Brandin Podziemski earned his second career start on Saturday and helped the Golden State Warriors snap a three-game losing streak with a strong effort.
Podziemski produced 19 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals and one blocked shot in a 124-120 win over the Brooklyn Nets. He finished 7-of-15 from the field, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range, in 32 minutes.
The 19th pick played smart in the contest and had several hustle plays. He had a key 3-pointer with under eight minutes to play to give the Warriors the lead, a play that resulted from his ball movement.
Plays like that, Stephen Curry said, have been impressive.
Some of the stuff that he does, you can’t teach. It is a feel of being in the right place, anticipating plays (and) hustle. He is a master right now of the things you can control in the game of basketball: Trying to make the right play, giving the extra effort and the will to impact the game. Those intangibles are huge. … Keep doing that, and he’ll get rewarded for it.
PODZ GO-AHEAD THREE pic.twitter.com/zCz5u7b6LD
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 17, 2023
Podziemski played sparingly to start the season and even spent time in the G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors. However, head coach Steve Kerr opted to insert him into the rotation last month because of his ability as a playmaker at point guard.
He is averaging 8.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 41.8% shooting from 3-point range in 19 games this season with the Warriors. He has scored in double figures eight times, including a career-high 23 points on Nov. 14 in a loss to Minnesota.
“One of the reasons we want him out there with Steph is he gives us another playmaker, another ball-handler,” Kerr said. “He is just in the mix. He is one of those guys who is always in the right spot because he sees the game and he anticipates. Brandin is earning his stripes here in his rookie year.”
Podziemski, along with rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis, has earned praise from the team for bringing energy every game. He prides himself on playing smart basketball and being a quick learner, two areas that have been on display this season.
“When you’re not as athletic as maybe a Jonathan Kuminga, you have to kind of rely on your positioning to sort of overlook those deficiencies,” Podziemski said. “For me, being in the right spots, knowing basketball and knowing what the team is trying to get to at a certain moment has helped me tremendously throughout my career.”
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