Rudy Gobert

Northwest Notes: Jokic, George, Ayton, Blazers, Gobert

January 18th, 2024 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

Sixers star Joel Embiid racked up 41 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds in a comeback victory over the Nuggets on Tuesday, but after the game he had nothing but praise for opposing center and fellow MVP Nikola Jokic, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes.

Embiid joked that there’s a “war” on Twitter between Sixers and Nuggets fans about which player is better, but suggested that Jokic has earned that honor, at least for now, after leading Denver to a championship in 2023.

“He deserves (the title of best in the NBA),” Embiid said. “Until you knock him down, that’s the best in the league, and he’s the Finals MVP. So until someone else takes that away, then you can claim that.

“But then again,” Embiid continued, with a smile. “I also believe in myself. … I’ve just gotta get there.”

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Following a victory over Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Paul George said the 2019 trade that sent him from the Thunder to the Clippers for a package that included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and several first-round picks has been a win for both sides — and acknowledged that it may have been a bigger win for OKC. “I just think both sides won. I did think it was quite a lot that the Clippers were willing to give up, but their commitment to me is my commitment to them,” George said (Twitter video link via Joey Linn of SI.com). “… We knew Shai was gonna be really, really good, but he’s special. In a way, Oklahoma won that trade with picks and a future MVP. Great trade for both sides.”
After missing the Trail Blazers‘ past 11 games due to a knee issue, starting center Deandre Ayton was on track to return Wednesday vs. Brooklyn, but icy conditions in Portland prevented him from getting to the game, as Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report tweets. Ayton will presumably be available on Friday vs. Indiana.
Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups tried a new starting lineup on Wednesday, with Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Malcolm Brogdon, Duop Reath, and Jabari Walker making up the 19th starting five the team has used this season. After the game, Billups explained that he wanted to make a change due to the slow starts the Blazers had been having (Twitter link via Highkin). The original plan, Billups added, was to move Shaedon Sharpe into Scoot Henderson‘s starting spot, but Sharpe is sidelined with an abdominal injury.
While Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has been lauded for a bounce-back season on defense, he lauded his teammates for making things easier on him at the end of the court, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “We got people that can guard. We got people that can move their feet and take the challenge,” Gobert said.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Kerr, Green, Gobert, Roster

December 17th, 2023 at 4:13pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors nearly blew another double-digit lead on Saturday against Brooklyn, but they pulled out a “much-needed” victory behind the brilliance of two-time MVP Stephen Curry, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Curry, who finished with 37 points, went 7-of-7 from the field in the fourth quarter for 16 points, including 10 during a stretch of one minute and 40 seconds.

“Steph has had to carry this team, let’s be honest,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “And then the Draymond (Green) news, he was emotionally spent the last few days. And it was a slow start tonight. Then, as he’s done so often, he flipped the switch. You can kind of see when it happens right away. And he was incredible.”

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While Green is “ultimately to blame” for the long line of incidents that led to his indefinite suspension, he’s not the only one who bears responsibility, according to Jim Trotter of The Athletic, who argues that Kerr and the Warriors put “winning ahead of accountability” and “pacified” Green instead of punishing him, which played a role in his repeated misconduct. Trotter points to Kerr’s comments regarding Green’s lengthy history of ejections and suspensions leading up to the punch of Jordan Poole as evidence that Kerr continues to minimize the behavior. “Everything before that, over a decade of play, what are we really talking about? We’re talking about getting ejected for yelling at the ref or throwing a ball,” Kerr said with a shrug (video link).
Green was suspended for five games earlier this season for putting Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock for several seconds, and the two have a contentious relationship. But Gobert said he has “empathy” for Green after he was suspended indefinitely. “I have empathy for him,” Gobert told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “You see somebody that’s not well inside and suffering. You take away the game and all that, and you want somebody to be well and be able to do what we do every night and compete and be happy.”
Golden State currently holds an 11-14 record, trailing Phoenix by two games for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. Speaking to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said he still thinks the roster has championship upside. “Yeah, I do; I do believe this whole roster does, as the way it was designed,” Dunleavy said. “We certainly believed that, whatever it was, eight weeks ago, when we started the season. Some things haven’t broken our way. But these things change quickly. We get everybody rowing in the right direction, I think it’s doable. But hey, six weeks from now, the (Feb. 8) trade deadline, maybe something comes up that makes more sense and we do something. But this is a group that the core guys have been there are capable of doing it.”

