There weren’t many memorable moments from the one-season Chris Paul tenure with the Warriors, which concluded without a single postseason trip. Paul has since left for the San Antonio Spurs, where his main goal is to support Victor Wembanyama’s success.
With Paul gone, the Warriors will no longer have a potential Hall of Famer to lead the offense when Steph Curry isn’t playing. Maintaining success while Curry isn’t playing presents a familiar problem for Steve Kerr, who is about to begin his eleventh season as the Warriors’ coach.
It is never simple to find the answer to that question. Curry’s 36-year-old presence on the court still significantly changes the game, making it difficult for anyone to
to duplicate his influence. Kerr’s preferred choice right now for this position? Brandin Podziemski, a second-year pro who is 21 years old.
In an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area, Kerr stated, “I think BP [Brandin Podziemski] will step into that role.
Podziemski is up against Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton for the starting shooting guard spot. When Curry and Podziemski started together in games last season, the Warriors went 17-8. According to Kerr, Podziemski might leave early and return during the non-Curry minutes if he starts. Alternatively, he will oversee the offense from the bench if he doesn’t start.
During his tenure with the USA Basketball Men’s Select Team, when he spearheaded the offense in scrimmages against Curry and other stars, Podziemski demonstrated his point guard instincts. Podziemski is “a point guard at heart,” according to Kerr, and coach Anthony Vereen urged him to take on leadership roles in the Warriors’ summer league matches.
But according to Kerr, getting Curry more minutes is a team effort rather than than relying on one player. “We have other guys who can initiate offense,” Kerr said. He pointed to versatile options like Kyle Anderson, who can play point-forward, De’Anthony Melton, a combo guard, and Draymond Green, who has long been a point-forward for the Warriors.
During training camp, Kerr intends to test out different combinations of players to see which ones can manage non-Curry minutes. With Podziemski, Melton, and Anderson driving the pace and limiting turnovers, the idea is to play faster.
The Warriors’ season will depend on how well they perform in non-Curry minutes, and Kerr is hopeful because he has a lot of choices. It is now the players’ responsibility to stand up and refute him.
For additional insights, download and subscribe to the Dubs Talk Podcast.
