Golden State Warriors Lean On Rookie Brandon Podziemski Amidst Struggles
It’s been nearly nine years since Golden State won their first title of the Steph Curry era. Since then, their core three of Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson have brought three more titles to the Bay. They’ve encountered bumps in the road, such as Thompson’s ACL and Achilles tears, yet have overcome these obstacles to return to the promise land.
For the last decade, they’ve been the NBA’s premier franchise, but that title may finally be in jeopardy. Green is still one of the league’s very best defensive players, but can’t stay out of his way. On-court altercations have forced him to miss games; he’s currently serving an indefinite suspension for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic. Thompson’s offensive efficiency has plummeted as he’s shooting at a career-low mark from 3. Consequently, Golden State finds themself with 11 wins and 14th losses, good for the 11th seed in the West.
As a result, Coach Steve Kerr has looked to younger players such as Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody to step up and fill the void of the aging legends. Additionally, Brandin Podziemski has earned increased playing time through his stellar performance so far this season. Drafted with the No. 19 pick out of Santa Clara, the 20-year-old is averaging 8.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. He’s also knocked down over 38% of his 3s. Podziemski skilled shot-making and handling guile stick out in a Warriors’ rotation starved of capable offensive creators.
Two games ago, Coach Kerr inserted Podziemski into the starting lineup in place of Andrew Wiggins, giving the 6-foot-4 guard the ultimate signal of confidence. He struggled in his first career start against the Los Angeles Clippers. He shot just 2-for-11 from the field, notching a mere four points and two assists while missing all three of his looks from beyond the arc. He did grab seven boards and rack up three steals, but this pedestrian performance played a part in Golden State’s loss that night.
However, in his second career start against the Brooklyn Nets last night, Podziemski made up for his previous lackluster performance. In a win, he recorded 19 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals while going 4-for-9 from deep. If he continues this level of play, Podziemski could find himself as a mainstay in the starting lineup as he inches closer to franchise cornerstone status in the Bay.
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