Why TJD is confident Podziemski can fill the Warriors’ CP3 void originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors decided split from Chris Paul this offseason, leaving a hole for point guard Steph Curry on the depth chart.
Enter second-year pro Brandin Podziemski, who teammate Trayce Jackson-Davis hopes will perform 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 is very confident. Whatever the coach [Steve] Kerr asks him to do this, he will do the best he can, and 95% of the time he will do a great job.”
Last season, Podziemski earned his way as a rookie with the Warriors and eventually replaced franchise icon Klay Thompson in Golden State’s starting lineup just 10 days before his 21st birthday. Podziemski started 15 of the Warriors’ last 28 regular-season games in which he played, putting 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 in the future. But regardless of whether he comes off the bench or starts in 2024-25, Podziemski is ready for everything that awaits you.
“It doesn’t matter if I start, come off the bench — I just want to be 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 have to earn it. This is not easy.”
Paul, a veteran and proven facilitator, came to the Warriors last summer in a trade that sent Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards. The Point God became a key player on the bench for the first time in his career with the Warriors, average of 9.2 points and 6.8 assists per game in 58 appearances during the 2023-24 campaign.
But Golden State released Paul this offseason instead of paying him the $30 million he would have been owed next season, and the 39-year-old has since joined the San Antonio Spurs on a one-year deal. While Paul’s shoes are certainly big to fill, it’s clear that Jackson-Davis believes Podziemski has everything under control in the Bay.
