Young guard's re-emergence should renew hope among Warriors fans

In the Golden State Warriors 114-103 win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night, one young Warrior continued his re-emergence as a viable option for this struggling team.

After a promising first year in which he was named to the All-Rookie First Team, Brandin Podziemski struggled throughout the early part of the season and subsequently saw his numbers drop across the board.

Through the first three months of the season, Podziemski averaged 8.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists. This downturn in his performance was highly disappointing to the organization, who hoped that Podziemski would be able to take over the starting shooting guard role following the season-ending injury to De'Anthony Melton.

Instead, the Warriors acquired Dennis Schröder from the Brooklyn Nets in December, effectively relegating Podziemski permanently to the bench. Yet, Schröder's inability to mesh fully into the backcourt with Steph Curry caused further turmoil in the rotation, sending Schröder to the bench and promoting Buddy Hield to the starting lineup.

Brandin Podziemski is seizing his opportunity

Podziemski, since returning from his lengthy absence due to an abdominal injury, has taken full advantage of his renewed opportunity in a significant rotation role. Over the last three games the 21-year-old has averaged 15.7 points and is shooting 42.9% on seven 3-point attempts per game.

Against the Jazz, Podziemski had one of his best games of the season, scoring 20 points for only the second time as he shot a respectable 4-of-11 from the 3-point line, including a pivotal corner shot in the last few minutes of the game.

With both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green out, the Warriors desperately needed a win against a woeful Jazz team, and Podziemski delivered. The Warriors now sit with a 23-23 record, but remain the 11th seed in the Western Conference.

Since Schröder was moved to the bench, Podziemski has largely been able to play a combo-guard role, a change that has freed him from some of the burdensome ball-handling duties that were limiting his play.

Yet, with Schröder back in the starting lineup in Curry's absence, Podziemski's ability to still create and score provides a multitude of promising signs for a team that is dependent upon his growth. It will be interesting to see if he can continue this performance in the Warriors upcoming stretch against solid defensive teams, including the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

Games like this provide fans with a glimpse of what the Warriors might look like once the Curry-era has ended, and Podziemski's recent upward trajectory can provide a semblance of hope for what might seem like a bleak future.