As the Golden State Warriors’ aging core enters the 2025-26 NBA season with title contention aspirations, one up-and-comer on the squad is already eyeing a future leadership role. However, on Sunday, Warriors veteran star forward Draymond Green issued a cautionary message about the dangers of young players becoming too overzealous.
After signing 19th-year center Al Horford in free agency, Golden State is projected to start four players aged 35 or older (Green, Horford, Stephen Curry, and Jimmy Butler III). With so much experience on the roster, mentorship should be abundant in the Bay Area.
Still, that didn’t stop third-year shooting guard Brandin Podziemski from opening up about his desire to one day take the reins from his team’s stalwarts.
Draymond Green’s Thoughts on Brandin Podziemski’s Leadership Ambitions
In an October 8 interview with The Athletic’s Nick Friedell, Podziemski spoke in detail about his intention to further earn his teammates’ trust so he can take charge when Curry and Co. retire.
“There’s a next step in evolving emotionally and as a leader,” Podziemski told Friedell. “Having confidence from your teammates is one thing, especially the vets … for them to have trust in you is a different thing, and you got to earn that over time, and I think that’s a goal of mine going into this season.”
“When they leave this thing, they got to leave it with somebody,” Podziemski continued. “How can I have their trust? And they can go to [owner] Joe [Lacob] and [general manager] Mike [Dunleavy Jr.], and be like, ‘Hey, we want to leave it with him. He’s going to continue what we’re leaving.'”
Over his first two seasons, Podziemski has proven to be a versatile, high-IQ guard whose complementary playmaking, catch-and-shoot skills, and solid rebounding have given the Warriors a boost. Still, Green believes the 22-year-old has a long way to go before becoming an esteemed locker room presence and shouldn’t try to overextend himself too soon.
“To hear BP say that, it’s exciting, but still, as a leader for him, you also understand what that comes with,” Green said after Sunday’s practice. “So, with him, I say, ‘Be careful. Don’t tell people too much.’ The more you tell people, the more they use it against you and try to tear you down. So, I think you can look at the trajectory of this thing and where it’s all going, and we all believe that he’s going to be one of the guys that takes the torch and runs with it, but be careful.”
Green continued to explain how Golden State’s young prospects don’t get “crushed” by the media like its high-profile players do, cautioning Podziemski about seeking to carry that “heavy weight.”
“I don’t want him to jump the gun on that and allow people to use it against him, and then people start trying to speed your clock up,” Green elaborated. “… I would hate to see that happen to him. Because if they try to speed up your clock, but you don’t quite have the opportunity to do what they’re trying to speed you up to do, then it’s an unfair shot, right?”
In addition to building rapport, a breakout Year 3 would likely help validate Podziemski’s mid-career leadership ambitions. Across 64 appearances last season, he averaged 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.8 3-pointers per game, shooting 44.5%.
The Warriors’ shooting guard position remains wide open, boding well for the 2023 No. 19 pick’s chances of taking the next step.
