Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from the 2018 offseason

1. Maybe the Warriors are light years ahead

In a New York Times article published in March of 2016, Warriors owner Joe Lacob was quoted as saying  “We’re light-years ahead of probably every other team in structure, in planning, in how we’re going to go about things.”

That quote was met with some disdain around the league. After all, it came at a time when Kevin Durant had yet to join the team, and the trio of Curry, Thompson and Green each had just one championship to their name. So the team didn’t exactly have the same cache as it does now.

Now, with KD in the Bay Area and two more titles to boot, Golden State has taken another step towards NBA domination with the addition of DeMarcus Cousins.

When the Cousins deal was first reported, many were quick to point out how the Warriors had once again ruined the NBA, even though they did nothing wrong and have done all of their moves within the rules of the league.

Not only has Golden State created a team at the top of its profession, the entire organization has created an ego-less culture, one that’s clearly proven at least slightly desirable for any and all NBA players, including the likes of LeBron James.

Should he prove relatively healthy, Boogie’s value on the court is obvious, but the root of his decision is what’s interesting, tracing back to the opportunities Golden State presents.

Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far

They may have been a couple year early, but after two massive free agent signings in large part due to their culture off the court as much as their play on it, Lacob’s comments may not have been so crazy after all.