For once, Golden State seems to have found a good rookie in the draft.
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, 120-114, in the 2023-2024 NBA regular season at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on Monday night.
Golden State got an even scoring distribution on the night, with seven players scoring in double figures, including ace Steph Curry, 카지노사이트 to secure the win. It was a satisfying win for a team that didn’t rely on one or two players.
The standouts were rookie Brandin Pogemski and veteran Dario Saric. Both players came off the bench in the second quarter and were the biggest contributors to the bench advantage against the Clippers. Pocic showed the poise and steady outside shooting of a rookie, while Saric played like a veteran and wore down the Clippers’ defense. The duo led Golden State’s offense with 10 points apiece at halftime.
The Warriors dominated the Clippers throughout the game. The starters were evenly matched, but it was the bench that gave the Warriors the edge and allowed them to secure the win. One of the key contributors to that fierce bench battle was Poczemski.
Pocic was selected by Golden State with the 19th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Shortly after the draft, Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. commented on the selection, saying, “He’s a player we’ve been looking for. He’s a guy that we’ve been looking at for a long time. We wanted him because he’s a great fit for Golden State basketball. He fits our style of basketball: shooting, passing, playmaking. I also like his competitive nature,” said Pocic on the selection.
So far, Poczemski’s play has been exactly what Dunleavy was talking about. In college, Poczemski was known as a scoring guard. Coming out of an obscure program at Santa Clara University, he averaged 20 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in the 2022-2023 season. From three-point range, he averaged 5.8 attempts and made 2.5 for a 43.8% success rate.
If you look at his stats, you’ll see that in college, Pogiemski was more of an individual scorer than a teammate, but he was highly regarded for his BQ and passing skills. Those strengths have translated to the NBA.
In the 2023-2024 season, Poczemski is averaging 7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. He’s taking 2.4 three-pointers per game and making one, a 42% success rate. He’s playing a similar style of basketball as he did in college, only with lower averages.
Golden State’s system is one of the most complex in the NBA. Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, and other players with complex movements and high BQs play demanding basketball. It’s extremely rare for rookies to adapt to Golden State’s system right away. It often takes at least a year or two to get up to speed.
However, Poczemski is adjusting quickly. Playing mostly off the bench, he and Saric, who also has a high BQ, have been able to play Golden State’s style of basketball without adjusting. Even when Green and Curry are on the bench, Pogba and Saric are filling the void. This is the biggest difference between last season’s Golden State and this season’s Golden State.
Head coach Steve Kerr and his teammates have praised Pocic’s play. “He’s been fantastic,” Kerr said in a postgame interview with the Clippers. He’s become a guy that I can count on and put in the game,” Kerr said after the game.