Wolves Notes: Connelly, Gobert, Conley, Edwards, Towns

December 7th, 2023 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Hired by the Timberwolves in the spring of 2022, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly received plenty of criticism during his first year with the franchise for the price he paid to acquire Rudy Gobert and the limited return the team got in its investment last season. With his club off to a 16-4 start this season, Connelly isn’t ready to take a victory lap quite yet, but acknowledges he likes his roster a lot, per Michael Rand of The Star Tribune.

“We’re only 19 games in, we haven’t won a playoff series in two decades, so we haven’t accomplished much,” Connelly said on The Star Tribune’s Daily Delivery podcast prior to Wednesday’s win over San Antonio. “But … I think there’s something special about this group.”

Following last season’s underwhelming 42-40 record and first-round playoff exit, there were some calls for the Timberwolves to shake up their roster during the 2023 offseason. But Connelly decided to stick with the current core, with only a few minor tweaks around the edges, confident that more time together would put the group in position to jell.

“I’m a pretty patient person. Sometimes I think that patience can bite me, so I don’t want to overly patient and asleep at the wheel,” Connelly said. “But if you have the ability to be patient, I think oftentimes it’s rewarded in this sports landscape.”

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While the acquisition of Gobert is Connelly’s most significant move since taking control of the Timberwolves’ front office, he also made a major trade at last season’s trade deadline, moving D’Angelo Russell in a three-team deal that sent Mike Conley (and Nickeil Alexander-Walker) to Minnesota. Conley’s impact can’t be overstated, according to the Wolves’ president. “He has been fantastic,” Connelly said, per Rand. “Everything has been as advertised or better. … I can’t imagine our team without him.”
In a separate story for The Star Tribune, Chris Hine explores how Conley has transformed the Timberwolves’ late-game offense. “I try to make it easier on everybody else, so they don’t have to think as much,” Conley said. “I can do all the thinking and just put you in the right spot. It’s about us repping those certain plays that we’ve done a million times and trusting each other in those moments.”
Anthony Edwards appeared to be favoring his right hip in his return on Wednesday after missing two games due to a hip pointer, notes Hine of The Star Tribune. Edwards, who went 4-of-17 from the floor, said after the game that he was “scared” to go all-out in the first half but got more comfortable as the game went on. “Took him a while to find the rhythm of the game. I’m not sure he really ever did,” head coach Chris Finch said. “I’d like to see him attack a little bit more. Seemed a little hesitant to go at times. But I’m sure he’s working through a little bit of discomfort, so it’s to be expected.”
Discussing his relationship on and off the court with Karl-Anthony Towns, Gobert said that “wanting to see each other shine” has been the key to building their bond, according to Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune. “When you create that bond, it’s unstoppable,” Gobert said. “Adversity comes and it doesn’t matter. You know that you trust each other. You know when one is down, the other is going to lift him up and push him. We’re talking about me and KAT, but I think as a team, that’s what I’m feeling right now. And I think that’s a championship mentality.”

Timberwolves Notes: Gobert, Edwards, McDaniels, McLaughlin

December 5th, 2023 at 10:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rudy Gobert feels a greater acceptance in the Timberwolves‘ locker room and it’s showing on the court, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes.

Gobert has settled in after struggling through his first season with the franchise. He’s become the defensive force the Timberwolves were looking for when the front office made the blockbuster deal with Utah.

“I always tell people, great things take time. Especially myself, the way my life is, I’m not a guy that just comes here on Day 1 and everything is wonderful,” he said. “It takes time to build, to grind every day, build respect, build habits, build relationships with my teammates, the organization, the community.”

Gobert is also blending well with Karl-Anthony Towns on the court, Krawczynski notes. In the seven games since the Timberwolves took over the top spot in the Western Conference, the frontcourt duo has a plus-24.3 net rating in the 157 minutes they’ve shared the floor.

