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Golden State Warriors: GM Bob Myers Named Executive Of The Year

By Phil Watson

November 5, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Clippers 121-104. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 5, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Clippers 121-104. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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A club that won a franchise-record 67 wins and posted the NBA’s best record earned Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers the NBA’s Executive of the Year award on Friday.

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It was a close race, with Myers receiving 13 of the 30 first-place votes cast and 82 points after being named on 20 of the 30 ballots, according to a news release from the NBA.

David Griffin of the Cleveland Cavaliers finished second with 69 points, including eight first-place nods. He was on 23 of the 30 ballots cast.

Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer of the Atlanta Hawks finished third. He is the Hawks’ interim GM while Danny Ferry serves an indefinite suspension after repeating racist comments about Miami Heat forward Luol Deng during a conference call last summer.

Budenholzer got four first place votes. Neil Olshey of the Portland Trail Blazers received two first-place nods, while Danny Ainge of the Boston Celtics, Gar Forman of the Chicago Bulls and Stan Van Gundy of the Detroit Pistons each got one.

In all, 18 of the NBA’s 30 general managers or lead personnel decision makers received votes, including Flip Saunders of the Minnesota Timberwolves, whose team finished with the worst record in the NBA at 16-66, and Sam Hinkie of the Philadelphia 76ers, whose club has gone 37-127 during his two seasons as GM.

Myers is just the second Warriors executive to be honored, joining Dick Vertlieb, who was named exec of the year in 1974-75.

Myers made the decision to part ways with former coach Mark Jackson after last year’s squad was eliminated in seven games by the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs after posting a 51-31 regular-season record.

Steve Kerr, the longtime broadcaster and former general manager of the Phoenix Suns who was on five NBA championship teams during his 15-year playing career, was hired to replace Jackson despite having no coaching experience.

The Warriors responded with the first 60-win season in franchise history—which is saying something as Golden State is one of just three NBA teams that dates back to the inception of the old Basketball Association of America in 1946 along with the Celtics and New York Knicks.

Their previous high-water mark for wins was 59 in 1975-76, the year after the club won its most recent NBA title.

On the court, Myers didn’t make a lot of moves, signing veteran guards Shaun Livingston and Leandro Barbosa as free agents. The club didn’t have any draft picks last summer.

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    • Myers replaced Larry Riley as general manager on April 24, 2012, and brought in Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green and Ognjen Kuzmic in his first draft that summer.

    Barnes started all 82 games for the Warriors and averaged 10.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists and shot 40.5 percent from 3-point range, while Green started 79 games and was a leading contender for both Most Improved Player and Defensive Player of the Year in 2014-15 after averaging 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocked shots per game.

    Myers was also responsible for signing sixth man Andre Iguodala and key frontcourt reserve Marreese Speights in the summer of 2013.

    The Warriors are looking for the franchise’s fourth NBA title to go with the one they captured in 1975 as well as the two won while the team was still in Philadelphia in 1947 and 1956.

    Golden State opens the Western Conference semifinals against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon after sweeping the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round.

    Next: Golden State Warriors: 5 Keys To Second Round Series

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