The Golden State Warriors formed a dynasty and won four championships with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson leading the way. After last hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2022, though, the team has embraced a two-timeline philosophy in which they've combined building for the future with still trying to remain competitive with their aging stars.
Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out. The team has missed on numerous draft picks, including James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody. Curry and Green aren't as dominant as they once were, either, and even the trade for another veteran star in Jimmy Butler didn't work out because Butler tore his ACL last season.
Mike Gansey, the new president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers, has a different philosophy on how he will navigate age discrepancies on his new roster. Gansey views the roster as being on one timeline, which allows Philadelphia to focus on nothing but winning a championship, and that rubs salt in the wounds of Golden State's recent failures.
“I don't look at it as two timelines,” Gansey said about having Joel Embiid, Paul George, V.J. Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey on the roster. “They're our four guys.” Gansey also said, “Paul and Joel can still play at a high level… We gotta rely on those four and build around them.”
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Gansey realizes that Philadelphia can't compete with the top teams in the Eastern Conference right now, but that allows the new decision-maker to be aggressive in making the win-now moves to get better this offseason.
“It's not a championship caliber team right now, but we're gonna work on that… We're gonna do everything we can to bring players in that can fit, and help.”
The core four in Philadelphia is one of the best in the league. If Gansey can successfully navigate this offseason and bring in some contributors, the 76ers just might be in title contention come next season.
The Golden State Warriors formed a dynasty and won four championships with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson leading the way. After last hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2022, though, the team has embraced a two-timeline philosophy in which they've combined building for the future with still trying to remain competitive with their aging stars.