30 CRITICAL Questions For 30 NBA Young Cores | Pacific Division
Our own Nathan Grubel continues his 2025-26 NBA season preview series by evaluating critical questions surrounding each team's young core, this time covering the Pacific Division.
The 2025-26 NBA season is ALMOST HERE!
It’s felt like an eternity to get to this point, but NBA fans are almost back in front of their screens with live basketball to consume and enjoy.
With preseason games getting underway in short order, it’s a great time to evaluate each NBA team’s young core by asking and answering some critical questions that will impact both this season and beyond for each franchise.
I’ll be going through each division one by one to ask and answer a question involving one or multiple young players in the league, as there’s a reason to watch any team on any given night.
Let’s keep it rolling with the Pacific Division!
Golden State Warriors
Question: What Would A Leap From Brandin Podziemski Mean?
To an extent, Brandin Podziemski has already broken out for the Golden State Warriors.
He’s had his fair share of big-time performances, and his numbers across the board painted a picture of an efficient combo guard last season.
That being said, there’s always room for improvement for any young player, including Podz.
Defensively, Podziemski can continue to make strides. He’s already tough as nails on the ball and doesn’t let opponents bump him off spots easily. He’s strong, slides his feet well, and is underrated at creating deflections and forcing steals. There are moments, though, when he needs to dial it in away from the basketball and continue improving as a screen navigator. But Podz’s competitive nature has the arrow trending upward on that end of the floor, and Golden State needs as much defensive support in the backcourt as the team can get.
On offense, Podziemski’s ball-handling could stand to get a bit tighter, as well as his use of fakes and counters to create separation in one-on-one situations. As a shooter, Podziemski can work off screening actions, and knows where to re-position for catch-and-shoot opportunities. He’s a great cutter, and he is at his best using a screen to get downhill and attack the defense on the move.
From a standstill, however, Podziemski hasn’t quite broken out as an efficient scorer, and this is a key area for improvement as Golden State leans on him as a clear third shot creator behind Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler.
If Podziemski can tie more of these puzzle pieces together, there’s a real chance he emerges as an All-Star caliber player. It’s tough to make it as an All-Star in either conference, especially the West, but in terms of being that good of a talent, Podziemski has that “it” factor to him that adds some swagger to Golden State’s rotation.
Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, Podziemski will get his fair share of minutes this year and beyond in Golden State. His continued progression on both ends of the floor is one of the largest x-factors for the Warriors. If he can break out in a big way, it could make a massive difference between a middling team in the West and a true playoff contender.
LA Clippers
Question: Which Young Player Has The Best Chance To Earn A Rotation Spot?
I’m going to be perfectly honest: there likely isn’t a young member of the LA Clippers who cracks the rotation this year, barring several key injuries.
As it stands, the Clippers are at least 11 players deep with established veterans who are legitimately good players. From Kawhi Leonard and James Harden to Bradley Beal and Brook Lopez, this team is deep and hungry to compete for an NBA championship.
BUT… the question must still be asked because injuries do happen, and cluster injuries could pile up and create chaos for any team looking to tread water in the regular season.
If the injury bug were to strike the Clippers, my money would be on Cam Christie to have the cleanest path to minutes in a rotational role as a deeper bench reserve.
The 6’5” shooting guard looked excellent in recent Summer League stretches, popping in a big way as a shot maker and versatile wing defender. That’s a skill set that can take a player a long way in the NBA as a role guy off the bench, and Christie’s shooting as an off-ball threat is a clear separator between some other young talents on the roster who aren’t as established quite yet. He’s performed in the G League, and he has done what’s been asked of him to this point in his career.
Another popular answer to this question could be Yanic Konan Niederhauser, the recent first round pick of the Clippers in the 2025 NBA Draft. The athletic big man is a walking highlight reel as an above-the-rim finisher and shot blocker akin to Jaxson Hayes. Still raw in numerous areas of his game, Niederhauser could get a chance if both Lopez and Ivica Zubac have to miss extended time, although Los Angeles could get creative with some small-ball looks if needed.
Others who are in the conversation on the roster include Kobe Brown, Jordan Miller, and Kobe Sanders. Trentyn Flowers is waiting in the wings from a developmental standpoint and has the athletic traits to play both ends of the floor down the road.
But as far as who I would bet on getting the first chances at any available minutes, look for Christie and Niederhauser to emerge as the most viable options of the Clippers’ young talent.
Los Angeles Lakers
Question: Is Jake LaRavia A Meaningful Piece For The Lakers In The Western Conference?
Out of all the options the Los Angeles Lakers could’ve targeted in the offseason with a mid-level deal, I didn’t have Jake LaRavia on the bingo card. But the Lakers went and grabbed the 6’8” swingman and brought him into a contending situation in the Western Conference.
While LaRavia hasn’t quite put it together in a big way in previous stops, LaRavia showed flashes for both the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings to suggest he’s a useful bench player to have in the mix, thanks to his combination of processing speed, shooting, and toughness as a combo forward.
LaRavia doesn’t back down from a challenge defensively. He isn’t a wing stopper by any means, but he plays physical and has great instincts away from the ball. LaRavia knows when he needs to rotate and how to play passing angles off the ball to tighten those windows and make life a bit more difficult for the opposing offense. He’s always been an excellent positional rebounder, dating back to his college days at Wake Forest. It’s an underrated aspect of defensive value because he can consistently end possessions and get his team going on the break as a transition ball handler and outlet passing threat.
