DAVIS MODEL UNITED NATIONS. Golden State Warriors Executives Crisis Committee

Transcription

1 DAVIS MODEL UNITED NATIONS Golden State Warriors Executives Crisis Committee

2 Letter from the Head Chair Esteemed Delegates, Welcome to Davis Model United Nations Conference (DMUNC) XVI! My name is Oriel Gomez and I have the pleasure of serving as your Head Chair for the Golden State Warriors crisis committee. Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, I am a fifth-year Political Science: Public Service and a Chicano/a Studies double major. This will be my fifth year participating in Model United Nations, having served both my time in crisis, as well as GA committees as a delegate, crisis staff, and as a head chair. In my free time I like to catch up on the many TV shows that I have accumulated in my Netflix queue and play tennis. I can t wait to have a weekend filled with stimulating and fruitful debate. Critical understanding of the topic guide and your character will be critical to having a fruitful committee experience. I can t wait to see what plans you have to contribute over the weekend, I m sure you can t wait either. Crisis committees are fast paced and spontaneous in nature, so be prepared to adapt to all of the crisis updates our crisis directors have prepared for you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Best of luck delegates, and I look forward to our Golden State Warriors Committee at DMUNC! Sincerely, Oriel Gomez Head Chair, The Golden State Warriors Executives Crisis Committee, DMUNC XVI dmunc.gsw@davismun.org 1

3 Letter from the Crisis Director Esteemed Delegates, Welcome to the 2018 Davis Model United Conference (DMUNC)! I have the pleasure to introduce you to the Golden State Warriors Executives Crisis Committee. My name is Aamir Shaikh, and I am honored to be your crisis director for the Golden State Warriors Executives Crisis Committee. I am excited to be CDing a committee that is very close to my heart, regarding a sport that I have been watching and following since I was very young. I look forward to the high level of debate this committee will bring, along with seeing the passion of diehard NBA fans. The fast pace of this committee will make the committee exciting and fun, and I look forward to seeing you all there! A brief background about myself, I am a senior studying Economics and Finance. I was born and raised here in San Francisco, and have been a lifelong Warriors Fan. From the days of Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy, I ve longed to see a competitive Dubs team, and the success of the team today is far beyond my wildest imagination Yet, there was a time not too long ago, when the future looked bleak, and the Warriors seemed destined for decades and decades of failure. In this committee, we go back to that time, and you as delegates have the opportunity to relive those crucial decisions. In this committee, I hope to explore the fundamental beliefs in how a championship team should be built, and how to truly build a team from the ground up. My hope is that this Background Guide gives all delegates the relevant information needed to make informed basketball decisions, regardless of prior knowledge. This committee should be interesting and fun, and I look forward to seeing you all debate and discuss the issues! Sincerely, Aamir Shaikh Crisis Director, The Golden State Warriors Executives Crisis Committee, DMUNC XVI dmunc.gsw@davismun.org 2

4 Historical Background In 1946, the Philadelphia Warriors were founded as a charter member of the Basketball Association of America(BAA), later changed to the National Basketball Association(NBA). The BAA was founded largely by owners of hockey arenas, and was different from failed basketball leagues, in that the charter members were largely based in big metropolitan cities. Led by dynamic scoring sensation Joe Fulks, the Philadelphia Warriors won the inaugural BAA championship in the season. As the league began to grow in the 1950s, the Warriors held a reputation as a high scoring team with high volume scorers. Led by future Hall of Famers Paul Arizin and Neil Johnston, the Warriors featured the league s scoring champion in 5 of 6 seasons from 1952 to 1957, and won their second championship in The Warriors reputation as a premier team was reinforced by their acquisition of a young Wilt Chamberlain. In its infancy, basketball was a primal sport. Even the league s leading scorers often had shooting percentages south of 30%, and this is prior to the increase in jumpshots, let alone 3 pointers. Early wunderkinds such as Joe Fulks were quickly run out of the league by more athletic and talented players. As basketball gained popularity, the talent pool increased, introducing athletes with supernatural talents. One of these talents was Wilt Chamberlain. Standing at 7 1 with long arms and the mobility of a gazelle, Chamberlain revolutionized basketball, bringing an interior centric philosophy to basketball, which would influence the way the game would be played for the next half century. One of the things this committee will have to take into consideration, is the evolution of basketball currently, and how the game will continue to evolve going forward. In 1962, the Warriors were purchased by Franklin Mieuli, a Bay Area businessman who moved the team to San Francisco. Despite being called the San Francisco Warriors, the team played a majority of their home games in Daly City, and even played home games in Oakland and San Jose. The San Francisco Warriors would later move to Oakland and become the Golden State Warriors. Today, the team wrestles with whether to stay at Oracle Arena in Oakland, or move elsewhere in the Bay Area. For the purposes of this committee, we will assume that at this point, no determinations regarding a new arena or potential move have taken place. It will be up to this body to decide what is best for the future of the franchise, whether it be moving the team back to San Francisco, the suburbs of the Bay Area, or staying in Oakland. Please prepare detailed proposals resembling real life bids. 3

