The Golden State Warriors have been dealt another injury blow on the eve of their season, with starting shooting guard Brandin Podziemski ruled out from Wednesday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Podziemski joins Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis and Moses Moody on the sidelines, leaving the door open for second-year guard Will Richard to return to Steve Kerr's rotation after appearing on the outer during preseason.
Brandin Podziemski injury opens door for Will Richard's rotation return
Golden State are already running thin on available bodies, with backup center Charles Bassey also dealing with knee tendinitis that has him questionable for the matchup. The Warriors might need all their healthy bodies, including Richard who finished last season out of the rotation despite a strong start to his rookie campaign.
The former Florida product had an impressive summer league and helped Golden State to the championship, but his minutes in preseason wouldn't suggest he was necessarily part of Kerr's early season rotation plans. Nearly half of Richard's minutes during preseason came in fourth-quarters where the starters/main rotation were resting, while his only major opportunity came in Portland where he had 15 points, three rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes.
Richard could even catapult from outside the rotation to a starting role, having started 21 games during a rookie season which also saw him average 20 minutes per outing. That job is still much more likely to go to De'Anthony Melton, with the veteran guard a natural replacement for Podziemski as a combo guard next to Stephen Curry in the backcourt.
Curry, Melton and Brandon Williams are a clear top three in the guard rotation for the Warriors, but Richard could suddenly become the fourth option, while Kerr will likely lean on veteran Gary Payton II for minutes as well.
Brandin Podziemski injury leaves another hole for Warriors to cover
Podziemski's absence is another major blow for Golden State, particularly given his expanding role and the optimism emanating from the team around his potential improvement entering year four. The Warriors also recently proved their commitment to Podziemski, signing him to a five-year, $110 million contract prior to the rookie extension deadline.
It also epitomizes Golden State's injury concerns considering Podziemski was the one player to avoid the issues last season, appearing in every game for the first time in his career. That's something he took immense pride in, leaving obvious disappointment that he'll now miss the season opener.
The Warriors will face a distinct talent disadvantage against the Lakers on Wednesday night, meaning they'll have to lean on greater chemistry given Los Angeles completely revamped their team during the offseason.
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