4 Warriors who are underperforming, 3 exceeding expectations at the All-Star break

Exceeding expectations: Brandin Podziemski

The Warriors were not expecting much from the 20-year-old rookie. He did not play in the team’s first three games and five of the opening six. Even when Podz joined the rotation, his minutes were sporadic. It was not until Nov. 30 that head coach Steve Kerr began giving the first-round pick significant run.

Over the last 35 games, Podziemski averaged 11.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.0 steal in 29.9 minutes per game. The 6’5 rookie guard is shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 38.0 percent on his 3-point attempts over that stretch. Being an efficient scorer and quality rotation player as a 20-year-old is not common, and it appears Golden State found a gem with the 19th overall pick in 2023.

Chris Paul will be back in March, and it will be interesting to see what that does to Podziemski’s minutes The 20-year-old is fourth on the team in assists per game this season behind Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and CP3. The future Hall of Famer will be back in the rotation, but does he take playing time from Podz?

Having him rotation-ready in year one has been a surprise. Brandin Podziemski could be a starter and key contributor for the next decade-plus in the Bay Area. He has certainly exceeded all expectations as a rookie.