Los Angeles Clippers consultant Jerry West believes that the Golden State Warriors will continue their domination of the NBA while other teams are playing for second place. In an interview with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, West said the Warriors are so dominant “everyone’s playing for second place right now.” While he accepted a role with the Clippers, West cannot hold back his admiration for the Warriors, saying he’s hoping they win several more titles.
West played a key role in turning the Warriors into the championship team that they are now.
He joined the team in 2011 and helped turn the team into a contender and eventually a championship squad with the acquisition of key players who helped them won two NBA titles in the last three years. Last season, the Warriors went 16-1 in the playoffs en route to a five-game series win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. Before joining the Warriors, West worked as an executive with the Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Western Conference squads made significant upgrades
In an effort to challenge the Warriors’ domination in the West, the Houston Rockets acquired Chris Paul via trade while the Oklahoma City Thunder traded Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to Indiana Pacers for Paul George.
The Minnesota Timberwolves acquired Jimmy Butler from the Chicago Bulls on Draft Day. However, West said despite these significant improvements from other teams, the Warriors are still heavy favorites to win their third crown in four years. Oddsmakers place the Warriors as minus -185 favorite to win the title or a $185 bet would win just $100 if they bet on Golden State.
Clippers to hire Thunder assistant GM
The Clippers are expected to hire Thunder assistant general manager Michael Winger as their new general manager. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the two sides might reach a deal soon. The 37-year-old Winger has spent the last seven years with the Thunder under Sam Presti. If hired, Winger will report directly to Lawrence Frank, who took over from coach Doc Rivers as president of basketball operations.
The Clippers will also hire former Cleveland Cavaliers executive Trent Redden as assistant general manager, according to Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN. The Cavaliers fired Redden alongside general manager David Griffin, who was the architect of Cleveland’s title run two seasons ago.
Meanwhile, the Clippers signed free-agent center Marshall Plumlee to a partially guaranteed deal, according to Wojnarowski. Plumlee went undrafted last year but he was signed by the New York Knicks. He played 21 games for the Knicks, averaging 1.9 points and 2.4 rebounds.
