Brandin Podziemski: The Young Gun Ready to Shine in the Warriors’ Playoff Run
As the Golden State Warriors prepare to take on the Houston Rockets in the NBA playoffs, all eyes will be on the team’s star players, including Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green. However, one young player who will be under the microscope is Brandin Podziemski, the 22-year-old guard who has been a revelation for the Warriors this season.
According to Podziemski, he is aware of the chatter surrounding his playing style, with some critics labelling him as too audacious for a player in his second NBA season. However, the young guard insists that he ignores the noise, taking advice from Paige Bueckers, the former UConn star who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. "She just told me never take criticism from someone you wouldn’t ask for advice from," Podziemski says, as reported by Yahoo Sports. "So, I kind of just took that. Seeing random people say things good or bad, if I wouldn’t ask for advice from them, why would I accept their criticism?"
The Warriors have shown their faith in Podziemski, with the young guard starting the last 24 games, usually alongside Curry, Green, Butler, and Moses Moody. That lineup has been hugely successful, going 17-3 and providing the boost that lifted the Warriors into position for the playoffs. Podziemski believes that he has been able to feel the intensity of the playoffs since the Memphis game on April 1, and is relishing the opportunity to play in high-stakes games. "I’ve been able to feel it since the Memphis game in Memphis (April 1)," Podziemski says, as quoted in the original article on Yahoo Sports. "Every game since then, except maybe Portland, has been like that. You can feel it. People have asked me, ‘Is there any pressure in those situations, knowing, you’re with Steph, Jimmy and Dray out there a lot of the time? For me, there’s no pressure if you don’t set an expectation for yourself in terms of making or missing a shot."
Coach Steve Kerr trusts Podziemski and has been willing to let him play through mistakes, mostly because he doesn’t make many of the mindless variety. While Podziemski is prone to over-dribbling and sometimes struggles to keep his man from exploding toward the rim, the Warriors benefit from his general court awareness and grit. If he’s shooting well, it’s a welcome bonus; the team is 15-6 when he scores 15 or more points. As Yahoo Sports reports, Podziemski was fourth on the team in rebounding and seventh among all NBA guards, showing his all-around skills.
Podziemski has studied Kerr’s flexible coaching patterns in the postseason and knows that his starting role is not guaranteed. If he starts Game 1, he’ll have to earn it every game thereafter. However, the young guard is focused on maximizing his minutes and making plays down the stretch to help the Warriors win games. "I know it’s going to be, maybe not the smoothest ride to a championship in terms of my individual success," Podziemski says, as reported by Yahoo Sports. "But I know coach knows that he can count on me to make plays down the stretch and help us win games. So, I don’t really look too much into that. I just try to go out there and maximize my minutes."
As the playoffs get underway, Podziemski will face a tough challenge on defense, where he’ll be asked to stay solid enough to avoid being targeted by opposing teams. However, he’s ready for the challenge, saying, "It’s just taking the matchup personally, whether I have Fred VanVleet or Jalen Green or whoever it is," Podziemski says, as quoted in the original article on Yahoo Sports. "Knowing that I can kind of give it all now, and it’s the playoffs. It’s ‘go time.’ Since my back injury, I just been kind of not coasting through defense, but just being conservative with my back. And now that it’s playoff time, I’m just going to give it everything I have out there."
The Warriors will be hoping that Podziemski can continue to make a positive impact as they look to make a deep playoff run. With his court awareness, grit, and ability to make plays down the stretch, the young guard could be a key factor in the team’s success. As Yahoo Sports notes, Podziemski’s task is offense-first, to balance playmaking with getting buckets, and if he can do that, the Warriors could have a strong chance of success in the playoffs.
