Jerry West's departure from the Golden State Warriors for the Los Angeles Clippers won't save the Clippers, either in a perilous free agency beginning July 1 with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and J.J. Redick unrestricted, or beyond should those three return for another run with the club. And West's departure won't sink the Warriors, who likely will have little trouble sustaining their momentum without him. So while this is not a league-altering move, it's not something to brush over. Here's what matters (and does not) regarding West's move.
Warriors are not short on brains
Golden State's talented roster makes anyone look smart. They have arguably the two best shooters in NBA history, and Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green. With Steve Kerr on the sideline, it doesn't take a Mensa membership to run the club.
Beyond that, the Warriors have significant brain power atop the league's best infrastructure. They have a GM who balances careful vs. aggressive in Bob Meyers, a strong analytics and health sciences group, adequately funded resources and an owner who will spend what it takes to be great. Losing West is losing a good voice in the room, but the Warriors' approach to team building has always been collaborative under Joe Lacob and Peter Guber. Even without West, they will not suffer for insight. Building this juggernaut has taught every member of the team a wealth of lessons ... and, again, they have Durant.
West helped generate balance
West wasn't the only voice saying no to a proposed Kevin Love-for-Klay Thompson deal back in 2014, but his was a loud one, according to multiple reports and Mychal Thompson. West served as an old school counter-balance to the new-age Warriors. There are no analytics suggesting what a Love-for-Thompson swap would have meant to the Warriors. But we do know West isn't big on analytics, to the point of him saying he doesn't see them having a lot of success.
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