Offensively, it really comes down to the shot for LaRavia. He has some tertiary passing chops and can find guys on the move after attacking a closeout, but you aren’t running segments of the offense through Jake. He’s primarily a catch-and-shoot offensive player who relies on open corner looks to set himself up for success. His percentages from the corners dipped a bit last year, but he has been over 40% for his career so far on those looks. As he continues to improve as a shooter coming off movement, LaRavia offers utility at his size that the Lakers don’t really have much of on the roster.
Guys who succeed in the playoffs have some traits in common. They read the floor and map the court well to find success both on and off the ball, possess some degree of shooting ability, and play a physical brand of defense so they can compete guarding multiple positions. LaRavia has a lot of these characteristics, while still having plenty of room to grow as a scorer and ball handler offensively.
Clearly, the Lakers believe in LaRavia as a missing piece off the bench for a team that’s looking to potentially win an NBA championship. LaRavia is due for the right opportunity, and he may very well have found his shot in Los Angeles alongside fellow AMR client Austin Reaves and the rest of the team’s core, headlined by LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
Phoenix Suns
Question: What Would A Ryan Dunn Leap Mean For The Suns?
Defensively, Ryan Dunn has been a menace for years, dating back to his college days at Virginia.
Few players possess the type of utility that Dunn does on the defensive end. His length, instincts, and motor allow him to guard perimeter talents and even scale up and play some small-ball big minutes as a secondary rim protector. His ability to create deflections and cause chaos as a playmaker on defense gives him a clear role on the Phoenix Suns as one of the team’s most important players on that end of the floor.
But after a hot start shooting the basketball, Dunn came back down to Earth and failed to live up to the hot streak he was on from three-point range. Granted, 31% from deep on a much more respectable number of total attempts compared to how many he got up in his sophomore year with Virginia is an accomplishment for the now second-year talent.
Still, the Suns will need more out of Dunn offensively if he is to fulfill his role as one of the team’s best “3-and-D” options at the forward spot.
One would hope that newly acquired Dillon Brooks takes him under his wing and helps him with his shooting, along with all of the other performance and skill development coaches he’s worked with in the past. His form is much improved compared to what it once was; all Dunn needs are the reps from outside to build his confidence.
In terms of the other areas where he can impact the game offensively, Dunn is a capable cutter and roller in certain situations as a play finisher. He’s a lob threat on the break, and he is a much more physical player around the basket than meets the eye.
I’m not expecting a massive leap for Dunn as far as his ball handling is concerned, but if he becomes a more complete play finisher with the shooting rounding out that skill set, along with everything he brings defensively as a rover and on-ball pain in the neck, there’s no question Dunn could become one of the most talked about sophomores this upcoming NBA season.
Phoenix likely isn’t making major noise in the West any time soon, but Devin Booker is still one of the best guards in the NBA. Jalen Green is still young enough to take a massive step forward, and the Suns have built competent depth in the frontcourt. If Dunn takes the type of leap that places him among the best in his draft class, who knows where the Suns could end up by season’s end in terms of trajectory despite an on-paper bleak outlook.
Sacramento Kings
Question: How Much Of An Impact Can Nique Clifford Have Early In The Season?
If you didn’t appreciate what Nique Clifford did for the Summer League Sacramento Kings, I’m not sure what to tell you.
Not only was Clifford at the top of his game as a connector wing, but some of the shots I saw him make in person left me speechless. Simply put, he stepped up as a mid-range shot maker in the way that stars typically do on an NBA floor.
Granted, it was Summer League. I’m well aware of the difference in competition between that of a game in Las Vegas vs. what Clifford will face from defenses in October through April. But one of the biggest questions for Clifford coming out of Colorado State was how polished of a scorer and shooter he would be at the NBA level.
Clifford was an interesting prospect case, as he started at the University of Colorado, but transferred down a level to play at Colorado State so he could expand his game and get more reps as a primary creator.
It worked out well for Clifford, as his combination of ball-handling, passing, and athleticism helped him pop on scouting radars along with his defensive acumen. Clifford’s motor always runs hot, as he had one of the most complete rebounding profiles for a wing that I’ve seen since Josh Hart was at Villanova.
Clifford’s case as a real-deal prospect came down to whether you bought into his outside jumper becoming a real tool in the tool belt for him. His explosive first step and ability to finish with either hand popped on film, but his inconsistencies at times as a shooter soured on his case as a complementary player.
Not only was Clifford looking every bit like a dynamic off-ball threat in Las Vegas, but his on-ball offensive ability was on full display from all three levels on the floor.
That type of wing might be too good to let waste on the bench in Sacramento, despite how many veterans are in front of him looking to get the Kings back in the playoff hunt.
Clifford ending the season as an All-Rookie First Team performer wouldn’t shock me in the slightest, as there’s a real chance he makes his mark early in the season on limited minutes and continues to expand his role within the team on both ends of the floor. Few players on the Kings’ roster possess his combination of lateral mobility, twitch, and overall understanding of where to be on both ends.
I’m a believer in Clifford’s ability to impact an NBA game, and there’s a real chance Clifford becomes a rotational mainstay by season’s end as one of the league’s breakout rookies.
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