Warriors Believe They Already Have Future All-Star to Pair With Steph Curry

Tom Dierberger | Jul 18, 2024

Warriors guard Steph Curry and head coach Steve Kerr talk on the sideline during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. / Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

With Klay Thompson now on the Dallas Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors are turning to a new backcourt partner for superstar Steph Curry—second-year guard Brandin Podziemski.

And the Warriors are already big believers in Podziemski's potential.

"He was a revelation, to be quite honest," Warriors owner Joe Lacob said of Podziemski on Thursday on ESPN. "Steve [Kerr] had troubles getting him off the floor. He had to have him on the floor he was so good. He does so many things well. He's ultra confident, he's got an NBA body, he can get wherever he wants. He obviously can shoot threes. He can drive, he can pass. What can't he do?

"We're really excited. We think we've got a future All-Star [in Podziemski]. We really do."

"We think we have a future All-Star"

Joe Lacob with high praise for Podz 🤩 pic.twitter.com/FY9QBWscR8

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) July 18, 2024

Podziemski has had quite the rise in the early goings of his basketball career. He committed to Illinois for the 2021-22 campaign but didn't carve out a role in coach Brand Underwood's rotation, and transferred to Santa Clara the following year. Podziemski shined with the Broncos, averaging 19.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game and was selected by Golden State with the No. 19 pick in 2023.

From the beginning, Podziemski was a sponge in the Warriors' facility, soaking up everything he could learn from Curry, Thompson and others. He wasn't in Kerr's rotation to start the year, but he scored 23 points the first time he received significant playing time, and never really looked back.

By February, the Warriors were starting Podziemski and bringing Thompson off the bench. He ended up averaging 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 74 contests and was named to the 2023-24 NBA All-Rookie first team.

Golden State is expected to make another big move as it tries to capitalize on the final years of Curry's reign in the Bay Area. But perhaps they do have another star in the making in the 21-year-old Podziemski.