‘Ecstatic' Lacob believes Warriors should be title contenders

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While Warriors owner Joe Lacob made some surprising remarks on Ben Simmons and his non-fit on Golden State, it wasn't a surprise to see what else he had to say to the San Francisco Chronicle's Rusty Simmons. 

Lacob is "ecstatic" after the Warriors' strong offseason, and the man who once said his team is "light years ahead" of everybody else in the NBA believes Golden State should be right back in the thick of title contention after missing the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. 

"Hopefully, this year, we’ll compete for a championship," Lacob said to Simmons. "I think we should. Over the next four to five years, I think we should continue that and have a second great decade in a row."

During Lacob's tenure, the Warriors have won three championships and found themselves in five straight NBA Finals. However, their Big Three is on the wrong side of 30 years old. Steph Curry played like an MVP last season but is 33. Klay Thompson has missed two straight seasons due to serious leg injuries and is 31 years old. And Draymond Green, who also is 31, has taken a step back offensively. 

As their stars age, many called for the Warriors to add another star. That would have put the Warriors in financial hell. Instead, the Warriors added veterans Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica to veteran minimum contracts, and the same goes with Andre Iguodala after he spent two seasons away from the Bay Area. 

Add in the fact that the Warriors selected two players in the lottery this year after taking James Wiseman with the No. 2 pick last year, and extended Curry's contract this offseason, and Lacob sees the Warriors as having a much longer title window than some outsiders. 

"I understand the ‘window’ comment, but I think the window is bigger than you’re saying," Lacob said. "We like having three lottery picks to develop while we’ve got our guys still playing at a high level. I just think it’s a really nice position to be in."

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He's not wrong. The Warriors have longed to be in the same boat as the San Antonio Spurs, centering themselves on a core of stars -- a la Curry, Thompson and Green -- and keeping the window wide open with the development of young players while making smart roster moves along the way. 

It's not an easy balancing act, prioritizing the present and the future. It's also a plan Lacob clearly believes in. 

Let's see how it all pans out.

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