3. Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors had an interesting week, as they traded Jordan Poole, Ryan Rollins, plus some future draft picks to the Washington Wizards for Chris Paul. This was a fascinating deal, as Poole had emerged as a talented young guard with a ton of offensive skill in 2021. However, his underwhelming play last season made his large $128 million contract impossible to stomach for the Warriors.
There’s nothing to worry about, though, as the Warriors may have found their Jordan Poole replacement in Brandin Podziemski, who they selected with the 19th pick in this year’s draft. Podziemski is a combo guard with a remarkable offensive skillset, as he can score, shoot, and pass at a very high level. He is one of the more skilled offensive players in the entire draft, and there’s a chance he can replace Poole’s production at some point in his career.
While Podziemski is great offensively, he has poor length for his height, and he’s not a particularly good athlete. This could cause problems for him as a defender and rim finisher. Even with these issues, I believe he is well worth this pick and could have a significant impact early on in his career as long as he’s given a chance.
They made another excellent pick at the end of the second round when they selected Trayce Jackson-Davis with the 57th pick, which they received from the Washington Wizards. Jackson-Davis is an athletic big man who can play above the rim, create shots for his teammates, rebound on both ends of the floor, and block shots at a high rate. His skill set is perfect for a role-playing big in the Warriors’ system.
He isn’t perfect, though. He is a short big man who isn’t a great rim finisher and doesn’t shoot from the perimeter at all. He has a throwback skillset which is why a lot of teams passed on him. However, I believe he is good enough on defense to overcome his warts on offense, and if there is any team who can get value out of him, it’s the Warriors, who desperately need a backup center at the moment.
The Warriors don’t often play rookies, so there’s a good chance Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis don’t have major roles during their first season. However, they are both good players who can have an impact early in their careers and help extend the Warriors’ championship window.