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Anthony Edwards is listed as questionable to play in the Timberwolves’ return to action on Wednesday against San Antonio, the team’s PR department tweets. Edwards is dealing with a right hip pointer and has missed Minnesota’s past two games.
Forward Jaden McDaniels, who suffered a right ankle sprain on Nov. 20 against the Knicks, was reevaluated and he’s progressing well throughout his rehabilitation program with no setbacks, according to a team press release. He has been cleared to participate in individual on-court player development basketball and strength training activities.
Guard Jordan McLaughlin, who suffered a right knee MCL sprain on Nov. 2 against the Celtics, is also progressing well, the team announced in the same release. He has been cleared to participate in full, five-on-five on-court basketball activities.

Wolves Notes: Gobert, Towns, Reid, Alexander-Walker

December 3rd, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Rudy Gobert‘s decision to play Saturday with an aching left hip is reflective of the Timberwolves‘ philosophy, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Players are held out when they’re injured — Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels both missed the game — but when it’s just a matter of soreness, they reject the idea of load management and find a way to get on the court.

“There’s going to be points in the season where you’ve got to play these types of games,” coach Chris Finch said. “If you’re always resting guys, then you don’t have the resiliency to go battle through that, so I think it’s important.”

Gobert played a vital role in picking up a hard-fought win at Charlotte. He made 10 of 12 shots from the field, including eight dunks, collected 12 rebounds and had three blocks, including a late one on a Miles Bridges shot that helped to seal the game.

“Just being dominant, just being aggressive,” Gobert said. “My teammates did a great job finding me early in the game, and I just tried to be a force.”

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Chemistry between Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns was an issue last year, but it has been noticeably better this season, Krawczynski adds. Two of Gobert’s baskets Saturday night came on lob passes from Towns, and Krawczynski notes that Minnesota has a plus-24.3 net rating over its last seven games in the minutes the two big men have played together.
Finch brought a new wrinkle to his rotation against the Hornets, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. For part of the fourth quarter, the Wolves had reserve big man Naz Reid on the court alongside Gobert and Towns — Finch suggested that they were his best players on the night. Towns posted 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Reid shot 9-of-14 and scored 23 points. “Naz was a huge lift off the bench,” Finch said. “It broke my heart to pull him out, to be honest.”
Nickeil Alexander-Walker seemed like a throw-in when he was acquired in the Mike Conley trade in February, but he has become an important part of the Wolves’ success, Krawczynski states in a separate story. Alexander-Walker has been moved at the last two trade deadlines, but he feels like he has found a home. “I want to credit Minnesota as an organization — and Finch — for giving me opportunities to play through mistakes,” he said. “I’ve made mistakes this season and they’ve kept me out there. So now, that confidence, being in the present is resonating.”

Northwest Notes: Giddey, Jazz, Hornacek, Wolves

November 25th, 2023 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder plan on having guard Josh Giddey available on Saturday – and going forward – while the NBA looks into allegations that he had an improper relationship with a minor, head coach Mark Daigneault told reporters this afternoon (Twitter video link via Andrew Schlecht of The Athletic)

“Just with the information we have at this point, that’s the decision that we’ve made,” Daigneault said when asked why the team feels comfortable keeping Giddey active. “It’s really not even a decision, to be honest with you.”

A Thunder spokesperson later clarified that Daigneault meant the decision on Giddey’s availability isn’t within his jurisdiction and is in the league’s hands, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). Of course, Oklahoma City could decide on its own to hold Giddey out, but it sounds like the team will continue playing him while the investigation is ongoing unless the NBA advises otherwise.

“It’s obviously a league matter at this point,” Daigneault said. “So the ball’s in their court on that.”

