The Warriors struck gold when they selected Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis at Nos. 19 and 57, respectively, in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The Golden State rookies have made names for themselves this season, bringing a new dimension to the Warriors on both sides of the floor with their youthful talent. Their standout seasons becomes all the more impactful when considering who else was in their draft class -- players such as Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson.
Among all the young NBA talent, however, Podziemski is confident he and Jackson-Davis are the league's best rookie duo.
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"Yeah, all the time," Podziemski told ESPN's Malika Andrews on Thursday's episode of "NBA Today" when asked if All-Rookie honors are on his mind. "Every week, I see NBA.com's new rookie ladder. This morning, I just saw it with Trayce at No. 10, so to see both of our names in the top 10 list was super fulfilling.
"But I think in a much broader perspective, if you could re-draft, you wouldn't take me 19 and you wouldn't take him 57. So, you know, we've made our impact and put our print on the NBA so far, and I think we're the best rookie duo in the league."
Podziemski sits at No. 6 in NBA.com's latest Kia Rookie Ladder and Jackson-Davis is No. 10, with both locks for All-Rookie Second Team honors, according to author Steve Aschburner.
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Podziemski has appeared in 71 games this season for the Warriors as both a starter and a reserve, averaging 9.3 points on 45.4 percent shooting with 5.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 turnovers per game. He also leads the NBA in charges taken per game with 0.51 and total charges taken (36), bringing a confidence to the court that has helped spark numerous wins.
Jackson-Davis, meanwhile, provides some much-needed size and athleticism for Golden State, averaging 7.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 blocks across 65 games. But does the Indiana product believe Podziemski was correct in his assessment of their play?
"I agree," Jackson-Davis concluded.
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