Five years ago, the Golden State Warriors began the infamous process of building along separate timelines. With the selection of James Wiseman at No. 2 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, Golden State committed to extending the Stephen Curry era by developing top-tier young talent while simultaneously prioritizing players who provided present-day value.
It's taken five years to get here, but the Warriors' dream of drafting up-and-coming talent to take pressure off of Curry is finally taking shape in 2025-26.
Golden State has attached its dreams of a fifth championship in 11 years to a quartet of future Hall of Famers. Curry will share the perimeter with five-time All-NBA and five-time All-Defense honoree Jimmy Butler, while former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green has joined forces with five-time All-Star Al Horford.
Unfortunately, there are inherent limitations to what that group can realistically be expected to do considering they're all at least 35 years of age.
Thankfully, Golden State's long-term plan is finally paying dividends. Former first-round draft picks Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski are all 23 or younger, and in 2025-26, becoming the type of players who can put the team on their collective backs in a pinch.
It's still early in the 2025-26 season, but the Warriors are looking like a true contender with Kuminga, Moody, and Podziemski seemingly ready to make a leap.
Warriors' young core can finally win games when veterans need rest
Golden State played four games in six days to start the 2025-26 season, with the second leg of a back-to-back immediately bringing the tally to five outings in a week's time. That inevitably left the Warriors in the position of needing to alleviate some of the pressure from the veterans.
Kuminga, Moody, and Podziemski responded to the Warriors' call to action by turning in what may have been their best game as a trio.
Kuminga went off to the tune of 25 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three offensive boards, and a block on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and a 7-of-8 mark at the free throw line. Podziemski wasn't far behind with 23 points and six assists of his own.
Not to be overshadowed by his fellow up-and-comers, Moody posted 20 points, two blocks, and a steal in just 22 minutes of action, shooting 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Butler still turned in 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists, and Green dished out a game-high 10 assists himself. Even Curry stepped up with 16 points. The constant, however, is that no member of that veteran trio played more than 31 minutes.
Most importantly: Kuminga, Moody, and Podziemski combined for 21 of the Warriors' 33 fourth quarter points during the 131-118 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski: Closers?
Golden State turning to its young cornerstones to lead it to a win is a positive sign no matter which angle it's evaluated from. The most compelling aspect of the aforementioned trio's success, however, is that they finally have support as far as ushering in a new generation of Warriors basketball is concerned.
Rookie wing Will Richard has been steadily turning heads in recent weeks and 25-year-old center Quinten Post helped anchor the defensive interior against Memphis with Horford absent.
No matter who else steps up, the bottom line is that Kuminga, Moody, and Podziemski appear ready to offer nightly value. Kuminga is in tremendous form, excelling as a scorer, playmaker, rebounder, and defender early in the 2025-26 season.
Podziemski, meanwhile, proved himself as a starting-caliber guard in 2024-25 and is primed to turn in an even better season in 2025-26.
The major question mark is Moody, who took a significant step forward during the 2024-25 regular season but struggled during the playoffs. Thankfully, he's playing with confidence and trusting his jump shot while providing energy on defense.
It's too early for any definitive statements to be made about the timelines officially merging, but after five long years, the Warriors have finally reached a point of convergence.