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There’s good news and bad news for the Jazz on the injury report for Saturday’s game vs. New Orleans, tweets Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Utah will be without its top two scorers, as forward Lauri Markkanen has been ruled out due to left hamstring soreness while Jordan Clarkson will be unavailable due to an illness. However, the Jazz appear likely to have their starting center back in the lineup, as Walker Kessler, who has missed the last seven games due to a sprained left elbow, has been upgraded to probable.
Former Jazz guard Jeff Hornacek remains involved with the organization behind the scenes as a coaching consultant. In a story for The Salt Lake Tribune (subscription required), Larsen explores what that role entails and the impact that Hornacek has had on head coach Will Hardy. “He’s been a really, really good friend and confidant and in some ways like a mentor for me in this role, because he also knows what it’s like to be a head coach and a first-time head coach,” Hardy said. “There are tough moments during the season where sometimes he just offers a ‘Hang in there, you’re doing what you should be doing.’ It’s just a tough stretch over 82 games and so he’s been a really calming influence for me.”
The Timberwolves had high hopes that their 2022 trade for Rudy Gobert would help create an elite defense. The results were mixed last season – Minnesota narrowly cracked the top 10 in defensive rating – but it has all come together for the team so far in 2023/24, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, who takes a closer look at the parts Gobert, head coach Chris Finch, and top defensive assistant coach Elston Turner have played in building one of the league’s best Ds.

Northwest Notes: Gobert, Camara, Fontecchio, Kessler, Kamagate

November 18th, 2023 at 12:06pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, like Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels, was fined $25K for his role in an altercation early in a game between Minnesota and Golden State that ended with Draymond Green ejected and later suspended. However, according to The Star Tribune’s Chris Hine, Gobert wasn’t satisfied with the league’s ruling and said this week that he planned to appeal his fine.

“You know every situation is different, but to me that was more than just a reaction,” Gobert said. “That was a personal attack. Me being fined when I chose to, when I was being a peacemaker and I chose to keep my hands up while I was being assaulted, is shameful. Shameful. And I’m gonna appeal that fine.”

Immediately following Tuesday’s fracas, Gobert called Green out.

“Clown behavior, and I’m proud of myself for being the bigger man again and again,” Gobert said after the altercation. “And yeah, [Green] doesn’t even deserve me putting my hands on him. My team needed me tonight. I did whatever I could to keep my cool and then show that I wasn’t making the situation worse, and I do hope that the league is going to do what needs to be done, because that’s just clown behavior. Not much to say. It’s clown behavior.”

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The 3-9 Trail Blazers have been searching for more physicality, size and rebounding in their starting lineup and may have found it in second-round rookie Toumani Camara, according to OregonLive’s Aaron Fentress. Camara has started the past three games for Portland, replacing Matisse Thybulle. While Portland lost all three games, Camara’s impressive rookie season is continuing. In his three starts, he’s averaging 6.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks. “Tou is going to be who he is going to be no matter if he’s starting or not,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “He’s going to be the same guy. He’s going to scrap, he’s going to claw, he’s going to rebound. He’s going to protect the rim a little. He’s going to always be who he is.“
Simone Fontecchio feels more comfortable with the Jazz in his second season with the team, even if the minutes haven’t come yet, according to The Deseret News’ Sarah Todd. Fontecchio had been bouncing around international rosters, along with playing for the Italian national team, before joining the Jazz. The fact that Utah had other international players that Fontecchio could relate to was huge for his acclimation. “He has an ability to really stay ready,” coach Will Hardy said. “Whether he plays a ton of minutes or whether he plays zero. Obviously his threat of shooting is is great for us. But I’m more excited about all the the other things that he does — crashing the glass, changing things on the floor, he is a great cutter, and he really has a toughness about him that I think our team needs.“
Jazz center Walker Kessler is out for around two weeks with a UCL injury that usually requires Tommy John surgery. UCL injuries in basketball are a bit rare, but it’s a positive sign Kessler was diagnosed with a sprain and not a tear, according to The Salt Lake Tribune’s Eric Walden. Walden broke down the injury with a doctor, concluding that ligament isn’t used often in basketball, and the injury shouldn’t be worrisome.
The Nuggets selected Ismael Kamagate with the 46th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He’s currently playing his first EuroLeague season with Milan and got to play with the Nuggets in Summer League this past season, averaging 6.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks across four starts. Though he admitted to Eurohoops.net that playing in the NBA is his dream, he’s willing to be patient. “We just have to not rush the process, because that’s how to can lose yourself. Take your time, do what you can do. In the team, everybody can do everything. You have to master what you do better, and that’s what I learned this summer,” Kamagate said.

