers, he claims the Warriors is the best front office he’s been a part of, but in terms of health:
“People are allowed to express their own opinions. And at the end of the day, (Warriors GM) Bob Myers is going to make the decisions. I think (co-owner) Joe Lacob is kept aware and informed of everything going on, but everyone is allowed to express their opinions. Nobody takes themselves too seriously. Once you start doing that, that’s when dissenting voices become a problem.
“This is the most healthy environment I’ve been involved with since I’ve been in the NBA.”
That is the highest of praise — and a bit of a dig at the Lakers. West had a lot of success in the big chair for the Lakers, but it was a very different style, and right now the Lakers front office doesn’t seem healthy at all.
He mentioned other things about the Warriors as well, according to ProBasketballTalk:
– He says the Spurs, Thunder, Clippers and Rockets are all threats to come out of the Western Conference. The Spurs are everybody’s hot pick after their summer landing LaMarcus Aldridge, but West noted, “We’re younger than they are, and our players can get better individually.”
– On small ball: “We have a lot of very talented players, we’re long and lanky. Size sometimes can be a detriment because a lot of people don’t want to run up and down the court. We were the best offensive team, the best defensive team, and we played our small ball a lot… We create a lot of our shots with the defense focused on Curry and Thompson, our other shooters get a little more time to shoot the ball.”
– He thinks Thompson can make the All-NBA teams if he improves his footwork and finishes better at the rim next season.
– As for just drafted Kevon Looney, West likes his instincts and hoops IQ a lot. He says Looney needs to get stronger, and he may need surgery on hip. But in a few years he could play a nice role on the Warriors.
West has always been competitive and pretty opinionated. He likes to talk. Stir up a conversation. What I don’t get is that he made the dynasties that had Magic Johnson, Worthy and Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. He brought Phil Jackson to Los Angeles. Yet he says one Warriors championship was the healthiest? They do run a nice system and front office wise it seems like everyone loves each other in Golden State, but it’s hard to believe West’s Lakers dynasties are far back.
