Draft
Dunleavy had two picks in his first NBA Draft -- the 19th overall pick and the 57th pick he acquired for Baldwin as part of the deal with the Wizards. Although just a quarter of the way through their rookie seasons, it appears as if the new GM hit on both selections.
Brandin Podziemski
Even the most optimistic observers couldn't have forecast the sort of impact Brandin Podziemski has had over Golden State's first 20 games. Many wanted Dunleavy to select Cam Whitmore with the 19th pick, a high upside prospect who slid from a consensus top 10 pick before ultimately being taken 20th by the Houston Rockets.
Instead, Dunleavy took Podziemski, a young guard with two years of college experience. The 20-year-old flashed impressive ball-handling, decision-making and playmaking during Summer League, but shot the ball poorly across the campaign. The results were not overly exciting nor overly concerning, yet most would evaluate that plenty of G League action was to come in his rookie year.
Fast-forward to now and Podziemski just played over 36 minutes for the Warriors in a game that included the starting guard pair of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. That came after over 31 minutes in the first matchup with the Clippers on Thursday, with the lefty closing for Golden State in both games.
'Podz' is averaging 7.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 18.7 minutes per game, shooting 45.8% from the floor and 44.1% from three-point range. Those numbers don't tell the full story though -- it's the hustle plays, drawn charges and general work ethic that's endeared him to DubNation early on.
Steve Kerr recently labelled Podziemski 'simply a winner', outlined in the fact he's finished 12 of his 14 games with a positive plus-minus. He looks like an early steal of the 2023 Draft class, and right now there's nothing more Dunleavy could have done with that selection.
Grade: A+
Podz almost had a WILD highlight on both ends pic.twitter.com/qHbFFtQQoP
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 2, 2023
Trayce Jackson-Davis
Trayce Jackson-Davis hasn't quite received the same opportunity as Podziemski in recent times, but many fans are clamouring for the 57th overall pick to play more. Not once as he looked out of place on an NBA floor, having appeared in 13 games for the Warriors thus far.
Jackson-Davis brings an an athletic rim-running and lob threat the franchise doesn't otherwise have at the center position, while his timing, positioning and general IQ on defense has also been a highlight.
The 23-year-old is NBA ready, he's just stuck behind three veteran players in Draymond Green, Kevon Looney and Dario Saric. You could make the argument Jackson-Davis has already done more than you could ever expect from a 57th overall pick -- not only did the Warriors save money by trading Baldwin for him, they also got a better player and prospect.
Grade: A