Despite the season-long struggles, there has been a lot of growth for the Golden State Warriors. While Jonathan Kuminga’s havoc was seen earlier this year, this one revolves more around their rookies. Just when Steve Kerr needed it, Brandin Podziemski emerged as a promising starter. Moreover, Trayce Jackson-Davis has displayed a knack for imbibing the franchise’s winning mindset early on.

With a 30-27 record at the start of March, the Warriors have come together for a 15-8 increase in their matchups. Even though their recent stretch comes with hardships, they have managed to elevate their game in light of questions around their postseason chances.

Now, as the Warriors head into their final 2 clashes of the season, Steve Kerr was asked about the lessons learned about the squad since training camp. Immediately, the 4-time champion coach highlighted the growth amongst rookies. He said, “Not only seeing JK [Jonathan Kuminga] emerge like he has been, watching Brandin and Trayce become regular contributors, starters even. Didn’t anticipate that at all.“

Moreover, Kerr took the chance to commend his vets: Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Chris Paul. Highlighting the major hold-backs from the initial stretches of the season, Kerr said, “I think they’re all in a good place mentally, physically, playing at a high level.”

With Paul and Curry being the constants, Draymond Green has managed to stay away from controversial tactics on the court, ones that saw two suspensions and four ejections. Moreover, Klay Thompson, since March, has found a rhythm in his shooting. He has converted nearly 46% of his attempts (40.9% from three), in contrast to 42% FG efficiency and 37.7% three-point shots before. Regardless, as Kerr claimed, the rise of Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis shocks the entire crew the most.

Brandin Podziemski and Jackson Davis’s rookie tenure

While Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis are nowhere near the Rookie of the Year debate, the two are on the verge of experiencing significant playoff minutes, something the favorite Victor Wembanyama will have to wait for. Moreover, Trayce and Brandin have made active contributions to the Golden State run.

Podzeimski, being a 6’5 guard, has confidentially held his own on both ends of the floor. His team-first play style has garnered him more than 25 stars this season. Apart from his fancy pre-game routine with Curry, Brandin is also a threat on dribble pull-ups. When compared with rookies around the league, Brandin is top-4 in plus-minus, rebounds, three-point shooting, and assists per game. Moreover, he leads the league in charges drawn per game (0.51).

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Trayce, on the other hand, has only recently gripped the starting spot. However, he is already averaging 1.2 blocks per game during his 16 minutes on the court. He has been a solid frontcourt presence for the Warriors; with five double-doubles this season, the rookie has garnered eight games with more than 10 rebounds. Additionally, he has had 20 games with multiple blocks, notching his career high of four blocks four times.