The Warriors decided to part ways with Chris Paul this offseason, leaving a hole behind star point guard Steph Curry on the depth chart.
Enter second-year pro Brandin Podziemski, who is expected by teammate Trayce Jackson-Davis to step up admirably in Paul's absence during the 2024-25 NBA season.
"Absolutely," Jackson-Davis told reporters Saturday when asked if Podziemski can fill the void left by Paul. "[Podziemski's] a competitor, and he's very confident. Whatever coach [Steve] Kerr asks him to do, he's going to do it to the best of his abilities, and 95 percent of the time, he's going to do a great job."
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Last season, Podziemski earned his keep as a Warriors rookie and eventually replaced franchise icon Klay Thompson in Golden State's starting lineup just 10 days shy of his 21st birthday. Podziemski started 15 of the Warriors’ final 28 regular-season games in which he appeared, placing a bow on top of his first NBA season where he averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
Podziemski's efforts earned the young guard All-Rookie First Team honors, and he can expect to see an increased workload alongside Curry moving forward. But regardless of whether he'll come off the bench or start in 2024-25, Podziemski is ready for whatever awaits him.
“It doesn’t matter if I start, come off the bench – I just want to be out there when the game is on the line," Podziemski told NBC Sports Bay Area's Dalton Johnson while playing for the USA Select Team in Las Vegas last week. "[Starting is] definitely a possibility, but I definitely got to earn it. That doesn’t come easy.”
Paul, a proven veteran and facilitator, came to the Warriors last summer in a trade that sent Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards. The Point God became a key bench player for the first time in his career with the Warriors, averaging 9.2 points and 6.8 assists per game in 58 appearances during the 2023-24 campaign.
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But Golden State waived Paul this offseason rather than paying him the $30 million he was due next season, and the 39-year-old since has joined the San Antonio Spurs on a one-year contract. While Paul's shoes certainly are big ones to fill, it's clear Jackson-Davis believes Podziemski has it covered in the Bay.
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