NBA Suspends Draymond Green For Five Games

November 15th, 2023 at 7:33pm CST by Luke Adams

7:33pm: The NBA has officially confirmed Green’s five-game suspension, as well as the $25K fines for Thompson, McDaniels, and Gobert.

In its press release (Twitter link), the NBA said Green was suspended for “escalating an on-court altercation and forcibly grabbing (Gobert) around the neck in an unsportsmanlike and dangerous manner.” The length of the suspension was based in part on Green’s “history of unsportsmanlike acts,” the league added.

7:16pm: Warriors forward Draymond Green will be suspended five games by the NBA for his role in Tuesday’s altercation against Minnesota, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

After Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels engaged in some grabbing, pushing, and shoving that resulted in a stoppage in play early in the first quarter of Tuesday’s game, Green entered the fracas and put Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock for several seconds (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report).

The game’s officials, who ruled that Gobert had been trying to deescalate the situation, hit Green with a flagrant 2 foul and an ejection.

A report earlier in the day from Wojnarowski indicated that the NBA was reviewing the situation, with Green considered to be the focus of that investigation due to the Gobert headlock as well as his history of on-court physicality and suspensions. When Green was suspended in the 2023 playoffs for stepping on Domantas Sabonis, his reputation as a “repeat offender” was cited by the league.

As a result of the five-game ban, Green will miss the Warriors’ games against the Thunder on Thursday and Saturday, as well as their contests vs. Houston (Nov. 20), Phoenix (Nov. 22), and San Antonio (Nov. 24). That game vs. the Spurs is an in-season tournament matchup.

Golden State is also without top scorer Stephen Curry in the short term due to a sore right knee. Curry has been ruled out for Thursday’s game vs. the Thunder and is expected to be reevaluated later this week.

The suspension will cost Green a total of $769,704, or $153,941 per game, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. His salary for the 2022/23 season is $22,321,429, and he’ll forfeit 1/145th of that salary for each game of the suspension.

While Green is the only player being suspended as a result of Tuesday’s squabble, Thompson, McDaniels, and Gobert will be fined $25K apiece, Wojnarowski tweets.

NBA Reviewing Warriors/Timberwolves Altercation

November 15th, 2023 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA, as expected, is taking a closer look at Tuesday’s on-court scuffle between the Warriors and the Timberwolves, weighing whether additional punishment – in the form of fines and/or suspensions – will be necessary, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

As we detailed earlier today, the confrontation began when Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got tied up battling for rebounding positioning early in the first quarter. They continued to grab and shove each other on the way back up the court, prompting referees to stop play and Wolves center Rudy Gobert to try to intervene.

Warriors forward Draymond Green rushed in and put Gobert in a headlock before players were separated (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report). McDaniels and Thompson were each given two technical fouls and ejected from the game, while Green was also thrown out after being assessed with a flagrant 2 foul.

Green’s headlock on Gobert figures to be a focus of the NBA’s review, according to Wojnarowski, who notes (via Twitter) that Green’s reputation as a “repeat offender” was cited by the league in the spring when he was suspended for stepping on Domantas Sabonis in Golden State’s first-round playoff series vs. Sacramento.

The Warriors’ next game is on Thursday vs. Oklahoma City, so the NBA figures to make a ruling by then, if not before the Wolves’ contest in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Head coach Steve Kerr defended Green after Tuesday’s game, telling reporters that the Warriors star went after Gobert because the Minnesota center “had his hands on Klay’s neck.” Gobert chuckled when informed of Kerr’s comments, according to Jon Krawczynski and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

“What do you want me to say? He’s backing his guy, but I think he knows,” Gobert said. “Deep inside, he (doesn’t) want to say it but his guy is a clown.”

Krawczynski and Amick suggest that Green held onto Gobert for about nine seconds. Gobert, who held up his arms during that time to show the officials he wasn’t retaliating, believes the outcome could’ve been worse than it was.

