Speaking on Warriors Pregame Live with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Bonta Hill, Chris Mullin, and Zena Keita, Dunleavy acknowledged the difficulty in striking the right balance between letting players play and maintaining order on the court.

“I think it’s an interesting dichotomy,” Dunleavy said. “Clearly, in the regular season, the league, the fans—everybody—wants this open, free-flowing type of play, lots of points, all those things. But then, when you flip the page to the postseason, everyone expects physicality, grind-it-out possessions. Whether it’s the players, fans, or coaches, that’s the expectation.”

He continued: “So we put the referees in a tough spot. Suddenly it’s the playoffs, and players want whistles, but also freedom to play through contact. It’s not easy for officials. There’s been a lot of discussion about it—and rightfully so. Playoff basketball is the best, and we’ve got to let it play out, but we also need to find a balance.”

Kerr not concerned with the whistles

While officiating has been a hot-button topic across the league, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has taken a more measured approach. The veteran coach, who’s experienced countless NBA playoff battles, made it clear he isn’t dwelling on calls.

“I thought the [Draymond Green foul] we challenged was a charge,” Kerr said Sunday via Zoom. “Those are always subjective calls. You live with them. I didn’t like his sixth foul, but it doesn’t matter. Sometimes the calls go your way, sometimes they don’t. I haven’t given it a second thought.” Kerr praised the referees’ overall performance, adding: “I thought the officials did a really good job [Saturday]. We just have to play a little better.”

Dunleavy reflects on a different era

Dunleavy, a former NBA player himself, understands how difficult it can be for players like Green to adapt to changing interpretations of physicality. He pointed out that today’s game is far removed from the era his father, Mike Dunleavy Sr.—a former NBA guard and 1999 Coach of the Year—played in.

Sitting alongside Chris Mullin, Dunleavy joked about how drastically the game has evolved. “Put it like this,” he said with a laugh, “Draymond Green would have zero technical fouls in [my father’s] era.”

One of the key adjustments will be an increased emphasis on 3-point shooting. In three preseason games, the Warriors have already showcased this new strategy by attempting 48, 52, and 34 shots from beyond the arc in preseason games.

During an NBC Sports Bay Area broadcast following a victory over the Sacramento Kings, Dunleavy explained that the offensive focus will shift to getting more 3-pointers from across the roster. “There’s going to be nights where [3-pointers fall], and we hope there are more nights where they do than they don’t,” Dunleavy said.

“And as I said, last time I checked, the threes count more than the twos, so the more of those we can get up, especially with the shooters we have, we want to do [that],” Dunleavy continued. “With Klay departing, the last few years were all about getting Klay and Steph [Curry] the ball, and rightfully so.”

“But now, with Klay gone and only Steph there, we’re looking for everyone to step up. We’ve got a lot of guys who can take those shots. As long as they’re good, in rhythm, and created the right way, we want to take them,” he added.

Steve Kerr sees Wiggins to fill Thompson void

While losing a franchise cornerstone like Thompson is a blow, head coach Steve Kerr has full confidence in Andrew Wiggins to step up in his absence.

Kerr made it clear that he expects Wiggins to increase his 3-point shooting and overall offensive production. “I’ve already told him: six 3-pointers a game,” Kerr shared with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke. “He’s a really good 3-point shooter. His numbers dipped a little last year, but since he’s been here, it’s been 39, 40 percent.”

In addition to the long-range shooting, Kerr wants Wiggins to stay aggressive in attacking the rim. “I want a lot of 3s, and I want a lot of attacks to the rim,” he added. “He shot over 80 percent from the foul line in the second half of last season. He looks really comfortable in every aspect of the game.”

Kerr also highlighted the importance of Wiggins becoming the team’s second-leading scorer behind Stephen Curry. “With Klay gone, we need him to step up and be our second scorer after Steph, and we know he’s perfectly capable of that,” Kerr said.

Shortly after being promoted to general manager, he pulled off a blockbuster trade that sent Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards for veteran guard Chris Paul. On top of that, Dunleavy got Draymond Green tied to a long-term extension.

Besides, the Dubs rotation will also have new faces next season, including Dario Saric. Dunleavy knows there are still many things to take care of, but he already set his next priorities.

Mike Dunleavy says next priorities are extensions for Steve Kerr and Klay Thompson

“Those are guys we definitely want to get locked up moving forward,” Dunleavy said of Steve Kerr and Klay Thompson on the Dubs Talk podcast. “Been a big part of what we’ve done here and I think they can still contribute, especially Klay on the court. Steve, one of the best, if not the best coach in the league.

“So, high priority level in terms of getting those guys done. We’ll see. Obviously, there’s always a financial component and (do) guys want to be here and all that. We greatly value them and hope we can work things out. We have had good conversations and I think we’ll continue to do that. Optimistic that we can work things out with both those guys.”

Both have played a pivotal role in their success this century, so it makes sense the team has their contract situation in mind. Unless something strange happens, this shouldn’t be a problem for the Warriors.

The young guard didn’t come from a great performance in the playoffs, but his departure still made a lot of noise. Not long ago, Poole was seen as the possible face of the franchise the day Stephen Curry was no longer in the Bay.

Besides, no one expected he would leave for Paul, a veteran guard who had been on the opposite side of the Dubs for years. However, it looks like Dunleavy was pretty sure about this move from the very beginning.

Mike Dunleavy says trading Jordan Poole was an easy move

“Honestly, in a lot of ways, it was an easy move because I felt it would make our team better, and it gave us a decent amount of flexibility going forward, so to me it wasn’t that tough,” Dunleavy told Monte Poole and Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “…To have an opportunity to address some needs and clear up some financial relief, for me, honestly, didn’t lose much sleep over that one.”

Dunleavy mentioned the financial reason for this trade from the first moment he faced questions about it. But the fact they could get Paul in return also explains this deal, since it could help the Warriors get back to glory days as soon as possible.

To begin with, longtime general manager Bob Myers left after 12 memorable years, and Mike Dunleavy Jr. immediately made big calls after being promoted, including the Chris Paul trade.

But the Dubs also lost many rotational players, something that forced them to make a few additions in the free agency. In fact, the new GM suggested the Warriors haven’t retired from the market yet.

Mike Dunleavy says Warriors could land another big man

“If there’s like five open spots, and we fill three or four of them, yeah, I think we’re going to add somebody with some size,” Dunleavy said, via Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “We gotta be careful with the way we play… just bringing in somebody who is tall, you gotta be skilled. You gotta have feel, you gotta know how to play.”

The Warriors are clearly not making signings just to fill spots. They want to make sure those who don their uniform meet the team’s standards, which make sense since they have to surround Curry the best way they can.

Steph continued to carry the team as much as he could, but it wasn’t enough to get far. The Dubs were eliminated by LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Conference semifinals, so now it’s time to plan how to bounce back.

The 2023-24 season won’t start until October, but they cannot waste their time. That’s why the Warriors have already made their first significant move by announcing who will replace GM Bob Myers.

Warriors promote Mike Dunleavy Jr. to GM

The Golden State Warriors have promoted Mike Dunleavy Jr. to general manager, a position that Myers successfully occupied for 11 seasons. This is a necessary move to help Curry get the team back to glory days.

It’s safe to say Dunleavy Jr. was preparing to get this job at some point, having served as Vice President of Basketball Operations for the last two seasons. Previously, he also worked as Assistant General Manager.

He will have big decisions to make, with the future of Draymond Green in the Bay area an intriguing topic within the organization.