How the Golden State Warriors built the best team in the NBA

It was March of 2012. The Golden State Warriors had just traded then franchise player Monta Ellis for an injury-prone former No. 1 overall pick in Andrew Bogut.

Things were changing in Oakland. The disastrous ownership tenure of Chris Cohan had come to an end. Replacing him was a power duo in the form of former Boston Celtics minority owner Joe Lacob and Hollywood movie titan Peter Guber.

Still, fans in Northern California had every right to be skeptical. This was a franchise that had become a laughingstock around the NBA years before. And despite a run to the playoffs under the guise of "We Believe" in 2007, success was few and far between for the long downtrodden franchise.

So when Lacob took to mid court during Chris Mullin's jersey retirement ceremony mere days after the Ellis trade, he had to expect a somewhat negative response.

What followed was a fierce compilation of boos — maybe a way for Warriors fans to tell the new ownership group that they wouldn't accept mediocrity any longer.

Lacob paused for a brief moment while the resounding chorus of negativity was spewed his way. Then, addressing the very same fan base that had cheered him on for over a decade, Mullin came to the new owner's defense.

In what was another dark time in Warriors history, something changed in that brief moment. It wasn't that Mullin had to save the new owner from embarrassment. It wasn't even that the Ellis trade was all that bad. After all, the new brass in Oakland wanted to center the team around an injury-plagued potential star in Stephen Curry.

Instead, it was all about Lacob's knowledge that the fans weren't wrong. After all, he had been a season-ticket holder for the Warriors. He knew the struggles of the franchise.

It was about an understanding that the fans had dealt with a disastrous on-court product for far too long. It was about his understanding that said product was created by a front office hierarchy that had absolutely no level of success on the broader NBA stage:

“When we first bought the team obviously things were a lot different. It was a turn-around in many regards and it needed a face; the team did," Lacob said in remembering that night. "So that was my job whether I liked it or not or whether I wanted it or not, to somewhat be the face of the franchise."

So how did the Warriors go from an All-Star choking his coach to another All-Star taking a back seat for the betterment of the team?

How did they go from running out starting point guards named Bimbo, Mookie, Speedy and Mugsy to having potentially the best player on the planet run the offense?

How did they go from selecting Todd Fuller directly ahead of Kobe Bryant to being the team that stole a potential Hall of Famer from other downtrodden franchises?

How did they go from an organization that was laughed at by the entire league to one that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently called a model franchise?

The story is long. The success wasn't immediate. And in reality, it has a lot more to do with what happened behind the scenes than the existence of Stephen, Klay, Draymond and Andre.

The front office

Behind the scenes in Oakland in May of 2011, the new ownership group — on the job for less than half a calendar year — sought to make some dramatic changes within the front office hierarchy.

In this, Golden State shocked the NBA world by bringing on former Los Angeles Lakers great and the architect of the team's dynasty of the 2000's, Jerry West, in a role as an executive board member.

At the time of the hire, some around the basketball world summed this up as nothing more than the brass bringing on the literal face of the NBA (West is the Association's logo) as a figurehead with very little power.

What even key NBA insiders didn't know was that West would take on a larger role in Oakland than anyone first imagined. More than acting as just a figurehead within the hierarchy, the idea here would be to seek out an opinion from the Hall of Famer and one of the most respect men around the Association.

Hired as the team's assistant general manager one month before it brought on West, former player agent Bob Myers also represented a change of direction within the front office. Instead of relying on so-called basketball minds, the Warriors wanted fresh opinions from someone that had been on the other end of the negotiating table.

When Myers — last year's NBA Executive of the Year — was brought on in a role under then general manager Larry Riley, it was with the understanding that he would eventually take over the job from Riley himself.

After only 12 months, Myers was promoted to general manager.

In his first draft ahead of Golden State's decision-making hierarchy, Myers pulled off one of the greatest drafts in recent NBA history.

In addition to adding former North Carolina star Harrison Barnes in the top 10, he picked up a big-bodied Festus Ezeli with the final pick of the initial round and then nabbed Draymond Green near the top of the second round. We will address this draft below.

Making a strong imprint within the organization one year after playing the role of an agent, Myers is one of the key figures that led to the Warriors' turnaround.

West and Myers might be the names best attributed to Golden State's turnaround from a management standpoint, but it was team-building from top to bottom that helped formulate the best organization in pro basketball.

