A quick appreciation of Brandin Podziemski’s current form
The second-year player’s form has been crucial behind the Dubs’ late-season surge.
A listless Phoenix Suns team bereft of Kevin Durant was just the medicine the Golden State Warriors needed after a tough, physical contest against the Houston Rockets — akin to an R&R session after being swarmed in the ring by a pugilist with an affinity for roughhousing.
Medicine is also what Brandin Podziemski has apparently received. In what form or manner is something only the team’s internal stakeholders are privy to, but Podziemski has had a stretch — dating from when he returned from an abdominal injury, up till tonight’s game against the Suns — in which he has become a significantly impactful player for the Warriors.
Confidence is often the first and most important ingredient behind a player’s success. Podziemski hasn’t lacked in that department. It has led him to make quicker and firmer decisions with the ball in his hands, leading to possessions where he asserts his impact with force and oomph. The Suns were the latest team to fall victim to Podziemski’s whims, struggling to contain him while also struggling to contain the Warriors’ offense as a whole. Steph Curry bounced back from his listless night against the Rockets to score 25 points on 17 shots and thereafter was permanently rested for the night as the third quarter ended, along with Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
Podziemski himself garnered an early night off, but his contributions helped his veterans have an easy time against the Suns, as well as during this late-season resurgence by the Warriors. It was almost inevitable that he would continue his impactful streak against the Suns, arguably the polar opposite of the Warriors in the latter half of the season: having failed to acquire Butler at the trade deadline, left with little-to-no pride and identity on both ends of the floor, and likely heading toward an early offseason with their play-in chances dwindling.
Podziemski did not have an ounce of mercy against the Suns — as if he was toying with them at times. He varied his pace and cadence, getting two defenders up in the air with the typical gather-step-plus-two-steps footwork that subscribes to the fundamentals — but with the addition of a series of upfakes, all while keeping his lifted pivot foot up in the air and getting the ball up for a shot before it can be brought back down:
His ability to create shots is still something to watch out for with a tinge of optimistic wariness, but it has shown a significant uptick. The patience with how he gets to his spots has been noteworthy, with the shotmaking exploits to boot:
More importantly, his talents are needed as a finisher of possessions where advantages have been created. If and when defenses divert almost every bit of their defensive resources toward Curry and/or Butler, Podziemski will — more often than not — be ignored. It is paramount that Podziemski take advantage of these situations; to his credit, his current form has allowed him to do such a thing.
In 31 games since returning from the aforementioned abdominal injury, Podziemski has averaged 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists — all while shooting 53.1% on two-point shots (including 50% on “short” mid-range shots, otherwise known as floater-range shots — 73rd percentile among combo guards, per Cleaning The Glass), 41.8% on three-point shots (6.1 attempts per game), and 78.3% on free throws, all on an efficient 60.1% True Shooting mark. The Warriors have outscored opponents by a total of 184 points and 9 points per 100 possessions in Podziemski’s 885 minutes over that period. On a team that heavily relies on “connective” personnel, Podziemski is bridging pieces together, all while steadily bridging the gap between his potential talent and actual impact. As the postseason draws closer, Podziemski’s form should help the Warriors create chaos and make noise — provided that such a form is an actual and repeatable development, rather than just a flash in the pan.