The stage was set for the rookie Brandin Podziemski after both Klay Thompson and Draymond Green got ejected early from the Golden State Warriors’ game against the Minnesota Timberwolves yesterday. And the youngster embraced this opportunity with open arms, dropping 23 points on Minnesota, along with seven rebounds and five assists.
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In the absence of the legendary trio of the Warriors, the team did not look poised to win the contest. The Dubs ended up losing the game by three points. However, Podziemski attracted much attention after the game for his standout performance.
As seen in this ‘Warriors on NBCS’ clip, in his post-game interview, Podz spoke about his role in the squad and the versatility he offers to coach Steve Kerr, “Yeah, I look at myself as like a spare tire. You know, whenever something is wrong with the tire, I just go ahead and fix it. Whatever coach asks me, that’s kinda what I have to do. I am not gonna say that I have a particular role but just whatever coach asks me whether starting, coming off the bench or not playing, I will be ready for all three.”
Stephen Curry has always been the pivot around whom the whole Warriors team plays and performs effortlessly. However, as he was out with knee soreness with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green ejected as well within two minutes in the game, Podz and Dario Saric rose to the occasion to add 44 points.
Brandin Podziemski is set to get more playing time
The Warriors trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have established a legacy for the franchise for more than a decade. Now, it’s time for rookies like Jonathan Kuminga, Dario Saric, and Andrew Wiggins to take this squad forward as the Dubs’ core near the end of their primes. Brandin Podziemski, drafted this year by the Golden State, has also marked his name on this list.
Whenever given a chance, as per the team’s needs, the Warriors guard has not failed to impress, shooting 48% in the seven games that he has played. Even Chris Paul praised the youngster in his post-game presser, claiming that “his energy is contagious”.
CP3 added, “BP and me, we talk a lot during games…we have another ball handler out there who can attack, defend. And we talk about it all the time that we don’t have regular rookies. We have some rooks who pay attention and know what they are doing.”
Evidently, Podz is an able guard on the court and can be groomed into an all-round playmaker under the tutelage of Chris Paul and Stephen Curry. Steve Kerr is also certain about the rook getting playing time. The Dubs Boss said yesterday, “He is gonna play every night, you know, he has earned that.”
As Coach Kerr rightly said, with seven rebounds in tonight’s game, the guard is “always at the right spot” and has the ability to play off the board. Going ahead in the league, all eyes will surely be on Podz and what he can bring to the table for the Warriors in tough situations.
