Draymond Green offers sage advice to $16.2 million guard after Klay Thompson's departure from Warriors - "You can fall into the trap"
Golden State Warriors sophomore guard Brandin Podziemski faces heightened expectations entering the 2024-25 NBA season following veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson's offseason departure. However, Warriors veteran forward Draymond Green doesn't want Podziemski to get caught up in trying to replace the four-time NBA champion.
In early July, Thompson joined the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million contract via a sign-and-trade deal. The move ended the five-time All-Star's 13-year tenure with Golden State, freeing up extensive minutes on the team's wing.
Coming off a standout rookie campaign, Podziemski is considered the favorite to replace Thompson as the Warriors' full-time starting shooting guard. Last season, he started in 28 contests en route to an NBA All-Rookie first team selection, showcasing his two-way versatility.
When asked at training camp "how ready" Podziemski is for a "higher-usage role and higher playmaking duties," Green cautioned his younger teammate. He underscored the importance of Podziemski staying true to his game and not trying to replicate Thompson's playstyle.
"I’ll warn him to be Brandin," Green said Wednesday. "You can fall into the trap of so many people saying, 'Ah, Klay's leaving, you gotta be that, you gotta do this.' No. Be you. You're gonna have a much better opportunity to succeed just being yourself than trying to fill somebody else's role."
Despite facing criticism for inconsistency last season, Thompson was Golden State's second-leading scorer behind superstar point guard Steph Curry. He averaged 17.9 points per game over 77 appearances, finishing fourth in the NBA in 3-pointers (268).
Meanwhile, Podziemski served as more of a connector, providing complementary scoring and playmaking while hustling on the defensive end.
Across 74 outings, Podziemski averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.2 3-pointers per game, shooting 45.4% and 38.5% from 3.
Draymond Green says Warriors will adjust around Brandin Podziemski if he continues embracing his skill set
During his cautionary message to Brandin Podziemski, Draymond Green added that Golden State could adapt to the sophomore taking on an increased workload. However, the four-time champion noted that his team will only do so if Podziemski continues playing to his skill set.
"If you do great things on the court and there's something great that you do, do that, because if you do it great, the team and the offense and organization will adjust to you," Green said. "... But if you go trying to be Klay or trying to be someone that you're not, it doesn't suit you that well."
With the Warriors lacking a proven secondary scoring option, someone on the squad will likely have to replace Klay Thompson's offensive production.
If Podziemski can do so while staying true to his game, he could be a massive bargain player for the franchise. The 21-year-old prospect is entering the second year of his four-year, $16.2 million rookie-scale contract, making him a far cheaper option than Thompson.
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