Surprising Warriors player features in ESPN's Top 100

Much has been made of the Golden State Warriors lack of star quality on their roster beyond Stephen Curry, and whether one or two of their young players can take the neccesary steps to fill that void.

Going back to the top 100 NBA 2K ratings prior to the game's launch in September, the Warriors only had two players featured with Curry seventh and fellow veteran Draymond Green ranked 65th.

Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski made the ESPN's top 100

It seems ESPN has already seen enough from one young Warrior player though, with second-year guard Brandin Podziemski earning a place in their top 100 NBA players entering the 2024-25 season.

Podziemski wasn't just a throw in toward the end of the list either, coming in above a number of more proven players at 78th on the list. Given the 21-year-old didn't feature in 2K's top 100 or a similar ranking by Action Sports Network, it's a little surprising that he ranked so highly with ESPN.

Podziemski, along with his fellow 2023 draft classmate Trayce Jackson-Davis is the closest Golden State has gotten to the franchise's "win now while investing in the future" mantra," Kendra Andrews wrote.

Last year's 19th overall pick surpassed all expectation in his rookie season, averaging over 26 minutes in 74 appearances that included briefly supplanting Klay Thompson as Golden State's starting shooting guard either side of the All-Star break.

Podziemski averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season, having shot 38.5% from three-point range while also leading the entire league in charges drawn. With Thompson and another veteran guard in Chris Paul departing during the summer, Podziemski's responsibility is only set to heighten this season.

The 6'5" guard is set to be the backup to Stephen Curry, having showcased his playmaking skills with a team-high 4.5 assists per game throughout the preseason. Podziemski has also shot 41.7% from three-point range, but missed Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a broken nose sustained against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

Podziemski is Golden State's third-best player according to ESPN, with Draymond Green ranked 66th after being 55th this time last year. Despite coming off a career-worst season, Andrew Wiggins maintained his spot in the top 100 at 90th on the list.

Neither Wiggins or Podziemski featured in 2K or Action Sports Network's top 100, but the latter did have Jonathan Kuminga at 75th in their rankings. It goes to show the evenness of the Golden State roster, not to mention the different evaluations on young players like Podziemski and Kuminga.

ESPN are expected to publish their top 10 rankings on Thursday, with Curry to feature in another display of his longevity as the 2x MVP enters his 16th NBA season.