5 The Warriors appeared in two Finals during the 60 s, but failed to win either series. Even though they were forced to trade Wilt Chamberlain, they were once again able to acquire another transcendent talent in Rick Barry. Despite the rocky relationship between Barry and team management, the Warriors were once again one of the league s dominant teams in the 1970s, culminating in a championship in Unfortunately, this would be the most recent championship for the Warriors as of this committee, a 37 year championship drought. Following that championship, a series of poor personnel and strategic decisions cost the Warriors opportunities to acquire the great players who entered the league in the late 70 s and early 80 s. Despite a small period of success in the late 80 s and early 90 s, the Warriors have been been largely dormant as an impactful team in the league, having won only 4 playoff series and 18 playoff games since Since 1994, the Warriors have missed the playoffs 16 of the last 17 seasons, and fans see no no end in sight to this futility. As team executives, it s up to you to restore the franchise to the success of its glory days. Current Situation This committee will take place on the morning of March 20th, 2012, the day after Chris Mullins retirement ceremony, where fans booed during what is generally a proud and joyful occasion. The team s record is currently, 18-25, 4.5 games out of the playoffs, and on a 4 game losing streak(there will only be 66 games played this season because of the lockout, the standard is 82). Much of the fans dismay is about both loss of patience, and frustration over the team trading their marquee player, Monta Ellis, the previous week. The player they received in return, Andrew Bogut is currently injured. Their other promising young player, Stephen Curry, is also currently injured, and is dealing with chronic injuries on both of his ankles. The team currently holds the 9th worst record in the league, and loses their draft pick if it doesn t fall in the top 7(Draft order is done through a lottery for the top 3 picks, and then in reverse order of record for the remaining picks). As prominent team executives in this committee, you will be tasked with rebuilding the team, and ultimately try to bring the team its first championship since 1975, However, there are a few dilemmas that this team must first confront, the first being whether the team should be competitive for the rest of the season to placate angry fans, or continue to tank to ensure they keep their first round pick, and work to build towards the future. By trading Monta Ellis the previous week, the team had made its decision to throw in the towel and build for the future, However, amid recent fan anger, the team is facing pressure to be competitive immediately this 4

6 season. A key decision point will be whether to bring back stars Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut back from their injuries, or keep them sidelined, and prevent risk of further injury. This decision embodies much of the current ideological divide in the NBA today, whether to tank several seasons, in hopes of landing superstar talent in the draft, or to field competitive teams, even if they have little chance of truly contending for a championship. Additionally, delegates will have to decide whether to retain current coach Mark Jackson, or bring in a fresh face to change the culture. The following are individuals to research and keep in mind with respect to potential Head Coaches, and potential Assistant Coaches: Steve Kerr Derek Fisher Stan Van Gundy Jeff Van Gundy Phil Jackson Chip England Ron Adams Tom Thibodeau Hubie Brown Player Health Perhaps the biggest unknown for the Warriors is the health of their star player, Stephen Curry. Since entering the league, Curry has proven to be a lethal shooter and playmaker, with clear All-Star potential. Unfortunately, a barrage of ankle injuries has limited him to just 26 games thus far this season. Currently, Curry has been out the past week with another ankle sprain, and team doctors are concerned about his long-term health. In the short term, you will have to decide whether to sit him out the rest of the season, or continue playing him. In the long term, it will be up to the delegates to determine a long-term plan for the maintenance of Steph s ankle injuries. Delegates are encouraged to research potential rehabilitation and strengthening plans, and look into cutting edge technology, to enhance the performance and recovery of all players. Additionally, Andrew Bogut, the Warriors newly acquired star, also has a long injury history, including serious back, arm, and now ankle injuries as well. Having fractured his ankle nearly 2 months ago, Bogut has made a speedy recovery, and is ready to return by the end of March. However, this committee will also have to decide whether to hold him out the rest of the season as well. This committee will also have to decide whether to have Bogut undergo surgery for bone 5

