Steve Kerr and Erik Spoelstra aren't just flagbearers of the most successful NBA franchises of the last decade-plus. The Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat head coaches are colleagues with USA Basketball, too, their teams long known for ball and player movement, dominant defense and overall culture even before they roamed the sideline together for the national program.
Is it any surprise the Warriors and Heat had eyes for the same pair of players in the mid first round of the 2023 NBA Draft? Definitely not. What's surprised pretty much anyone outside Golden State and Miami, though, is the team-changing first-year success being enjoyed by both Brandin Podziemski and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Kerr was asked about the rookie standouts on Thursday before his team's clash with the Heat at Chase Center, revealing that he and Spoelstra shared a conversation on draft night about their mutual appreciation for each team's first-round pick.
“It is funny because you brought up Spo (Erik Spoelstra), we texted each other on draft night. We both said the same thing, ‘I love the guy that you got’,” Kerr recalled. “We loved the guy that we got but we also loved who they got. They really liked Brandin (Podziemski) and we really liked Jaime. That shows that our front offices are doing something right I guess. Those guys have both turned out to be really good players.”
Brandin Podziemski, Jaime Jaquez Jr. wildly exceeding rookie expectations
The Warriors and Heat were both rumored to have interest in Podziemski and Jaquez leading up to the draft. Miami took Jaquez with the No. 18 pick of the first round, while Golden State snapped up Podziemski just one selection later.
While they were viewed as highly skilled prospects with advanced feel for the game on both sides of the ball, full-time rotation spots weren't quite earmarked for either Podziemski nor Jaquez coming into 2023-24. Two months into the regular season, they haven't just cemented themselves as nightly contributor for Golden and Miami, but have crashed their teams' starting lineups to emerge as strong candidate for First Team All-Rookie.
Podziemski entered Thursday's action averaging 8.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, three assists and one steal in 28.9 minutes per game, shooting 40.5% from three-point range. Jaquez has been even more productive, becoming a lead scorer and playmaker for the Heat en route to 13.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game on solid 60.7% true shooting.
Dub Nation, obviously, knows Golden State got an absolute steal in Podziemski, who profiles as a team fixture for years to come. Jaquez's influence on Miami has probably been even bigger, though, and shows no signs of mitigating in wake of his historic performance in the shorthanded Heat's win on Christmas.
“It is impressive watching Jaime play,” Kerr said before the game. “He is strong, physical and very skilled. Obviously comes in with a lot of experience, he has made a huge impact.”
It's safe to say Spoelstra would echo almost the exact same sentiment about Podziemski.
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