The hiring of former NBA executive and Phoenix Suns president Rick Welts as president and CEO in September of 2011 was a coup. Welts' experience within the league office, primarily as its executive vice president and chief marketing officer, gave him a completely different outlook on the operations of a business.

Interestingly, Welts also represents a level of inclusion we haven't seen around the professional sports world over the years. He came out as gay months before the Warriors hired him — making him the first openly gay front office head in the sports world.

Further behind the scenes, Golden State was also continuing the process of building a new arena in San Francisco — its first Bay Area home after moving from Philadelphia some 54 years ago.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that this project has passed through all barriers with the stadium expected to be erected in time for the 2017-18 season. After all, Stephen Collins was brought on to be the team's COO in charge of the arena project.

Collins' previous experience includes overseeing Madison Square Garden, the Radio City Music Hall, the Los Angeles Forum and New York City's Beacon Theater.

With the player personnel, marketing and facility aspects of the organization now set, it was time for the Warriors to get down to brass tax to improve the product on the court.

The stars

Before the Warriors went from laughingstock to what we see today, the old regime made one major move to change the future of the franchise.

In need of a point guard after Monta Ellis struggled in that role during a 29-win 2008-09 season, the Warriors were flush with options heading into the 2009 draft.

Picking seventh overall, the likes of Ricky Rubio, Jonny Flynn, Brandon Jennings, Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson and Stephen Curry were seen as likely first-round picks at that position.

When Rubio and Flynn went off the board — both eventually to the Minnesota Timberwolves — the Warriors had a decision to make.

Would they pick up a player in Curry that was relegated to playing small-school college basketball in North Carolina after every ACC team passed on him during the recruitment process? If so, could Curry's small frame hold up in the NBA?

Jennings, who had received a ton of fanfare while playing in Italy the previous season, seemed to be the sexier pick.

In fact, here's one scouting report on Curry leading up to the 2009 draft:

"Stephen's explosiveness and athleticism are below standard. He needs to considerably improve as a ball-handler," it continues. "He will have limited success at the next level. Do not rely on him to run your team." 

No one could possibly foresee Curry's ascension from underdog to league MVP, but there was a sense that he simply didn't have what it took to be successful at the highest level.

Heck, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski passed up on giving him a scholarship while providing one for his brother, Seth Curry, who is currently a deep bench option for the Sacramento Kings.

Following an injury-plagued stretch of action in his first three NBA seasons, Curry took off as the face of the franchise during the 2012-13 campaign — a season that saw him average 22.9 points while shooting 45 percent from the field. The rest is, well, history.

Months before Curry's breakout season, the Warriors new ownership group drew the ire of a long downtrodden fan base by sending franchise cornerstone Monta Ellis, former lottery pick Ekpe Udoh and veteran center Kwame Brown to the Milwaukee Bucks for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson.

This came with the Warriors boasting a 17-21 record and still alive in the playoff race during the lockout-shortened season. It also came with the firm understanding that an injury-plagued Bogut would miss the remainder of the year with a fractured ankle.

This brings us full circle. Remember Lacob getting booed in March of 2012? Well, the Ellis-for-Bogut trade is what led to that ugly scene at Oracle Arena.

Knowing full well that the playoffs might have already been a pipe dream, the Warriors brass gave up the false belief of contention by adding a potential defensive cornerstone for the future.

Golden State would end up losing 22 of its final 28 games, leading to further questions regarding the direction of the franchise.

It was the following offseason that things would change for good in Oakland.

While the addition of David Lee a few years earlier in a sign-and-trade with the New York Knicks provided the team with its first major free agent signing in recent history, the organization knew full well that building a championship squad would come via the draft.

Having already focused on the well-known story of Curry, the other Splash Brother's ascension to an NBA All-Star hasn't quite received the attention it deserves.

Thompson, having started 29 games as a rookie while putting up 12.5 points per game, was a true question mark. If he could turn into a No. 2 scoring option behind Curry, the Warriors would be in a good position.

Interestingly, this didn't stop trade speculation from swirling around Thompson — something that would continue all the way up to Golden State's championship campaign a season ago.

With Thompson still firmly in the mix, he and Curry would become the face of the franchise. It was then, as mentioned above, time to add those role players.

Myers, who has consistently stated the team's decision to pass up on more-talented players for those who fit the system better, added former North Carolina forward Harrison Barnes with the seventh pick in the 2012 draft.

Barnes wasn't seen as a sexy pick, especially with a big man in Andre Drummond still available. Many criticized the selection when it was made.

