Why Warriors filling Donte DiVincenzo void must be group effort
Why Warriors filling Donte DiVincenzo void must be group effort originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Jordan Poole’s absence will be the most obvious from last season’s Warriors team when this year’s version steps on the floor Oct. 24 in the regular-season opener against the Phoenix Suns. Poole was the Warriors’ third-leading scorer behind only Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, he made more than 200 3-pointers for the first time in his career and he always was a crowd enigma – through good and bad.
But he isn’t alone in players the Warriors have to replace. There are a handful of them, and one in particular made his presence felt on a nightly basis in a plethora of ways.
Donte DiVincenzo was coveted by the Warriors before signing a two-year contract with a player option for the second season. DiVincenzo opted out of the second year, cashing in over the summer on a four-year, $50 million contract to join the New York Knicks. He will be missed, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr knows his loss will have to be filled by more than one player.
“I thought Donte was so important for us last year because he was just in the mix all the time,” Kerr said Tuesday after Warriors practice. “He played with such good energy. And his intentions were always great. He impacted the game as soon as he got out there. That's why the fans loved him. We're going to miss Donte, but that's an open spot for somebody to step into.
“Maybe it's Brandin [Podziemski]. Maybe it's Moses [Moody], maybe it's someone else. I don't know. But we do have to replace what Donte gave us.”
What DiVincenzo gave the Warriors was someone who ranked sixth on the team in minutes (26.3) and points (9.4) per game. DiVincenzo finished fifth on the Warriors in rebounds per game (4.5), fourth in assists per game (3.5) and led the team in steals per game (1.3), while also shooting a career-best 39.7 percent from 3-point range.
A little bit of everything, night in and night out. That’s DiVincenzo’s style.
And Podziemski, the Warriors’ first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft who received DiVincenzo comparisons, took notice a little over an hour away while starring at Santa Clara University last year.
“Plenty, plenty,” Podziemski said Tuesday when asked if DiVincenzo’s name has come up throughout training camp.
“I kind of looked at what Donte, Ty Jerome and Anthony Lamb did last year and I kind of just put it all together and envisioned that’s how my role could be,” he continued. “Just impacting winning in any which way. Sometimes it’s scoring, sometimes it’s rebounding – it’s just different each and every night.
“Just from watching him afar from Santa Clara last year, just seeing their roles and how they impacted winning I think is something I can do.”
Podziemski was Santa Clara’s go-to scorer, averaging 19.9 points per game as a knock-down shooter who made 43.8 percent of his 3-point attempts. The 6-foot-4 guard also led the West Coast Conference in rebounds per game (8.8) and was fourth in both assists per game (3.7) and steals per game (1.8).
He showcased his ability to fulfill the pre-draft DiVincenzo comparisons in the Warriors’ first preseason game, scoring 11 points in their 125-108 win against the Los Angeles Lakers, as well as adding six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block.
But cracking the Warriors’ rotation as a rookie never is easy, especially with how many veteran guards Golden State has.
Moody, 21, can’t be seen as a veteran yet. However, the third-year shooting guard/small forward is expected to have a big role in his third pro season and is coming off a playoff run where he averaged 18 minutes over the final five games. Moody saw the effort DiVincenzo put forth in the little things and believes he’s equipped to step into DiVincenzo’s shoes. The former first-round pick scored 15 points off the bench in Saturday night’s win, also grabbing four rebounds and finding teammates for two assists.
“Donte was a really good corner rebounder, just active running through the pass,” Moody said. “He did a lot of things anybody could do. It’s just being willing to do it and knowing what to do, how to do it. It’s all things I think I can add.”
On certain nights, Moody will be asked to give Kerr what DiVincenzo did for one season in a Warriors jersey. On other nights, Kerr might turn to his rookie. A sprinkle of Gary Payton II never hurts either.
This won’t be a player-for-player swap, and it doesn’t have to be.
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