On Thursday, the Golden State Warriors returned to action after the All-Star break with an impressive 128-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Stephen Curry starred for the home team with a 32-point showdown, while rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis had a sensational outing, scoring 17 points.
Advertisement
However, the young duo of Brandin Podziemski (10-9-1) and Jonathan Kuminga (12-3-3) made some crucial plays in the third quarter to take a 16-point lead. After the game, a delighted Draymond Green lauded the Warriors’ young stars. He said,
“We are on a great trajectory. You always hope that the young guys take a step in the right direction. And as we can see Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses [Moody], Trayce [Jackson-Davis], they’ve unlocked this team.
Adding about the future of the team and their targets in the remaining season, Green said, So I think the possibilities are endless. And this team has an unlimited amount of potential, and we’re trending in the right direction at the right time.”
Green and the Warriors have cause to be optimistic. In January, they were reeling at 20-24 and were well off the pace in the race for a playoff spot. However, they are 8-2 in the last ten outings and are now two games above .500 for the first time since mid-November. Even though Stephen Curry has shown his clutch magic time and again to keep his team in the game, the young core has helped the veteran in all sense.
However, the Warriors still have plenty of work to do to earn a spot in the playoffs. And Klay Thompson should be at the top of the priority list. He has just shown short bursts of the potential he possesses and has to come through if the Dubs Nation want to make a title run. They are four games behind the Dallas Mavericks, who occupy the sixth and final direct qualification spot. Curry and Co. have to continue on their current trajectory to play postseason basketball.
Warriors’ young stars are stepping up
The Warriors veterans Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins have had horrendous campaigns, while Chris Paul and Draymond Green have missed a massive chunk of the season due to injury and suspension. With the veterans unavailable or out of form, the team has had to rely on its young stars, and they’ve delivered.
Over the last ten games, only Stephen Curry (33 MPG) has played more minutes per game than rookie Brandin Podziemski (32.4) and Jonathan Kuminga (31.2). Podziemski has taken Thompson’s place in the starting five and is averaging 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game in his last ten appearances. Kuminga has also developed into a reliable scorer, averaging 18.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game over the last ten games.
Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis had a stellar outing against the Lakers and was critical in helping the Warriors record a win. Head coach Steve Kerr is deferring to the youngsters, and fortunately, they are keeping the season afloat. The Warriors will likely make sweeping changes to the roster in the offseason. For now, the kids will suffice.
