Brandin Podziemski had already started his season resurgence prior to the Golden State Warriors trade for Jimmy Butler, but the young guard has taken off even more since the arrival of the 6x All-Star.
After high expectations entering his second season, Podziemski struggled through the first couple of months and drew heavy criticism from fans. That's quickly been reversed over recent weeks, with the 21-year-old ripping the starting two-guard spot from Buddy Hield and quickly solidifying his role in a new-look Warrior starting lineup.
Brandin Podziemski has been the biggest beneficiary from the Jimmy Butler trade
The former 19th overall pick has been massive for Golden State over the last six games, playing a critical role in a 5-1 record that's surged the franchise back firmly into the playoff mix.
Podziemski capped his excellent recent form with his first double-double of the season against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, notching 17 points (3-of-5 3-point shooting) and a career-high 13 rebounds in the 126-102 victory.
A multi-faceted skillset has always allowed Podziemski to have a big impact on winning, evidenced by the fact he led the Warriors in plus-minus during his rookie year. Despite his struggles to start his second year, Podziemski once again holds that title so far as his +162 shades veteran stars Draymond Green and Stephen Curry.
Podz gets the steal on the lock-and-trail, gets rewarded for his efforts with a three on the other end.
— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) February 23, 2025
Confidence from him lately has been off the charts. pic.twitter.com/n8yzKWdsjr
More recently, Podziemski has been an incredible +109 in the last six games. Green is second during this span at +78, Moses Moody is third at +62, and Curry and Butler are equal fourth at +56. Podziemski was a +30 in less than 30 minutes against the Mavericks, delivering impact on both ends of the floor as the franchise celebrated Andre Iguodala's jersey retirement with a big win.
Podziemski's chemistry with Butler has been fun to watch already, with the pair sharing a 24.5 net rating in 143 minutes together -- ranked second on the team for any two-man combination who have played at least 60 minutes together this season.
At the start of the season, Podziemski was often asked to be the lead initiator in bench units. Now, while he may have to be the point guard when Curry is off the floor, he at least has another star player in Butler who he can play alongside. That's huge for such a young player, allowing Podziemski to fall back into a role where he can focus on doing a bit of everything rather than having to be the primary facilitator.
The good news is that Podziemski can still get significantly better. Despite the excellent form and huge plus-minus, he's only shooting 30.3% from 3-point range over the last six games. Given defenses are going to load up heavily on Curry and Butler, Podziemski's ability to take advantage with catch-and-shoot threes will continue to be an incredibly important factor for the Warriors going forward.