The Warriors are optimistic heading into the offseason despite being eliminated in the NBA Play-In Tournament by the Sacramento Kings and failing to qualify for the playoffs.
Rookie Brandin Podziemski, in particular, still believes he and his teammates can bounce back and do something special in the years to come.
Speaking with 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs” on Tuesday, the Santa Clara product explained why he’s confident Golden State remains an NBA title contender.
“I think we’re very close,” Podizemski told Mark Willard and Dan Dibley. “That’s easy to say for anyone on any team: everyone believes they can do it. But seeing the old mixed with the new (and) mixed with the young, I think it’s something we can achieve.”
The Warriors finished last season 46-36 before their 2023-24 NBA season ended at Golden 1 Center. In a positive sign for Golden State, they were 27-13 in their last 40 games before the play-in.
Age was a hot topic for the older Warriors this season, as Steph Curry (36), Klay Thompson (34), Draymond Green (34) and fellow veteran Chris Paul (39) often showed signs of fatigue.
However, Podziemski is convinced that Golden State’s young rising stars will help alleviate some of the strain on the older Warriors, citing the team’s approach that relies on progressive cohesion.
“Mike Dunleavy’s plan and Joe Lacob’s plan to Draft Jonathan (Kuminga) and Moses (Moody) and let them develop, but also draft me and Trayce (Jackson-Davis), who had college experience and are ready to impact”, Podziemski. He added: “Combining that and now entering a second year with the four of us, with the combination of Steph, Klay and Draymond and whoever is with us when the time comes, we are set up for success.
Golden State’s championship window is shrinking day by day and its rivals smell blood in the water.
The last teams standing in the electric Western Conference (the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks) are led by young stars Anthony Edwards and Luka Dončić, respectively, and right behind them are Shai Gilgeous-Alexnder and the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s Jalen Green and the Houston Rockets and, of course, Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
However, the Warriors have still won four NBA championships in the last decade. Podziemski knows Golden State has holes to fill and age concerns to address, but he believes his team has some gas left in the tank.
“I have experienced that we all play together,” concluded the 21-year-old player. “You can’t hide four rings, this doesn’t happen by chance. So, those guys know what it takes and we are there to help them and get them to the promised land.”
Regardless of what Golden State’s team will look like when the 2024-25 NBA season begins, Podziemski knows his team will be fighting for the franchise’s eighth Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in October.
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