The Golden State Warriors have been up front about the slim margin of error the team has in the months ahead, as they open the NBA season without No. 2 star Jimmy Butler, who is recovering from a torn ACL. They’ll also be without Moses Moody, who is returning from a patellar tendon tear, for an unknown length of time and for a team that was already thin no reliable everyday players, that’s a blow. That’s why, too, coach Steve Kerr has been emphasizing growth from young players like Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, 2025 second-round pick Will Richard and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg.
The Warriors need that group to up their production in the absence of the Butler and Moody, and to do so enough that Golden State can still tread water and be in position for a strong second half once they get to full health. And of that group of young players, none is better positioned for a strong move forward than Podziemski.
Warriors Relying on Young Players
Kerr knows it. He has seen Podziemski at his best, and has seen those times when Podziemski looks like he is a budding young star. But he has also seen Podziemski push the envelope of his own potential stardom a bit too far sometimes. Kerr, in a discussion with Warriors broadcaster Tom Tolbert, said the big challenge is little Podziemski develop while also keeping him reined into the team’s concepts.
Kerr got honest about keeping guard rails on Podziemski: “He is another guy who, with the young guys, they are going to make some mistakes and they have to find their way. They make some mistakes and you try to pull the reins a little bit but you also want to give them confidence. But he’s a super confident kid, as you know.”
Brandin Podziemski ‘Poised for Great Year’
Podziemski averaged a career-high 13.8 points with 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season, and has improved himself as a defender, a rebounder and a ballhandler. He could probably score more–he had five games with 25-plus points last year–but playing with Stephen Curry and Butler means that is not what Golden State needs from him.
Not usually, at least. But Podziemski took on a much bigger role at the end of last season, with Curry (knee) and Butler out for much of the second half of the year. He needs to balance that against doing the smaller things the team needs from him. Podziemski is also up for an extension and if one is not reached, he will be heading into restricted free agency.
Said Kerr: “I think the thing with Brandin is just trying to get him to understand that he is so good in his role, he is so good making other people better, but he wants so badly to get better, be great, which is—I love the quality, I want all my players to be ambitious. But it is finding that sweet spot. Going through those lessons the last couple of years has been great for him. So I think he is poised to have a great year.”
Warriors’ Steve Kerr Gets Blunt on Brandin Podziemski