Warriors notebook: Why Brandin Podziemski has Steph Curry’s attention in practices
Golden State Warriors: Brandin Podziemski impresses, Draymond Green works out and more
LOS ANGELES — Steph Curry is one of a handful of Warriors to highlight Brandin Podziemski as a standout so far in training camp.
“BP really has been showing how much he understands the game of basketball at a young age and how confident he is in himself and that shows every time he steps on the floor,” Curry said at Warriors shootaround in Los Angeles on Friday. “That’s a nice surprise.”
Curry praised the 20-year-old Podziemski for his ability to stick out among a roster full of superstars.
“You expect Klay (Thompson) to ball, you expect (Kevon Looney) to do what he does, you expect (Andrew Wiggins) to come back and assert his dominance on both sides of the floor,” he said. “All the guys we know, you don’t take it for granted, but you expect them to do what they do. I’ll add myself to that.”
A poor scoring and shooting performance in summer league this July prompted questions about Podziemski’s role with the win-now Warriors this season. But positive reports out of training camp practices along with his 11-point performance against the Los Angeles Lakers last week — that also included six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block — show the first-round pick out of Santa Clara is picking up the Warriors’ system quickly.
“Brandin has a great feel for the game,” head coach Steve Kerr said last week. “He definitely leads the team in deflections in the first week or 10 days, whatever it’s been. He’s constantly one step ahead of the play at both ends. Rotating defensively, cross grating the ball and catching the defense off guard with a cross-court pass. He has great feel.”
To earn minutes when the regular season starts, Podziemski has to work his way up from the bottom of a stacked group of point guards, possibly competing with veteran free agent addition Cory Joseph for minutes when Curry or Chris Paul are out.
The Warriors signed Joseph, in part, for his 3.9 assist-to-turnover ratio with the Detroit Pistons ranked ninth best in the NBA last season. Podziemski has shown glimpses of being an impactful passer with advanced court vision — even more promising considering his age.
Chris Paul’s second-unit minutes
Paul is considered one of the Warriors’ six starters, but the team is hopeful they’ll get a boost from him as a second unit conductor in what Kerr calls the “non-Steph” minutes. The Warriors’ offense struggles when Curry is off the floor in every iteration of this dynasty over the years. The team hopes Paul can change that pattern.
He has been getting plenty of run in scrimmages with the second unit, Kerr said, and is expected to play with that unit in upcoming preseason games.
“He connects a lot of different lineups because he’s such a good decision-maker and playmaker and orchestrates the offense,” Curry said. “So it gives us a different look that we haven’t had in a long time.”
Draymond Green update
Green did an individual workout at the Warriors’ shootaround in the hours before their preseason game against the Lakers on Friday. The 33-year-old hasn’t participated in any practices or preseason games as he recovers from a left ankle sprain.
Green is set to be re-evaluated on Monday with a chance to play in some of Golden State’s final three exhibition games before the regular season opener on Oct. 24.
Jonathan Kuminga was still questionable to play in Friday’s exhibition game against the Lakers with a jammed right thumb as of Friday afternoon.
Quote of the day
“Connectivity” has been the Warriors’ most-used word to describe their training camp goal. In other words, they’re hoping to correct their bad habits from last year: Poor communication, discombobulation and poor chemistry. Curry had this to say about how they’re trying to get on the same page:
“The one thing we can control right now is our collective focus and intentions on how we’re going to play. The game itself will tell you what needs to happen. We can have the perfect plan, get thrown a curveball…and you have to be able to adjust on the fly. As long as we’re connected on trying to elevate each other, that has to be the intention for everything.
The rest will take care of itself. I like the way we’ve been communicating, the biggest thing for him is to continue to be who he has been his whole career. He’s elevated every team he’s been on. If we bring our ego and collective competitiveness and understand there needs to be sacrifice from everybody, we give ourselves the best chance to be successful.”