7 spurs and loose particles in his foot, and whether to do so right now, or after the season. Holding out their newest acquisition could further anger fans, which is one of the considerations this committee will have to make. Research to Consider With this in mind, delegates will have several factors to consider: 1. Will continued losing contribute to further disenchantment among fans? 2. Is an outside chance at making the playoffs worth losing out on a top 7 first round pick? 3. Which course of action is best in regards to building a legitimate Championship contending team? 4. Is it worth bringing Steph and Bogut back this season, and risk reinjury? 5. Should the team replace Head Coach Mark Jackson? If so what type of personality should they bring in. Team Building In this committee we hope to move a few years into the future, and see how delegates decisions impact team success. In this committee we hope that all delegates ask themselves the most important question: What is truly the best way to build a championship team? We encourage every delegate to research team building philosophies, and determine what philosophy they believe is best, whether it be tanking for high draft picks, or signing veteran talent, and hoping a 3-4 year window of consistent playoff success results in a breakthrough. Position powers will not include mandates on such matters, as we d like to allow each delegate the freedom to decide their own position on team building. Salary Cap Situation One of the most important aspects of team building in basketball is managing the team s salary cap, and maintaining flexibility. Currently the Warriors have some flexibility, because their best players are on cheap, rookie scale contract. However, the team also has a few veterans on bad contracts on their books as well. One important decision will be whether to package 1st round picks to unload bad contracts for salary relief. A detailed graphic with the team s cap situation is given below. Please study the link below on exceptions that would allow a team to exceed the salary cap. The following are a list of marquee free agents that the Warriors may have the opportunity to sign in the respective off-seasons. We understand that some delegates are not big 6

8 basketball fans, and we will not include any specific players or situations not mentioned in this background guide. Important things to know for each of these respective players are their relative market values, their individual strengths and weaknesses, how they fit in with current Warrior players, their age and durability, and their marketability. Restricted free agents have certain restrictions mainly that their current team can match any offer they recieve. (This graphic will be displayed and updated throughout the committee) 2012: Jeremy Lin (Restricted) Goran Dragic Gerald Wallace Brook Lopez OJ Mayo Carl Landry 7

9 Jarrett Jack Roy Hibbert (Restricted) 2013 Dwight Howard Andrew Bynum Andre Iguodala Al Jefferson Josh Smith 2014 Lebron James Dwyane Wade Carmelo Anthony Trevor Ariza Rudy Gay Shaun Livingston Luol Deng Nick Young Darko Milicic 2015 Kevin Love DeAndre Jordan Goran Dragic Roy Hibbert Paul Milsap Danny Green Marc Gasol Brook Lopez 2016 Kevin Durant Al Horford Mike Conley 8

10 Demar DeRozan Nicolas Batum David West 2017 Serge Ibaka Danilo Gallinari Gordon Hayward Javale McGee Kyle Lowry Blake Griffin Delegates will be presented with trade offers(as a committee, not in personal notes), and presented with opportunities to sign players, and will decide to do so by voting on directives. The date of the committee, team roster, and other relevant information will be displayed in committee, so that delegates can refer to it. Draft Process In this committee we will at times present the delegates with opportunities to draft specific players, and will simulate the picks if it is not relevant to the committee. We encourage delegates to research top draft prospects from Some specific players delegates should research are listed below: Damian Lillard Harrison Barnes Andre Drummond Draymond Green Giannis Antetokounmpo Michael Carter-Williams Rudy Gobert Livio Jean-Charles Nik Stauskas Doug McDermott Bruno Caboclo KJ McDaniels 9

