Steph, Draymond catches preview of Warriors future in win over Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Stephen Curry watched from the opening tip, the spectacular and the terrible, from a seat on the bench of the Warriors, where near the end he was joined by Draymond Green, who fouled with 8.3 seconds remaining in a two-point game.
From the sideline, Golden State’s twin touchstones, withdrawn and unavailable, glimpsed Golden State’s future. The one that exists when they are retired and no longer available.
The thirty-year veterans had to like, maybe love, what the saw of 21-year-old Brandin Podziemski and 22-year-old Jonathan Kuminga, two youngsters the front office hopes can develop into All-Stars.
The Warriors won’t win many games with Curry and Green watching the crucial minutes, but Podziemski and Kuminga made sure they got this one, a. 127-121 overtime win over the massed Rockets on their floor in Houston.
The Warriors would not have pushed this game into OT without Podziemski’s perfect fourth-quarter shooting (3 of 3). The 6-foot-4 combo guard succeeded not with textbook jump shots but with exquisite footwork and his trademark.
“He took Amen to the post a couple of times,” Green, referring to 6-foot-7 Amen Thompson, told reporters at Toyota Center. “He gets in there over bigger guys and makes those shots. As much as I want to applaud his skill, that’s heart. That’s “I want the ball at that moment, and I’m going to do whatever I have to do to win this basketball.”
“Obviously, his footwork, taking guys to the post, the footwork was great. But that is pure will and determination. That’s why he leads the league in plus/minus. At that moment, regardless of how it went, he wanted the ball. He took tough shots, and he took tough shots.”
The warriors were beaten in the fourth, losing the quarter 39-23. Podziemski scored seven of those points, all within the final four minutes, the last a 12-foot turnaround fadeaway that gave Golden State a 118-112 lead with 51.5 seconds remaining.
“We were killed,” Podziemski said. “My mindset was ‘I’m going to try to go get a bucket. If we lose, we’re going to lose. Somebody’s going to have to try to get a bucket.’ That was my mindset.”
But no. The Rockets got a 3-pointer from Jabari Smith Jr. and four free throws before the end of regulation, and the Warriors’ final point before OT came when Podziemski split two free throws with 28.4 seconds remaining.
When Green was whistled for his disqualifying sixth foul 20 seconds later, circumstances appeared to darken. The Warriors, who shot 36.4 percent from the field in the second half, went into OT against a Houston team that scored 76 points on 57.1 percent shooting from the field — including 52.6 percent from distance — in the third and fourth quarters.
With Curry and Green watching for OT, Kuminga called on his lead gen and lit up the Rockets and their building.
“I went into overtime just wanting to play great defense, so I put (Kevon Looney) and Kyle (Anderson) in,” Kerr said. “We needed JK’s ability to beat the switches and get down.”
Kerr got his wish. The Warriors limited Houston to 1-of-12 shooting in OT, and Kuminga tore through its defense like a hot arrow through tissue paper.
Kuminga’s “hello” to the Rockets was a mid-range turnaround jumper 40 seconds into OT, putting the Warriors up two. His “good evening” was a transition layup that put them up four with 3:05 remaining. His “good night” was another blast through the Houston defense for a layup that put the score at 127-121 with 1:18 remaining.
“He just took over,” Kerr said of Kuminga. “He was amazing.”
When Kuminga came off the floor, Draymond was there with a hello and a hug. He was particularly interested in Kuminga because the Warriors selected the youngster seventh overall in the 2021 draft. Kuminga doesn’t have Draymond’s aptitude for the game, and they both know it. Draymond doesn’t have the amazing athleticism of Kuminga.
Podziemski doesn’t have Curry’s equal shooting/scoring ability — no one does — or his flair for the dramatic. Curry doesn’t have Podziemski’s gift for rebounding or troubling opponents. What they share, and it’s significant, is a swaggering serenity in big moments.
Kuminga won’t be the next Draymond, but that won’t stop Green from mentoring. Podziemski won’t be the next Steph, but that won’t stop Curry from cheering.
The Golden State bar set by Curry and Green is incredibly high. It is unrealistic to believe that Podziemski and Kuminga can meet it.
It is quite realistic to believe that the youngsters are better off to breathe the same air as the decorated vets who have seen them finish a daunting job.
