Which Bay Area GM faces more pressure: Lynch of the 49ers or Dunleavy of the Dubs? originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
A window of opportunity can close quickly, sometimes faster than an outstretched arm can stop your descent. The weight of greatness, singular or collective, is a fraught opportunity whose power lies in the beholder.
Therein lies the difference between the 49ers and the Warriors right now.
Which general manager is under more pressure: John Lynch of the 49ers or Mike Dunleavy Jr. of the Warriors? Any of these can make a strong case for your team, but there is a right answer because of one final factor.
“I think a lot has fallen on Steph [Curry’s] shoulders,” Dunleavy said at his end-of-season press conference less than two weeks ago.
The 49ers have felt the Lombardi Trophy on the tip of their tongue for the past few years, still waiting to truly taste all the NFL glory. The Warriors won their most recent NBA championship two years ago – their fourth in eight seasons, and the one in which they did so three years after the departure of a superstar (Kevin Durant) who also ran the clock against a local star (Klay Thompson). missing two consecutive seasons due to injuries – won by the same coach (Steve Kerr) and the same original Big Three (Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green) who led a series of five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals, with three titles coming home.
San Francisco returned as home to the Warriors just over four years ago, but it has seen more parades and ring ceremonies for Dub Nation than for 49ers Faithful in a span that now spans nearly two decades. For Dunleavy, for Lynch, for the Warriors, for the 49ers, for today and for the here and now, these celebrations are not the reason why Dunleavy is under more pressure than Lynch this offseason.
It’s Curry, even though it’s an organization’s dream to have a superstar. As it is currently constructed, the 49ers have more collective talent than the Warriors. They don’t have Curry’s singular greatness and the responsibility that comes with his remaining years wearing a Warriors jersey.
All seven of the 49ers’ All-Pro selections are back after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime of Super Bowl LVIII in February. Most of their best players are still in their prime and were fortunate to find franchise quarterback Brock Purdy with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, a year after a historic draft failure at the same position when the 49ers traded for Trey Lance. The biggest challenge Lynch faced this offseason was deciding whether to trade one of his two-star receivers, Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuelan idea Lynch said Friday he “has not considered.”
Instead, his response was to strengthen now while preparing for the future. The 49ers I got a receiver (Ricky Pearsall) in the first and fourth rounds (Jacob Cowing). Their three new skill position players on offense are a direct correlation to what happened in the Super Bowl, adding the fastest running back at the combine, Isaac Guerendo and his 4.33 40-yard dash, and two receivers who ran 4. 41 and 4.38, respectively.
Dunleavy now has to decide if it’s time to dismantle the best backcourt in basketball history and move forward with Klay Thompson, or if the two sides can reach an agreement that makes sense for both in free agency. Dealing with a Big Three decision last offseason, his first as GM, Dunleavy brought Green back with a four-year, $100 million contract that made Curry a happy man. He also showed his willingness to stir the pot for any chance to make the Warriors better when he traded Jordan Poole for Chris Paul on the morning of his first draft, sitting at the head of the table.
Lynch and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan have had their fair share of draft mistakes and roster decisions. The pain of second place on the biggest stage undoubtedly causes sleepless nights and an endless list of what-ifs.
And it’s not like Dunleavy was responsible for drafting James Wiseman or many other mistakes. He can’t even be seen as the orchestrator of the Warrior dynasty. He knows exactly what he signed up to replace his predecessor Bob Myers. All challenges included.
“It’s a huge burden on him,” Dunleavy said of Curry. “We need to find a way to help him with this.”
The Warriors were once light years ahead because baby-faced Steph Curry was the basketball revolution. Countless attempts have failed to create a clone. Duty follows dealing with greatness.
It’s easy to say the game is past the Warriors when watching the NBA playoffs. The only guarantee of what comes next is the remaining two years on Curry’s contract, in line with the two-year contract extension Kerr received during the season. Dunleavy holds the keys to where the Warriors will go, compensating him if the waning path is more of a burden than a powerful opportunity.
