The Golden State Warriors should hand the keys to the team to Brandin Podziemski for the remainder of the season. With injuries to Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler rapidly tanking the team’s chances of contending for a title, they might as well see just how good Podziemski can be (especially since his numbers have been pretty good lately).
After trading Jonathan Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks at the deadline, the Warriors’ best young piece is probably Podziemski right now. So, rather than giving veterans a ton of minutes in hopes of keeping things afloat, the Warriors should just see how Podziemski looks with heavy minutes.
Maybe that sort of experiment could help them in the long run.
Warriors should give Brandin Podziemski the keys and see how he does
Steve Kerr has already kind of been doing this. Podziemski has been playing a ton ever since Curry went down with an injury, and he looks good.
But by doubling down on this decision, Golden State should be able to get a real look at exactly what Podziemski could become as a player. Sometimes, the best way to get the most out of a guy is to throw them into the fire.
Podziemski has been playing a ton in his last 10 games, earning 34.3 minutes of court time. In his last 10, he has averaged 16.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 44.8% from the floor and 35.9% from deep on 6.4 three-point attempts per contest.
As noted, Podziemski is already getting a ton of minutes. He’s getting a ton of opportunities to have the ball in his hands and make plays for the Warriors. And that’s the way it should be right now. Kerr needs to double down on that process.
Let Podziemski have the keys right now. Let him make the decisions. Let him make mistakes. Let him find his way on the basketball court so that, when and if Curry does return this year, he’s playing as the best version of himself.
Golden State is currently the ninth seed in the Western Conference, and they don’t have a ton of wiggle room. They are just 1.5 games up on the Portland Trail Blazers in 10th (but they’re also tied with the LA Clippers in eighth).
However, the Warriors have a huge buffer over the 11th-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. Golden State is a full 8.5 games up on the Grizzlies, meaning they likely won’t fall out of the Play-In.
With that much room for error, Podziemski should have the keys in his hands. It’s time to see if he sinks or swims.