“He’s grabbing me, he’s grabbing me, he’s grabbing me,” Gobert said. “(But) the choke wasn’t good enough. Yeah, it wasn’t enough for me to really have to (go to sleep). But he tried. He tried really hard, but it wasn’t good enough to where I felt like I was really in danger of falling asleep or something like that.

“… It was a long time, and if he knew how to choke it could have been way worse. He tried to. His intention was to really take me out. And I kept my hands up the whole time just to show the officials that I wasn’t trying to escalate the situation.”

Warriors Notes: Green, Klay, Curry, Podziemski, More

November 15th, 2023 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday’s in-season tournament game between the Warriors and Timberwolves got chippy before either team had scored a single point.

As Kendra Andrews of ESPN details, Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got tied up battling for rebounding positioning early in the first quarter, then continued to grab and shove each other on the way back up the court, prompting referees to stop play and Wolves center Rudy Gobert to try to intervene. Warriors forward Draymond Green rushed in and put Gobert in a headlock before players were separated (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report).

McDaniels and Thompson were each given two technical fouls and ejected from the game, while Green was also thrown out after being assessed with a flagrant 2 foul. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic relays (via Twitter), official Tyler Ford explained after the game that the referees viewed Gobert as a peacemaker. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn’t agree with that ruling or the decision to eject Thompson.

“There is no way Klay should have been ejected. That was ridiculous,” Kerr said, per Andrews. “I was upset about that. As far as the Draymond piece of it, Rudy had his hands on Klay’s neck. That’s why Draymond went after Rudy.”

McDaniels downplayed his role in the altercation following a Minnesota victory, telling reporters that after Thompson grabbed him, he was “trying to defend myself and get him off me.” McDaniels said he was “laughing” as it happened and that he didn’t expect the situion to escalate the way it did, adding, “I guess it was a bigger deal to (Thompson).”

Gobert, meanwhile, referred to Green’s actions as “clown behavior” and offered an explanation for the Warriors star’s early ejection: “Every time Steph (Curry) doesn’t play, (Green) doesn’t want to play without his guy Steph, so he does anything he can to get ejected.”

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While a suspension seems extremely unlikely for Gobert, McDaniels, or Thompson, it’s possible Green – who has a history of facing fines and suspensions for on-court physicality – will face further punishment. “I do hope that the league is going to do what needs to be done,” Gobert said after the game in reference to an additional penalty for Green, according to Andrews.
Kerr said the results of an MRI on Curry’s sore right knee were “good news” and that the two-time MVP is unlikely to be sidelined for an extended period, Slater writes for The Athletic. “Nothing alarming. So I would say he’s day to day and we’ll see,” Kerr said. “We’ll just have an update each day and let you know what’s going on. But it won’t be long. If he misses another game or two, whatever, it’s not going to be anything long-term.”
The Warriors’ rotation without Curry, Thompson, and Green was “jumbled up,” Slater notes, but it gave Brandin Podziemski a chance to play a career-high 39 minutes. The rookie became the first Warrior besides Curry this season to score more than 20 points in a game, finishing with 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Forward Dario Saric, who got his second start as a Warrior, also surpassed the 20-point mark, contributing 21.
Tim Kawakami of The Athletic takes a closer look at Podziemski’s breakout game, suggesting that the No. 19 overall pick played with the sort of confidence and toughness that Golden State had been looking for. “He’s going to play,” Kerr said of Podziemski, who had previously logged 52 total minutes in six appearances. “He’s going to play every night. He’s earned that. He was incredible tonight. He’s been great in practice. There’s something unique about him at that size to rebound the way he does. He had seven tonight. He’s always in the right spot. He’s fearless. He connects the game. He plays the way we want to play. The ball moves when he’s out there. He’s attacking at the right times, he’s cutting at the right times. Defensively he’s really good. He’s a damn good player, so he’s going to play.”
Even though the Warriors were without their three stars for nearly all of Tuesday’s game, Jonathan Kuminga only played 16 minutes and Moses Moody just 14, according to Slater, who says neither player has staked out a bigger role in the rotation so far this season. The path to increased minutes for the two former lottery picks may be further complicated by Podziemski’s rise, Slater adds.

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