Jimmy Butler may really have revived the Golden State Warriors after all. The team’s lid came off against the Houston Rockets tonight. In the last game before the break, the Bay led by 24 points. With that, the game seemed over halfway into the third quarter. However, the win didn’t come solely due to the dynamic Butler added in. Steve Kerr made a difficult decision. Or rather, he made a decision that should have been implemented a long time ago.
With such a long spell of struggling, Dub Nation nitpicked faults in their roster. It was their attempt to help. And what they found was Buddy Hield’s shooting woes wounding the team. Yet, what confused them was why Kerr wouldn’t shift him back to the bench. Tonight he did, and the results were flattering.
Brandin Podziemski took over at the two and had another glorious game. His balanced skillset gives Stephen Curry some rest from handling the ball through pressing defenses. Moreover, the sophomore guard is regaining his lost confidence. On the other hand, Hield had another quiet game, adding just 2 points and failing to make any of his four three-pointer attempts. Podziemski’s recent performances have had a great impact on the Bay. And Kerr is convinced Pod won’t be moving from the starting lineup anytime soon.
“We felt like it was the right time to do it you know. I think Brandon has played so well over the last couple weeks that I think he needs to be in the in that starting group. He gives Steph another ball handler, decision maker, he makes a lot of plays out of nothing with his with his brain and his skill so um it’s it was good to get him out,” said the Warriors HC.
Against the Rockets, the 21-year-old left his print in all aspects of the game. He scored 18 points while adding four assists and 4 steals to the equation. His presence gave the Bay a great pivot at all times as Kerr played him nearly 40 minutes. Likewise, the revered HC has been moved by Podziemski’s performances and has all the reassurance he needs.
“I imagine he’s going to be out there now you know as a starter for a while… we’ll see how it goes from here we got JK coming back hopefully within a couple of weeks and um so we always have options but I think I think BP’s got to be out there,” Kerr mentioned.
Brandin Podziemski is setting his feet into his role
There is more to Brandin Podziemski’s story than Steve Kerr taking a while to realize his impact. In all honesty, after an exceptional rookie season, Podziemski was struggling. Particularly in both November and December, the difficulties reached its apex. He didn’t average over 7 points in any month, and it even included some frustration.
This happened during a narrow loss to the Nuggets. “He was getting on me to do my job, know what I’m doing out there. He’s like, ‘If you can’t do your job, I’m gonna pull you out.’” the 21-year-old admitted.
But still, Podziemski stayed ready. More than that, the Warriors former first-round pick stayed optimistic, and rather than forcing anything, Brandin Podziemski let his instincts take over. Over the last 10 games, he is averaging 14.1 points and 4.4 assists. He is also shooting relatively better from beyond the arc.
As far as his impact goes, Podziemski plays outside the stat sheet. His defensive disruption and ability to draw charges are among his great qualities. On the Warriors, he has the second-best plus-minus in this stretch. And in minutes without him, the Warriors are being outscored by an average of 2.1 points.
It’s evident that Brandin Podziemski has stopped overthinking. Rather than give into the pressure of building off a great rookie season, he is back to doing what’s necessary for the team. And considering his recent performances, it’s no surprise that Steve Kerr considers him to be indispensable from the starting lineup.
