The Warriors Beat Is Ahead of the Paperwork
Local coverage this week is confident about a contract, a comeback and a rookie's workload, but the numbers behind each story haven't caught up yet.
NBC Sports Bay Area and Golden State of Mind are debating an extension nobody has priced, a win that left more doubt than relief, and a rookie Steve Kerr won't stop praising even as he limps. Each storyline touches a real Warriors number already on record; none of the coverage quite lines up with it yet.
A Good Deal, By Whose Numbers
Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area argued Podziemski's five-year extension is a good deal for the Warriors, and Draymond Green, per the same outlet, detailed what it called an interesting part of that contract's structure. Golden State agreed to the deal on October 10. The salary and the option terms still haven't been reported anywhere, the same gap that has sat open on Curry's extension since September 25. Judging whether it is a good deal, right now, is judging a number nobody outside the building has seen.
A Win With More Critics Than Fans
Monte Poole wrote for NBC Sports Bay Area that the Warriors have more to critique than celebrate despite Tuesday's comeback over the Lakers in Las Vegas. Dalton Johnson's own numbers back him up: the Warriors have committed 104 turnovers across five preseason games, 20 of them in this one alone against the Lakers' 30. A team that erased a 20-point deficit and still can't hold the ball is exactly the kind of result that reads differently depending on which half you watch.
Kerr's Rookie Praise Meets a Limp
Steve Kerr called Yaxel Lendeborg his most pro-ready rookie ever, full stop, according to Dalton Johnson. The same reporter's takeaways from the Lakers game flagged Lendeborg limping late. Nothing about his role has shrunk yet: he led the Warriors with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 26 minutes, the same workload Brandin Podziemski carried. Whatever is bothering him hasn't cost him a single minute so far.
Kerr Talks Parity, His Front Office Already Answered
Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area he likes parity but wants to see teams stay together too, speaking about the league in general. His own front office has already made that call at home, extending Curry on September 25 and Podziemski on October 10 rather than letting either approach free agency. Golden State is carrying $223.3 million in salary, past the league's $221.7 million second apron, to keep that spine in place. Kerr was talking about the NBA. His roster is the example.
Has Brandin Podziemski's contract extension been reported with salary details?
No. The Warriors and Podziemski agreed to a five-year extension on October 10, but the salary and option terms have not been reported yet.
How did the Warriors come back from 20 down against the Lakers?
Golden State held Los Angeles to 13 points in both the third and fourth quarters, closing out a 101-89 win in Las Vegas despite piling up 20 turnovers of its own.
