Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green loves Brandin Podziemski’s confidence. But he’s also issuing a veteran warning: don’t rush greatness.
Earlier this month, the third-year guard told The Athletic that he hopes to one day take the torch from Stephen Curry and Green when the Warriors’ dynasty era ends.
“When they leave this thing, they’ve got to leave it with somebody,” Podziemski told The Athletic. “How can I have their trust? And they can go to [owner] Joe [Lacob] and [general manager] Mike [Dunleavy] and be like, ‘Hey, we want to leave it with him. He’s going to continue what we’re leaving.’”
Days after declaring that ambition, Podziemski showcased exactly why that confidence might not be misplaced.
Starting in place of Curry, the 21-year-old guard led the Warriors with 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range, to go along with eight assists and five rebounds in a 126–116 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 12. His poise, decision-making, and two-way effort drew praise throughout the organization — and reinforced why Green believes in his young teammate’s future.
Draymond Green Praises Podziemski’s Swagger and Respect
Green said he appreciates Podziemski’s confidence and the respect he’s shown to them OGs.
“You’re worried a little more when someone struggles with confidence,” Green said. “It’s very hard to give someone confidence. I think with BP, one, you appreciate the respect. You go through so many years of building this thing up, you just hope that the young guys that come in respect you. Because if they do, there’s so much we can give.”
Green said both he and Curry care deeply about the future of the franchise. They both wanted to ride on the sunset on top but also at the same time, leave the franchise in good hands.
“Steph and myself — we care about the organization,” he added. “We don’t just care about this year for us. We’re tied to this thing forever. Our names will be on it forever. When I’m 45, I don’t want to come watch some sorry team play. I want to come when it’s jumpin’ — that matters.”
Green’s Warning: ‘Be Careful What You Say’
While Green supports Podziemski’s mindset, he urged caution in how much the young guard shares publicly.
“Be careful. Don’t tell people too much, because the more you tell people, the more they use it against you,” Green warned. “You can look at where it’s all going — we all believe he’s going to be one of the guys who takes the torch. But the moment you have a bad game, that’s when it turns.”
For Green, young players like Podziemski haven’t yet felt the full pressure of public scrutiny that comes with being the face of the franchise.
“When things go wrong, they don’t get crushed — we get crushed,” Green said. “We’ve gotten crushed for years, so it’s fine. But when you first start going through that, that’s different. I don’t want him to experience that before he has to.”
‘It’s Not His Time Yet’
Green said Podziemski’s role will grow naturally, but it’s not yet his moment to lead.
“He’ll be that, no question,” Green said. “But it ain’t his time yet. He doesn’t even have the opportunity to be that yet. He’ll continue to grow and walk right into it, but don’t force it. This offense isn’t built for him to take over — it’s built for him to be aggressive, not to take over.”
Green compared the process to his mother’s advice about staying young as long as possible.
“Be a kid as long as you can, because then you’ve got bills,” he said. “Stay in that spot as long as you can, because so much more comes with it when you get to the place you want to go.”
Confidence Without Limits
But while Green said that it’s not Podziemski’s time yet, he emphasized that he never wants to restrict his young teammate’s self-belief.
“If you rein it in too much, you change the guy,” he said. “Let him run rampant, and when he messes up, you help him out. Trying to correct confidence doesn’t work — you can’t give someone confidence. If you take it away, you can’t just give it back.”
The four-time champion wants Podziemski to focus on reading defenses, facilitating for the second unit, especially Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, and playing within the Warriors’ system — not forcing superstardom.
“He’s not going to go out there tomorrow and be Steph Curry or Jimmy Butler, — that’s not real,” Green said. “The growth you want to see is in his sequencing, his reads, his playmaking. That’s the growth — not him chucking up 30 shots just because others are out.”
Podziemski, 22, has impressed the Warriors with his maturity and confidence since being drafted No. 19 overall in 2023. Green, ever the mentor, simply wants to make sure his young teammate’s confidence becomes a weapon — not a target.
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