Steph and Draymond preview Warriors future in win vs. Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Stephen Curry watched the spectacular and awful from a seat on the Warriors bench from the opening tip, where he was joined near the end by Draymond Green, who fouled with 8.3 seconds left in a two-point play.
From the sidelines, Golden State’s two touchstones, retired and unavailable, got a glimpse of Golden State’s future. The one that exists when they are retired and no longer available.
The thirty-something veterans had to like, maybe like, what they saw from 21-year-old Brandin Podziemski and 22-year-old Jonathan Kuminga, two youngsters the front office hopes can develop into All-Stars.
The Warriors aren’t going to win many games with Curry and Green watching the decisive minutes, but Podziemski and Kuminga made sure they got this one: a 127-121 overtime victory over the rallying Rockets on their floor in Houston.
The Warriors wouldn’t have pushed this game into OT without Podziemski’s perfect shooting in the fourth quarter (3 of 3). The 6-foot-1 combo guard succeeded not with textbook jump shots, but with excellent footwork and his trademark grit.
“He took Amen to the post a couple of times,” Green, referring to the 6-foot-4 Amen Thompson, told reporters at Toyota Center. “He gets involved with bigger guys and makes those shots. As much as I want to applaud his skill, that’s his heart. That’s ‘I want the ball at that moment, and I’m going to do what I have to do to score this basketball.’
“Obviously his footwork, getting guys to the post, was great. But that’s sheer will and determination. That’s why he leads the league in plus/minus. At that moment, no matter how things went, he wanted the ball. He took hard shots, and he made hard shots.”
The Warriors suffered a blow in the fourth, losing the quarter 39-23. Podziemski scored seven of those points, all within the final four minutes, the last a 10-foot turnaround that gave Golden State a 118-112 lead with 51.5 seconds left.
“We were killed,” Podziemski said. “My thought process was, ‘I’m going to try to get a bucket. If we lose, we will lose. Someone will have to try and get a bucket.” That was my mentality.”
But no. The Rockets got a three-pointer from Jabari Smith Jr. and four free throws before the end of regulation, and the Warriors’ final point before OT came when Podziemski split two free throws with 28.4 seconds left.
When Green was whistled for his disqualifying sixth foul 20 seconds later, the conditions seemed to darken. The Warriors, who shot 36.4 percent from the field in the second half, trudged into OT against a Houston team that scored 76 points on 57.1 percent shooting from the field — including 52.6 percent from distance — in the third and fourth quarter.
With Curry and Green spectators for OT, Kuminga called up his highlight reel and lit up the Rockets and their building.
“I went into overtime just wanting to play good defense, so I put (Kevon Looney) and Kyle (Anderson) in,” Kerr said. “We needed JK’s ability to beat the switches and get downhill.”
Kerr got his wish. The Warriors limited Houston to 1 of 12 shooting in OT, and Kuminga tore through the defense like a hot arrow through tissue paper.
Kuminga’s “hello” against the Rockets was a midrange turnaround jumper 40 seconds into OT, putting the Warriors up two. His “good evening” was a transition layup that put them up four with 3:05 to go. His “good night” was another blast by the Houston defense for a layup that made the score 127-121 with 1:18 left.
“He just took over,” Kerr said of Kuminga. “He was fantastic.”
When Kuminga came off the floor, Draymond was there with a hello and a hug. He has shown particular interest in Kuminga since the Warriors selected seventh overall in the 2021 draft. Kuminga doesn’t have Draymond’s aptitude for the game, and they both know it. Draymond doesn’t have the amazing athleticism of Kuminga.
Podziemski doesn’t have Curry’s peerless shooting/scoring ability – no one does – or his flair for the dramatic. Curry doesn’t have Podziemski’s knack for rebounding or harassing opponents. What they share, and this is significant, is the radiance of calm in big moments.
Kuminga won’t be the next Draymond, but that won’t stop Green from being a mentor. Podziemski won’t be the next Steph, but that won’t stop Curry from cheering.
Curry and Green’s Golden State bar is incredibly high. It is unrealistic to believe that Podziemski and Kuminga can achieve this.
It is entirely realistic to believe that the youngsters would be better off breathing the same air as the decorated vets who have seen them complete a difficult job.
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