Warriors fans propose radical and unlikely move for second-year guard

Brandin Podziemski delivered an improved performance for the Golden State Warriors against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, but the form of the second-year guard is still proving a major talking point as the team slump to three-straight losses.

Starting at point guard in place of injured superstar Stephen Curry, Podziemski had 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists across nearly 30 minutes of play in the 105-101 defeat to the Western Conference leaders.

Warriors fans are suggesting a radical idea for Brandin Podziemski

Podziemski went 4-of-10 shooting from the floor, 1-of-4 from 3-point range and 3-of-3 from the free throw line, though that's actually an improvement on a season that's currently returned shooting splits of 37/19/71.

Fellow guard Pat Spencer also saw his first legitimate NBA rotation minutes in Curry's absence, seeing nearly 15 minutes off the bench in which he recorded six points, four rebounds, three assists and was a team-high +9.

Given Podziemski's struggles to start the season, and Spencer's somewhat breakout performance where he provided considerable spark and energy, some fans are even proposing that the Warriors should send the 21-year-old down to the G League to regain some confidence.

It's a radical idea but has some merit, particularly given Spencer looked like a viable backup point guard on Monday, even if it were just to be for a few games. Some have even pointed at Jordan Poole's G League stint during his second year, with the former guard having come back a completely different player later that season.

However, there's a multitude of reasons why it's very unlikely to happen. Firstly, as an All-Rookie First Team member last season, Podziemski's already reached a far higher level than Poole got to at the same stage of his career.

Secondly, Golden State are far more reliant on Podziemski than they were Poole at the same respective point. The Warriors specifically chose not to sign another veteran point guard in the wake of Chris Paul's departure in free agency, instead essentially handing the keys to Podziemski as Curry's backup.

As impressive as Spencer was against the Thunder, relying on him for a 2-3 week stretch as a backup point guard would be incredibly risky. Add on the fact Curry is dealing with a knee issue right now, and Golden State can't afford to send one of their few point guard options on assignment to the G League.

Lastly, there's also the optics around how it would look sending Podziemski to the G League. This is someone who was not only one of the most impressive rookies in the league last year, but who during the offseason spoke about his desire to become a star.

The franchise certainly agreed with that notion, holding Podziemski in high regard and reportedly holding him out of trade discussions for genuine star players. Many would frame it as an obvious Warriors mistake if Podziemski was sent to the G League after the offseason proceedings, meaning it's simply not going to happen even if the idea does have merit.