Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Tuesday, May 21st.
Despite a disappointing season for the Golden State Warriors, there were significant bright spots in the performances of rookies Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis. The duo logged meaningful minutes in their debut season, exceeding the conventional expectations set by previous Golden State rookies.
Podziemski’s impressive play earned him a spot on the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team, but his joy was tempered by his teammate Jackson-Davis narrowly missing the cut by a single vote.
The complete voting results for the 2023-24 Kia NBA All-Rookie Team: pic.twitter.com/XNBPruS5FO
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 20, 2024
@TrayceJackson got snubbed ♂️
— Brandin Podziemski (@brandinpodziem2) May 20, 2024
Jackson-Davis was widely regarded as one of the steals of the 2023 NBA Draft, having been selected 57th overall by the Warriors. He played in 68 games for Golden State, averaging 7.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks. While his stats don’t jump off the page, his contributions were crucial, especially as the team’s starting center during their late-season push for the Play-In Tournament. Jackson-Davis asserted his presence around the rim on both ends of the floor, aiding the Warriors to a 9-2 finish to the season.
And who can forget the standout moment of his season, a spectacular dunk over the NBA’s Rookie of the Year, Victor Wembanyama.
TJD POSTER ON WEMBY
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 12, 2024
OMG pic.twitter.com/ajU4JUKid6
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Tuesday, May 21st:
Trayce Jackson-Davis received 42 points from voters. All 42 were to the second team, which each amount to one point. GG Jackson II of the Memphis Grizzlies received 33 votes to the second team, but also five first-team votes, giving Jackson 43 total points as the fifth and final member of the All-Rookie Second Team.
“It makes me upset for him,” Podziemski told reporters Monday at Chase Center and over Zoom. “We’ve been through everything together.”
The Warriors found the steal of the draft in the second round, No. 57 overall, adding Jackson-Davis with the second-to-last overall pick. The 6-foot-9 center counted his accolades in his four-year career at Indiana, but his age at 23 years old (Jackson-Davis turned 24 in February) was a detriment for his draft stock in an age where the NBA values potential over production from prospects.
“[Towns’] growth is incredible,” Green said on his podcast. “I applaud that. You’ve got to love it. And you’ve also got to give some credit to the guys that surround him. Somebody’s pulling something out of him that they didn’t know they had ... He’s carrying these guys — I thought they [were] toast. [They] should have been. Kept going. Kept fighting. Got to love it.
“I tip my hat to them — it’s going to be interesting to see them versus Dallas [Mavericks] next series. It’s going to be a hell of a matchup.”
The three former referees interviewed for this article, each no longer under the watchful eye of the league, note that the Paul-Foster feud has been narrated from one side. The NBA largely restricts officials from speaking to the media, so the only vantage of the conflict, they claim, has been through Paul’s lens.
Spooner, the retired ref with 32 years in the league, said he thinks Paul has been building a calculated campaign against Foster.
“I’m going to tell you, and I know you are recording me, but I get asked all the time: ‘Who are some of the tough guys, some of the bad guys?’ And when I tell them that Chris Paul, in my 32 years in the league, was one of the biggest a–holes I ever dealt with, they say, ‘Not Rasheed Wallace … or da-da-da?’ Nope. Nothing like (Paul),” Spooner said. “And they are like, ‘Oh, he seems like such a nice guy.’ And I say, ‘Yeah, he’s a great image cultivator.’”
.@anthonyVslater breaks down what signals #DubNation should be on the lookout for pic.twitter.com/0nGHGgWKBD
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) May 20, 2024
The moment Brandin found out he made All-Rookie First Team. pic.twitter.com/Wx1W36Ggv7
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 20, 2024
Matchup to watch: An elite battle on the perimeter
It’s the league’s highest-scoring tandem against one of its best pairs of perimeter defenders. Edwards already showed the Timberwolves’ hand, declaring in his post-Game 7 interview that his matchup would be Irving, meaning McDaniels will be the primary defender on Doncic.
The smothering defense of McDaniels and Edwards factored into one of the most memorable moments of the Mavs’ stumble into the lottery last season. Down three in the final seconds of Irving’s Mavs home debut, Irving and Doncic passed the ball back and forth, unable to get a decent look, before Irving coughed up a turnover — a scene that foreshadowed Dallas’ disappointing finish.
But Irving and Doncic combined for 69 points in that loss and matched that total in a Jan. 7 win over the Wolves, which was the only occasion they both played in four meetings against Minnesota this season.
Most-Likely Outcome
Like any prospect, James needs to make the most out of whatever opportunity he gets. If he puts in the work and develops, he could carve out a lengthy career in the league as a role player. His initial focus should be on defense and shooting. Longer term, he needs to improve as a shot-creator.
The most likely spot for him is to land with the Lakers, either at No. 55 or by the team climbing via trade to select him. The team could keep him on the standard roster or sign him as a two-way. Either way, he would probably spend most of his time with the South Bay Lakers.
If another team selects him first—for basketball or business reasons—James will follow a similar development path. He needs time on the court to grow as a player, and that’s likely part-time in the NBA but primarily in the G League.
The 2023-24 @NBA All-Rookie Teams pic.twitter.com/Iqzm8bODOe
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 20, 2024
He finished the season with averages of 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, against just 1.2 turnovers. Podziemski shot 38.5% on three and just below 50% on his two-pointers, while drawing a charge every other game and averaging 0.8 steals. It’s hard to imagine the Warriors expected more from this pick, and he feels nearly untradeable.
The last Warriors to finish on the All-Rookie first team was Eric Paschall in 2020, who most recently played for Leones de Ponce in Puerto Rico’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional. Before that, Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson were first-teamers in 2013 and 2012, as was Curry in 2010. Before that, you have to go all the way back to 2002, when dunk champ Jason Richardson made the first team, and 2001, when center Marc “Unstoppable Baby!” Jackson was a first-teamer.
Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
