Steve Kerr on Warriors’ rookies: ‘It is exciting to see them play’
On a night in which Stephen Curry exploded for 42 points, the Golden State Warriors also received strong contributions from rookies Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans.
Down Klay Thompson (knee) and Jonathan Kuminga (knee), Curry registered his second 40-point game of the season to lead the Warriors to the 130-102 victory. Chris Paul scored 13 points, Jackson-Davis had 13 points and nine rebounds and Gary Payton II added 10 points.
Podziemski finished with five points, eight rebounds and two assists.
With three reserves scoring in double figures, the Warriors held a 52-35 advantage in bench scoring. The group pushed the lead to 29 points in the fourth quarter to improve to 3-1 on the season.
“The rookies were fantastic,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We’ve seen this throughout camp — both guys can really play. We’ve been itching to get Brandin out there. Trayce got in the other night in Sacramento and gave us a really good run. They got (17) rebounds between them. They’re constantly around the ball, anticipating plays, keeping the game simple and moving it on. It is really exciting to see those two young guys play.”
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS SELF-OOP 😱😱 pic.twitter.com/GKoluMLeOQ
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 31, 2023
Podziemski and Jackson-Davis entered the season projected to be out of the rotation. Kerr previously said the two players could even spend time in the G League with Santa Cruz in order to get consistent playing time with so many players ahead of them on the depth chart.
They found out on Monday morning that they’d likely see extended minutes with two rotation players sidelined. It was something they were warned about when the season began.
“Moses (Moody) told me Coach is always kind of random when you can get called upon, so you just always have to stay ready,” Jackson-Davis said. “I think the biggest thing I took away from tonight is always being ready. … It is always the next man up. I think me and B did a great job of that.”
The Warriors are high on Podziemski and Jackson-Davis and believe they have a great feel for the game and are at an advanced level at this stage of their careers. They like the scoring and playmaking ability of Podziemski, and how Jackson-Davis can defend and rebound.
They will likely continue to be used in spot situations this season. While playing time could be limited, they are eager to step in and contribute whenever they are called upon.
“I’m just happy we won, honestly,” Podziemski said. “I’m glad I was able to get some minutes finally and contribute to winning — plus-15 on the box score. I was really just out there trying to help the team.”