What those skeptics could not have known what just how well Barnes would fit into the system, and how much he would rely on Jerry West himself to up his game.

After struggling through an inconsistent first two seasons, Barnes would seek out the help of West in his Los Angeles compound during the summer of 2014:

"It was crazy," Barnes told USA Today back in May. "To be able to not only spend time with him (West) on the court, but off the court as well, to see how he saw the game, how I need to see the game, the things that he saw in my game. He actually took the court and practiced on certain things."

From there, something clicked for Barnes. Gaining the starting job prior to last season, the former lottery pick shot 48 percent from the field, including 41 percent from three-point range. Those numbers were up from 40 and 35 percent respectively the previous season.

For second-round pick Draymond Green, the road to the NBA wasn't quite as paved in stone. He was not highly sought after out of high school and didn't catch the attention of scouts leading up to the 2012 draft.

Instead, Green relied on his basketball smarts and all-out mentality on the court to make his way after finding himself sandwiched between Jae Crowder and Orlando Johnson at the top of the second round.

Green played a minimal role during Golden State's surprising playoff run in 2012-13. He averaged just 2.9 points while playing just 13.4 minutes per game.

It was, however, the following season that saw Green perform at a higher clip with more playing time. Still, Green found himself as nothing more than a decent bench option. He recorded an average of 6.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

At that point, no one could see the stardom that was to come for Green. Working his tail off to become a more well-round player, Green responded by forcing the Warriors to put him into the lineup during the 2014-15 campaign.

And while a lot of that decision was based on a preseason injury to David Lee, Green never looked back. He averaged 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists en route to a solid campaign. Heck, Green finished second to Kawhi Leonard in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Saving his best for last, Green went head-to-head with a game Cleveland Cavaliers team in Game 6 of the 2015 NBA Finals this past June. He responded by putting up a rare triple-double in a series-clinching win.

Now, this season, Green's game has taken off even more. As the first Warriors player to record back-to-back triple doubles since Wilt Chamberlain, this high-intensity and undersized power forward has likely found himself as a lock for the All-Star team.

He's averaging 14.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game — numbers that make him one of the best all-around players in the game.

More than any of this, Green's game acts as a catalyst for the Warriors on both ends of the court. He's among the best big men in the game in terms of leading the fast break and can play point forward.

On the defensive end, Green can guard everyone from the point guard to the center. In reality, he is like Dennis Rodman with the ability to actually score points.

The role players

Long before Andre Iguodala locked horns with LeBron James in the NBA Finals, he was at a turning point in his career. Following an upset loss to the Warriors in the 2013 NBA playoffs, the then Denver Nuggets forward was set to hit the free-agent market.

As one of the most-dynamic all-around wings in the game, interest in his services was widespread. In running through his options, Iggy kept on going back to that first-round playoff series against Golden State and the atmosphere he witnessed first-hand at Oracle Arena in Oakland:

"I guess it was good to play here in the playoffs, the 2015 Finals MVP said after signing in 2013. "Cause I kind of got a feel for the fans, and how ecstatic they are and how much support they give their team."  

Not only was this an important move for Iguodala, it represented a changing of the guard as it relates to basketball out west.

The Warriors had never been an attractive destination. Be it bad ownership or a lack of success on the court, the team had to sell itself to the most mediocre of free agents to take what were considered over-the-top deals. Remember Corey Maggette?

Instead, Iggy courted the Warriors. He directed his agent to get something done. It was him that sold the team, not the other way around.

As Myers indicated following the sign-and-trade with Denver, Iggy was seen as the missing piece. A high IQ players with an ability to run the point from the forward position. In this, the Warriors would have to elite-level ball handlers in the frontcourt with Iggy and Green.

There were, however, two smaller moves Golden State made prior to its championship run a season ago that helped the team get over the top.

With no real money to spend in the free agent market in the summer of 2014, Golden State decided to take a chance on a player in Shaun Livingston who had long been off the NBA radar.

A lottery pick of the Los Angeles Clippers a decade before, Livingston was several years removed from a knee injury that almost cost him his NBA career. The injury — a torn ACL, PCL and lateral meniscus in his left knee as well as a dislocation of the kneecap — almost cost Livingston his leg.

Working his way back into the mix, Livingston would end up splitting time between six teams over the next five seasons, never really showing the same dynamic that he had prior to the devastating injury.

