The Golden State Warriors emerged with an unlikely 128-117 win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night, thanks to a stellar performance by Brandin Podziemski. In the absence of several key rotation players, Podziemski stepped up with a huge fourth-quarter effort to lead the Dubs to a key victory.
After the win, Steve Kerr had nothing but praise for Brandin Podziemski. While breaking down the guard’s performance during his post-game media availability, Kerr stated:
“He’s a really confident guy, you know, he wants the ball, he wants the big shot, but like every player, he needs the rhythm, he needs the flow of the game… He can help himself by actually getting off the ball earlier in a possession and then getting it back. At times, he wants to make a play from the outset, and that’s a lot. So he’s still learning and growing, but that was a fantastic night for him.”
While Kerr acknowledged how Podziemski is capable of getting into the flow of the game by simply securing a long rebound, he essentially highlighted Podziemski’s eagerness to contribute.
In light of the ambitious goals he set for himself, this aspect may have created some discrepancy, as Kerr also noted Brandin Podziemski struggles with consistency this season.
“It’s been up and down, for sure,” Kerr commented. “But our season has been up and down as a whole, and sometimes the team’s struggles can impact the individual. We know what he can do. For the last couple of years, he’s been our highest +/- players. He’s a very versatile player.”
“It’s really more a matter of finding that sweet spot that we’re trying to get him to, where he’s making plays but he’s not dominating the ball. That’s his next step.”
Steve Kerr’s vision for Podziemski’s development appears to involve molding him into a versatile guard capable of impacting plays without necessarily keeping possession of the ball. Given that this is similar to the kind of role Stephen Curry plays, Kerr evidently remains hopeful about Podziemski’s growth and development.
Brandin Podziemski Reacts To His Fourth-Quarter Outburst
The Warriors’ win can be credited to the contributions of many key players, but Brandin Podziemski’s fourth-quarter performance was nothing short of crucial. With the guard scoring 12 points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, Podziemski looked lethal once he found his rhythm.
During his post-game media availability, Podziemski vaguely described the sensation during the closing minutes of the final frame, suggesting that he was in the zone.
“Just everything feels slow motion. The last two threes I shot, just everything felt so slow. Really, the last three jump shots I had felt really slow and in slow motion. And so the goal is to always try to find that. The great players do that. So that’s really what it felt like.”
The Warriors entered the fourth quarter with a 101-95 deficit. After Brandin Podziemski’s opening basket to get things rolling, Golden State began bridging the gap. Although the Nuggets managed to stay ahead for the most part, at the six-minute mark, a dunk by Moses Moody tied the game and essentially turned the tide.
Although Al Horford led the Warriors in scoring with 22 points, Brandin Podziemski’s 18 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists off the bench asserted that he was the best player on the court. In light of the season he’s had, the Warriors will hope that the 22-year-old can build upon this and sustain his performance until Stephen Curry returns to the floor.
With this win, the Dubs improve to 30-27 on the season. Although they remain eighth in the West, considering that they were on a two-game losing streak heading into this game, the victory could mark a turnaround at a fairly crucial point in the season.
