The Golden State Warriors might have picked up a 113-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves yesterday, but things aren’t as rosy in Golden State as they were a month ago when they were fighting for the No. 1 seed and looked like contenders.
Brandin Podziemski shared a tweet in which he clarified his post-game media response to head coach Steve Kerr criticizing the decision-making of the young players, as they aren’t passing the ball to Stephen Curry enough.
“To clarify and for further context… Steph is Steph and I’ve been very open with my respect for him on and off the court. He’s a legend and a (GOAT) for a reason. On the court, you have to be cautious against overthinking every possession. You have to trust your work, do what the coaches want you to do, and make a good IQ play. At times that’s a pass, taking shots, or even making a good screen to free up a teammate.”
“So you just play and work to make good decisions consistently. A lot of times that will end up being passing the ball to a wide-open Steph and/or teammate when the opportunity is there and just doing whatever it takes to help the team win.”
— Brandin Podziemski (@brandinpodziem2) December 22, 2024
Podz is responding to Kerr’s tirade against him and the other youngsters on the squad for not maximizing Steph’s presence on the court.
“That’s what we’re trying to impart on our young players,” Kerr told reporters. “We have Steph Curry on our team. So, pass the ball. Move the ball. And if Steph gets off it early, because he’s gained an advantage, now the defense is scrambling.
“This is how we’ve played for 10 years, and it’s important for our young players to understand — we don’t need contested 17-footers with 12 [seconds] on the shot clock. That’s a bad shot. I talked to our guys about that during several timeouts. It’s something we have to recognize and get better with.”
“When you have Steph Curry on your team, you pass the ball. Because if you pass it two or three times, the defense is scrambling. All hell breaks loose. So it’s a choice: We can either do that and win games, or we can shoot a whole bunch of 15-foot contested shots in the middle of the shot clock and be a lousy NBA team. It’s up to us, and we are hammering that point home with our team.”
Podziemski’s social media post is a direct continuation of his relatively surprising reaction to Kerr’s comments after the game.
“I don’t really think. I just play,” Podziemski told reporters. “When I’m out there and I’m open, I shoot it. If not, I make a play. I don’t really look too much into it. I know we have Steph Curry on the court and if he’s open, I’m going throw the ball to him. I don’t really look too deep into those messages.”
The Warriors have made moves to address their poor on-ball decision-making by acquiring veteran guard Dennis Schroder, although his impact on the team will take time to materialize.
Podziemski has lost major minutes this season after being treated like an untouchable trade asset over the summer. The All-Rookie First Team selection is going through a significant sophomore slump, averaging 8.4 points (40.3 FG%), 4.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists this season.
If his performances continue to slump as the Warriors look to fight out of the play-in tournament, his untouchable status might quickly shift if the right player is available.
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