Brandin Podziemski, the Warriors’ young point guard, recently appeared on the Willard and Dibs show and addressed the criticism he has faced from the media in light of his comments about Stephen Curry earlier in the season.
Mark Willard asked Podziemski if he regrets the comments that he has made about wanting to dethrone and be better than Curry eventually for the Warriors.
“I think I could’ve worded them a little bit differently, but I also think how it’s perceived on the internet is taken a little bit out of context. As you guys said, your biggest strength can be your biggest weakness, and it’s gotten me to this point,” Podziemski said.
“Obviously, with anything in life, there’s going to be pushback; people aren’t going to like you for what you say or what you do. But I’m just going to stick with it, and it’s worked, so yeah.”
“I think I’ve said a lot of stuff that people don’t agree with,” said Podziemski while Willard tried to ask him if he wanted to rephrase anything he had said.
Willard eventually directly asked about his comments, which have been perceived on the internet as him thinking he can be better than Stephen Curry someday.
“With that, it’s just something to strive for, seeing the greatest player at the point guard position, the same position as you are. You strive, and if you have the opportunity to be better, then obviously, anybody would, and that’s where I was going with that.”
“Not that I am going to be better, but just that if I can be, then obviously I would,” concluded Podziemski.
The Warriors (35-38) have somehow solidified themselves as a play-in tournament team this season, even without Stephen Curry for a significant part of the season. The team has a 12-22 record over the 34 games that Curry has missed this season.
While the record may not indicate a winning culture, just yet, Steve Kerr seems to believe that this stretch has most benefited young players like Brandin Podziemski this season.
Kerr also appeared on the Willard and Dibs show recently and addressed the criticism that Podziemski has faced due to his comments.
“Yeah, I understand it. I mean, I don’t see it, but people tell me that, so I’m aware of it, and it makes sense. He’s a really interesting, unique player, and I think a lot of the reactions from fans, to be blunt, he laid the expectations out there for himself,” said Kerr.
“At the beginning of the year, saying he’s going to be better than Steph. One of the things you learn as a young player is how to handle the media, and I think that one was a sign of his confidence, which I like, but there are other ways of showing your confidence than saying you’re going to be better than Steph Curry.”
“He’s a lightning rod, but he’s put some of that on himself, and when you’re brash and confident, that’s kind of the way it works. Ask Draymond, it’s the same concept,” Kerr concluded.
Stephen Curry has missed the last 23 games consecutively for the Warriors due to runner’s knee syndrome. In that stretch, Podziemski has averaged 15.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 43.2% from the field and 32.6% from beyond the arc.
In comparison, during the first 50 games of the season, during which time Curry was healthy, Podziemski averaged 9.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while going 45.7% from the floor and 37.3% from behind the three-point line.
An increase in usage rate due to Curry’s absence explains the improved numbers, but the falling efficiency in shooting rates can be a sign of concern for the team.
Imagine you are a young basketball player, drafted into one of the biggest franchises in the league and playing alongside one of the GOATs in the sport. Seeing them daily would indeed inspire you to push yourself and be excellent, or stand at the risk of being cut from the team.
In such a situation, where you are expected to always strive for greatness, how can anyone expect Podziemski not to say that he hopes to replace Curry at the top one day?
Hence, I don’t have a problem with what he said, but the timing, like Kerr and Green pointed out, might be odd since he hasn’t really achieved anything significant to say he’s the future of the franchise, and consequently made him an easy target for the media.
It will be interesting to see if this stretch of games has indeed boosted his confidence, and the real test of his skill will be how he contributes to the team when Curry is also healthy during the postseason.