11 Nikola Jokic Bobby Portis Kevon Looney Thon Maker Wade Baldwin Damian Jones Domantas Sabonis Buddy Hield Jaylen Brown Jonathan Isaac Lonzo Ball Kyle Kuzma Ivan Raab Luka Doncic DeAndre Ayton Research to Consider 1. Would the team be better off losing in the short term and earning high draft picks, or using cap space to add proven players and win now? 2. Which Free Agents should the team target, and how much money is the team willing to spend on a respective talent 3.What draft prospects does the team want to target? Are certain star prospects worth tanking for? 4. This summer, Steph Curry will be eligible for a contract extension, should the team agree to sign him to an extension, or wait till the following summer to assess their options? New Arena As previously mentioned, delegates will have to weigh their options, regarding where in the Bay Area to build the new arena. When delegates submit their respective bids for where to build there are a few factors to consider: Private Funding vs Public Funding: Depending on how much ownership is willing to put into a stadium, delegates must decide whether to look into receiving public funding, how the specific details of the process would work, and what public sentiment would be. Amenities: Arena proposal should contain specific details on the type of atmosphere they would like the new structure to convey. Should the arena have an open floor plan, where 10

12 fans can get a glimpse of the court from the outside, or should it be constructed similar to Oracle Arena, with narrow corridors, and an intense game centric environment Corporate Sponsorship: This includes naming rights for the arena, as well as any other companies or entities the team feels that it should align themselves with. Additional Research to Consider We understand that not all delegates are hardcore basketball fans, and that there may be some details that would be impossible for some delegates to know. For the purposes of this committee, we will limit the universe to include only the entities mentioned in this topic guide, and do our best to ensure that all delegates have the opportunity to come into committee with adequate prior knowledge. With that, below is some additional research that will be relevant to the committee; James Harden: Prior to the season, the Oklahoma City traded James Harden, in an effort to save money. It s important that delegates understand Harden s skill level at the time of the committee, his contractual situation, and the reason Oklahoma City traded him. Chris Bosh: In 2015 and 2016, Chris Bosh faced a life threatening illness, that has since forced him to retire from the NBA. For this committee, it is important to understand how the Miami Heat were able to receive insurance on his contract, and ultimately have his salary removed from their salary cap. The intricacies of this situation are complicated, yet very relevant to this committee. Sam Hinkie: For many basketball fans, Sam Hinkie is somewhat of a martyr, who was punished for attempting to give his team the best chance to win. Below, you will find suggested readings on a multitude of topics, among which will be Sam Hinkie s resignation letter. It is very highly encouraged for delegates to read his letter, and all of the other suggested readings Salary Cap rules and extensions: Among the suggested readings will be a link for a comprehensive outline of the NBA salary Cap. Please note that we will be using 2018 Salary Cap rules for the sake of simplicity, with the one exception being that the actually salary cap number will reflect what it was in real life during the respective years. Klay Thompson vs Kevin Love: In 2014, the Warriors Front Office was split on a pivotal decision; should the team trade Klay Thompson for Kevin Love? Delegates should research the fundamentals behind why executives did or didn t advocate for this decision, and be able to apply that logic and philosophy to other decisions 11

13 Characters Mark Jackson- Head Coach Mike Malone- Assistant Coach Darren Erman- Assistant Coach Larry Reilly- General Manager Bob Myers- Assistant GM Travis Schlenk- Assistant GM, Director of Player Personnel Kirk Lacob- Director of Basketball Operations Jerry West- Executive Board Member Rick Welts- Chief Operating Officer Tiffany Williams- Business Operations Manager Vivek Ranadive- Co-Owner and Vice Chairman Peter Guber- Co-Executive Chairman Chris Mullin- Advisor (Former General Manager, Warriors Legend) Davis Kelly- General Counsel and Vice President of Legal Affairs Gary St. Jean- Advisor (Former General Manager) Don Nelson- Advisor (Former Head Coach and General Manager Larry Harris- Basketball Advisor John Walecka- Executive Board Member Bob Piccinini- Executive Board Member Al Attles- Advisor (Former Head Coach, Warriors Legend) Additional Research to Consider oh-for-bogut

14 on-contract-resolution-blood-clot-contract-free-agency 13