The Golden State Warriors played Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on May 14th, marking a fourth straight loss that leaves the basketball dynasty reeling from a strenuous postseason. Steph Curry was injured early in the series, and a lack of a consistent Klay Thompson-type proved disastrous for the Warriors, who couldn’t buy themselves a bucket. After Game 1, and Steph’s injury, the Warriors averaged only 30% from beyond the arc, bleeding much of the offensive activity they relied on in the regular season. The guards Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski hoped to fill the Steph-sized gap in the offense but ultimately came up short, especially so for Podz.
After the trade deadline and subsequent acquisition of Jimmy Butler, Brandin Podziemski turned what was an awful sophomore slump into a productive and starter-worthy second half of the season. Over the final 14 games of the regular season, Podziemski averaged 17.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 31.9 minutes a night, contributing to a team-wide push for the playoffs.
Hopes were high for the youngest player on the roster, who earned a starting spot alongside Curry and Butler, and, for the first round at least, Podziemski’s expanded role looked to pay off. Even while battling food poisoning to start the series and essentially missing Game 5, he averaged almost 13 points, 5 assists and 3.5 rebounds on 40% shooting. This included a breakout Game 4 where he went for a clean 26/5/5. Not to mention, in Game 7 against the Rockets, Podz made key plays taking charges and making steals, at one point even dunking on the nearly seven-foot-tall Alperen Şengün to end up as a +17 on the court.
However, the second-round matchup against the Timberwolves seemed to be a step in the wrong direction for the 22-year-old, where he shot an abysmal 9-for-40 through the first four games. It seemed the sophomore slump was back and it was likely the result of a few factors, but the most obvious was the lack of the greatest shooter in NBA history on the floor. Without Steph’s gravity pulling defenders’ attention and therefore opening up the floor, the sudden need for Podz to turn into a key offensive component seemed too much too fast.
However, amid this almost record-breaking low, Steve Kerr continued to start Podz, who was playing almost 35 minutes a game. After their Game 4 loss, where Podz didn’t make any of his four 3-point attempts and shot just 21.4% from the field, Steve Kerr went on the podcast “Dubs Talk” and addressed fan concerns. Kerr told the hosts Mark Willard and Dan Dibley, “The confidence in the shot right now is not there but let me tell you something: this guy is a ball player.” Kerr continued, “He does so many other things besides shooting that are crucial for us… he reads the game. He handles the ball. He passes. He’s a great rebounder. He sees things defensively, so he’s always in the right spot… and not every player does that, frankly.”
Though Game 5 continued the Warriors’ losing streak and ended their season, Kerr’s faith in Podz finally paid off. After playing 39 minutes, he ended the game with a team high 28 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals on almost 60% efficiency. After the game Kerr built on his unwavering optimism, “I thought he could’ve gotten 10 or 11 threes off, and we needed those. And I told him that after the game, I said, ‘When we get back here next season, you are not going to turn down a single shot.’”
In a series clearly shadowed by the absence of their star player, the Warriors gave the Timberwolves and the rest of the league a taste of what their B-squad can do. While the Warriors are searching for the final piece to the puzzle of their offensive scheme this offseason, Brandin Podziemski showed he isn’t going anywhere. Podz proved he can be the legitimate offensive threat that we saw glimpses of in the regular season, and with more time and development this offseason, the future is bright for the young star.