Mike Dunleavy Jr: NBA Has ‘Targeted’ Warriors With New Rules

If there’s one thing the Warriors have proven over the last decade, it’s that they’re willing to pay a high price for success.

Now, that price will get higher, with the NBA’s new second tax apron — which increases penalties for teams over the luxury tax line — and the new rules on when “star” players can be rested.

Perhaps that’s why GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. feels the league has “targeted” Golden State.

“I think first and foremost, for (team co-owner Joe Lacob) and the whole franchise, I think (the rules changes are) a compliment,” Dunleavy told Sam Amick and Anthony Slater on The Athletic NBA Tampering podcast. “You know, they’re making rules to prevent you from succeeding. And I think that’s the way that some of us are, and certainly Joe, sees it. (There are now) financial implications that would maybe keep us from going to a certain level.

“The (star player) rest stuff as well, a little bit, seems to be targeted at a roster similar to ours. So I think first of all, you take it as a compliment when, you know, just like (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), (when) they took the dunk out (of college basketball when he played at UCLA). … You’ve gotta first let it soak in and feel like, ‘OK, we did something right (for the changes to be needed).'”

None of this is to say the Warriors are happy about the changes — merely that they recognize them. And if you listen to Dunleavy, that the Warriors are responsible for them.

"We have to play by the rules."

Dunleavy weighs in on the NBA's new resting policies pic.twitter.com/Rthgf8QUmL

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) September 25, 2023