Starter? Sixth man? Podz ready to contribute regardless of his role

Starter? Sixth man? Podz ready to contribute regardless of his role originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LAS VEGAS – The first player to ever replace Klay Thompson in the Warriors’ starting lineup wasn’t an established NBA star. Coach Steve Kerr didn’t choose a veteran, but a rookie who was 10 days away from turning 21 years old.

Thompson deciding to end his illustrious 13 years of wearing a Warriors jersey and turning them in for Dallas Mavericks colors this summer put an end to the greatest shooting backcourt in basketball history. The real date the Splash Brothers of Thompson and Steph Curry was put to rest was that Feb. 15 win against the Utah Jazz this past season, where Klay responded by scoring 35 points off the bench.

Curry’s new partner became Brandin Podziemski, who started 15 of the Warriors’ final 28 regular-season games he appeared in, beginning that night in Salt Lake City. The question now is, will Podziemski be Curry’s running mate for the 2024-25 NBA season after an inspiring introduction to the pros that saw the No. 19 overall pick from last year’s draft earn All-Rookie First Team honors?

“I definitely feel more comfortable on the ball and I know Steph feels comfortable off the ball,” Podziemski told NBC Sports Bay Area on Monday. “If we end up starting together, which is a possibility, that’d be cool. But for me, it’s just playing.

“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. It’s definitely a possibility, but I definitely got to earn it. That doesn’t come easy.”

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy, in response to losing Thompson, already has added two guards this offseason who could be vying for spots in the starting lineup alongside Curry.

Buddy Hield brings the 3-point threat the Warriors clearly will miss from Thompson’s absence. De’Anthony Melton averaged a career-high 11.1 points per game last season and shot 39.0 percent from deep the year prior when he was fully healthy. He also adds the type of defensive prowess required to create a successful duo next to Curry, as Thompson…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/starter-sixth-man-podz-ready-030746933.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-07-09 03:07:46

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