It won’t be a walk in the park, nor will it be quick, but Brandin Podziemski is eager to fill in Klay Thompson’s defensive void during the 2024-25 NBA season for the Warriors.
Despite an upcoming sophomore season filled with pressure, the young guard is committing himself to filling in Thompson’s role of defending the opposing team’s best guard, which usually gives teammate Steph Curry more leeway in transition.
Speaking to The Athletic's Anthony Slater, Podziemski revealed his ambition to fill in for the all-time Warrior.
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“With Steph out there, you’re not going to have him guard the best guard,” Podziemski told Slater. “So, it’s on me taking that challenge of what Klay used to do.”
Following an impressive All-Rookie campaign in his first NBA season, Podziemski hasn’t wasted time improving both sides of his game throughout the offseason.
From May to July, the guard went from guarding Curry and Jrue Holiday as a invitee during Team USA’s Olympic training camp to scoring 37 points in a two-game summer-league cameo with Golden State.
Although Podziemski got lots of ball time and bolstered his offensive abilities, nothing was quite as valuable as guarding the gold-medal winners in Las Vegas.
Golden State Warriors
After all, it’s improvements on the defensive side of his game that can earn him a bigger role within the Warriors next season, and Podziemski isn’t willing to let that opportunity go to waste.
“It’s something I want and have that not be the reason Steve doesn’t play me, because I can’t guard their best guard,” Podziemski told Slater.
A large part of the Warriors dynasty was built on the legendary Curry-Thompson backcourt, which, at its peak, thrived on Thompson’s on-ball defending and Curry’s unmatched offensive firepower.
In addition to his shooting prowess, Thompson was a member of the All-Defensive team after successfully guarding opponents’ biggest offensive threats, giving the Chef the energy to torch adversaries.
Now, whether Podziemski – or a tandem with Curry – can produce similar results remains a big question mark waiting to be answered.
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