Tuesday's 134-125 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies provided a stark reminder of just how deadly Golden State Warriors veterans Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green can be when there's more than just a regular season win on the line.
Curry went for 12 threes and an astonishing 52 points, Butler had his Warrior career-high with 27, and Green posted his first triple-double of the season with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. While the Golden State veterans were terrific, their younger players were less so in an environment that felt very much like a playoff setting from the opening tip.
The Warriors will rely heavily on their young players in the postseason
In fairness, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody each came up with huge plays in the final 90 seconds. The former soared in over Ja Morant for a massive tip-in to extend the Golden State lead to five with just over a minute remaining, before Moody sunk the dagger corner three on the next offensive possession.
The Warriors' four youngest and most inexperienced players -- Podziemski, Moody, Quinten Post and Gui Santos -- otherwise combined for just 31 points on 34 shots in a game where the team otherwise had it rolling offensively.
This isn't to say the young quartet were terrible by any means, but it does reiterate that the Warriors will enter this crucial final stretch of the regular season -- and then the postseason -- asking more of their young players than what we've ever seen before in the Steve Kerr era.
Golden State have five young players who could each figure prominently in the playoff rotation. Moody and Jonathan Kuminga each have less than 270 career playoff minutes, while Podziemski, Post and Santos haven't played a single second.
When the Warriors won the championship in 2022, Jordan Poole was the only player in the top 10 of the rotation that was under 25 and had less than five years of NBA experience. Poole again was the only one that fit those categories a year later when Golden State reached the second-round before falling to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now, as Golden State enters the 2025 postseason, they'll have Moody and Podziemski in starting roles, while Kuminga, Post and Santos could all see reasonable minutes. This is what fans have so often wanted -- for Kerr to hold greater faith in his young players.
But surely Kerr would also feel a little unsettled that he'll have to rely on young players in a postseason setting the way in which he never has had to before. It begs the question on whether we might see veterans like Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II play significantly more during the postseason, both of who have been long-term favorites of the head coach.
Whether Kerr can hold faith in his young players will be a wait and see, but the fact Moody and Podziemski had big moments late on Tuesday shouldn't be forgotten amid the brilliance of their veteran teammates.