DAVIS MODEL UNITED NATIONS Golden State Warriors Executives Crisis Committee Davis Model United Nations Conference XVI May 19, 2018 - May 20, 2018 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 [email protected] 1 Davis Model United Nations Conference XVI May 19, 2018 - May 20, 2018 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 [email protected] 2 Davis Model United Nations Conference XVI May 19, 2018 - May 20, 2018 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 1946-1947 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 1956. 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 Davis Model United Nations Conference XVI May 19, 2018 - May 20, 2018 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 1975. 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 1977. 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 Davis Model United Nations Conference XVI May 19, 2018 - May 20, 2018 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.