The Golden State Warriors made headlines hours before the draft with a blockbuster trade for Chris Paul, but there was also plenty of action during the draft in new general manager Mike Dunleavy’s first time at the helm.
Golden State picked up three players Thursday night. It drafted Santa Clara’s Brandin Podziemski with the 19th pick and Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis with the 57th. After the draft, Golden State agreed to a deal with undrafted free agent Javan Johnson from DePaul.
Dunleavy told reporters on Thursday that the Warriors will not rush their new rookie class and touched on the difficulty of transitioning to the NBA from college.
Mike Dunleavy Jr. says he doesn’t expect rookies to play right away, but believes Brandin Podziemski can “challenge” that notion pic.twitter.com/UvFgXYCJXB
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) June 23, 2023
“I would never draft anybody expecting them to play right away. I just think coming in as a rookie in the NBA, there’s too many challenges, there’s too much going on. If you can find a way to play, great, it’s gravy on top. I don’t care if you’re 19, 21, 25, there’s an amazing adjustment that has to take place. Everybody does it at their own speed.
So we’re going to bring these guys along. We’re going to develop them. If they can play right away, great. As far as we’re concerned, no expectation in Year 1. It’s unrealistic, and if they do end up playing well, it’s a bonus.”