Signing with the Brooklyn Nets prior to the 2013-14 season, Livingston found a way to change his style of play to fit the lack of athleticism that came from the previous injury. Playing more in a post-up role with an elite-level mid-range game, he put up an average of 8.3 points while shooting 48 percent from the field.

That was good enough for the Warriors to take a chance on him on a multi-year deal. Livingston responded by being that two-way guard the Warriors needed to come off the bench. At 6-foot-7, he represented a tremendous mismatch for smaller point guards, showing the ability to shoot over them on a consistent basis.

Livingston would play point guard with Stephen Curry moving over to the two. He'd play the two with Curry at the point. Heck, he would end up playing small forward in a small-ball lineup. It was this type of multi-dimensional game that Golden State was missing during a 2013-14 season that saw it lose to Livingston's former team, the Clippers, in the first round.

The addition of Leandro Barbosa prior to last season didn't catch the attention on the NBA world. After all, the then 32-year-old guard was three years removed from being an impact player in the Association.

However, the Warriors took a chance on him. A chance that would end up paying off. Playing more like the Brazilian Blur we saw during his days with the Phoenix Suns last decade, Barbosa brought an extra level of energy to the second unit.

Limited in playing time (14.9 minutes per game), Barbosa shot 47 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range.

It's all about bringing the right pieces together. Golden State didn't make many splashy moves on the open market. Instead, the team found players that fit in with the core and made the point of signing them.

In this, a complete team was formed by GM Bob Myers and Co. — a mentality he had formed even prior to taking over the general manager role.

The coaching

Prior to a surprising 47-win 2012-13 campaign under then head coach Mark Jackson, the Warriors had put up a winning record just twice over the past 19 yards.

No matter how bad the split was between Golden State and Jackson, the franchise continues to acknowledge that he played a major role in the turnaround of the franchise.

More than anything, it was about a change of culture within the locker room.

With a ton of talented players, the mentality had to change from one that represented the long downtrodden franchise to a new day with a new coaching staff and a new front office structure. Jackson brought that and more.

It wasn't until an early-round exit at the hands of the division-rival Los Angeles Clippers after the team's first 50-win season in 20 years that we started to realize the real divide between Jackson and the front office.

The story has not been fully told, but there are rumors of discord between the ownership group and Jackson — potentially even a divide between Jackson's religious beliefs and the Warriors openly gay president.

We probably won't ever know the whole story. What we do know is that Golden State's brass made the decision to cut ties with Jackson after the team's most successful regular season in two decades. It wasn't an easy decision. It was also met with criticism from the media. But it's a decision the team needed to make.

Pulling off the miraculous — stealing hot head coaching candidate Steve Kerr from the bright lights of New York City — the risky decision to fire Jackson paid off big time.

While Kerr had no coaching experience, he was being courted by some of the top organizations in basketball.

His time as a NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs surely came into play here, as did his tenure as the Phoenix Suns general manager years before.

Knowing full well he lacked the experience manning the bench, Kerr sought out the help of two veteran coaches, first bringing in Alvin Gentry as his top assistant, and then adding the venerable Ron Adams to be the team's "defensive coordinator."

Gentry had coached under Kerr in Phoenix and was responsible for some of the highest-scoring teams in the modern era. Adams, a stalwart of the NBA coaching ranks for years, had previously helped turn Boston into one of the top defensive teams in the Association.

With experience, Kerr then sought out to find young coaches that could act as a go-between with the players. In this, Luke Walton and Jarron Collins, both in their mid 30's, were brought in.

So, you had the experience on both ends of the court and two young coaches that could interact better with the players.

It just made too much sense.

This all culminated in a 67-win campaign and the team's first NBA title in 40 years.

Now considered the best team in the Association with a organization that also sits atop the basketball world, the Warriors appear to be in the midst of what could be a great dynasty.

It wasn't one move. It wasn't the easy move. And in reality, it wasn't all about the players the Warriors brought in. Instead, it was about a change of culture within the organization — an understanding that things needed to change.

That started from the top down and came to a forefront when Lacob was booed by the very same fan base that looked on in admiration as the Warriors celebrated their championship this past summer.

With Lacob and Guber heading the charge, Golden State has now become NBA's model franchise for this new era, one that has it right up there with the San Antonio Spurs as the summit for other organizations to strive for.

Check out Vincent’s other work on eDraft.com and follow him on Twitter. His work can also be seen on MSN, Fox Sports and Forbes.