The Warriors have needed contributions throughout the roster while their stars are sidelined, and Brandin Podziemski delivered in a big way on Sunday, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. With Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis all unavailable, Podziemski took over in the fourth quarter against Denver, posting 15 points and eight rebounds in the final 12 minutes while making all six of his shot attempts.
“Everything feels slow motion, kind of,” he said. “I think those last two threes that I shot, everything felt so slow … the goal is to always try to find that. The great players do that. That’s really what it felt like.”
Podziemski’s outburst, which came after he missed nine of his first 10 shots, summarized his overall season. The third-year guard has seen his minutes fluctuate and he’s been a frequent target of online criticism from the Warriors’ fan base, but he’s become a reliable scorer while Curry has been injured, reaching double figures in the past five games.
“It’s been up and down for sure,” coach Steve Kerr said. “But our season has been up and down as a whole, and sometimes a team’s struggles impacts the individuals. But we know what he can do — for the last couple years, he’s been one of our highest plus/minus players. He’s a very versatile player. The rebounding is what attracted us to him in the first place, coming out of Santa Clara. When a guy rebounds like that, you know he has great anticipation.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Golden State is receiving its first taste of the Porzingis experience as he was a late scratch on Sunday, states Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Kerr was counting on Porzingis to help neutralize Nikola Jokic, but an illness kept him out of action and Green was ruled out about 20 minutes before tip-off with lower back soreness. Porzingis, who was acquired from Atlanta at the trade deadline, has been a highly skilled big man throughout his career, but his availability has been limited due to physical issues so Poole suggests Kerr may have to get used to making lineup adjustments. “I haven’t talked to him,” Kerr said in his pregame meeting with reporters. “Just got a text this morning that he was sick and at the hotel, and he’s not even going to come over here. He’s pretty sick.”
- The Warriors have benefited from the improved play of Moses Moody, who contributed 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists on Sunday, per Joaquin Ruiz of NBC Sports Bay Area. Already one of the team’s top perimeter defenders, Moody has been providing more scoring of late, averaging 13.1 PPG since the start of January. “Moses has been brilliant for six weeks,” Kerr said. “You know, he’s shooting the lights out … the confidence; he’s maybe been our most consistent performer. His on-ball defense; he’s top of the league against pick-and-roll. And he’s such a great teammate. He’s there for you every night, the way he works.”
- Curry, who hasn’t played since January 30 due to “runner’s knee,” said the injury has been especially frustrating because there’s still no definite timeline for him to return, relays Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required). He’s set to be reevaluated on March 1, so that means at least another week without playing. “We all know the goal is to be healthy come play-in or playoff time, whatever it is,” Curry said. “We kind of know where we’re slotted in the standings right now. A lot has happened this year, so we just want to get in a playoff series and have a chance.”
You know. One day Warriors fans are gonna look up and see the fruits of their draft picks finally showing potential. Curry injury lined up pretty closely to the Kuminga trade so it’s hard to say the Kuminga trade was the catalyst. But I have to wonder how the pecking order has been restored to a group of grinders who dont need the ball to impact the stat sheet. Room seems more selfless. Willing passers and cutters. Heck of a game last night 15 rebounds for BP? He was keeping pace with Jokic in that last frame. Happy for him and Moody to have a game like this.
Trading for a guy who already can’t play in Porzingis and a Curry injury that no one knows a timeline for the recovery, is a good thing in the long run…?
The medical staff hasn’t worked with KP yet. I have no doubt they can get him to be productive once again. Others have done it. Why can’t he?
Do you think that Atlanta and Boston and DC didnt have medical teams trying to resolve it?
Who else has done it? I know of one, a woman, that was successful as an athelete despite a diagnosis.
He wasn’t diagnosed until last October. I don’t know anything about the Hawks staff. But, the Warriors staff is well regarded.
Roman Josi in the NHL has the same thing. He is considered one of the better defenseman in Hockey.
He was diagnosed in Boston last year. Massachusetts is known for having the best medical doctors in the country.
Roman is 1 yes, but he’s not 7’5” and for every Roman and Ledecky there are a dozen people that retired quickly after their diagnosis.
I’m not saying it’s over for good but it’s just unlikely which is real unfortunate.
Edit: for some reason I thought he went from Boston to dc to ATL then GSW. So remove DC and I’m factually correct. Sorry for confusion.
Lol. So are the Warriors cheerleaders and towel boys.
It’s not just Atlanta and Boston. He has had injury concerns back to his Knicks days. And even before that I remember reading about him a lot leading up to his draft year and one of the concerns frequently highlighted was worry about his ability to stay healthy in the NBA.
Yeah but the POTS diagnosis was in Boston. Dude has days where standing up gives him heart trouble and fainting spells.
It developed in the playoffs. They were still able to trade him to the Hawks.
The Warriors tried to trade Curry with his bad ankles, and got rejected.
So, it is kind of hard to make a judgement on KP’s future on a discussion board.
@ Giants…there is no known cure for POTS as we speak. The Warriors medical staff certainly won’t be the one’s finding said cure.
Never said they were going to cure it. If it is managed right, Athletes have been able to perform at high level. Why can’t that happen with KP? What special knowledge do you have that nobody else has? What is wrong with hoping that things can work out?
A close friend basically shut down for years. Couldn’t get out of bed, Couldn’t work, couldn’t do anything.
He was extremely fit, was a pro boxer. Never the same after 30 years old. Still drops him regularly. Doesn’t have KPs bank balance either. Makes things a little tough, no?
Lives on the same street as my. I’ve been doing his lawn duties and buying him some groceries going on fourteen years now.
It’s crazy debilitating.
Dude relies on family and friends big time after his sh*thouse wife shot through with the kids and left him with absolutely nothing.
The old disability pension doesn’t go far these days.
At one point, I was surprised he got to where is without doing something stupid.
You’re a good friend Nrg82 !! I applaud you coming through for a neighbor/ buddy in need.
I hope that they figure out a regiment where he can play 70 games a year man don’t take it the wrong way I’m not hating. He won a ring in green I’ll support him wherever he goes.
I’m just not sure it will work out the way most people hope it will.
The Warriors medical staff is the answer? Seems odd that they aren’t the answer for literally anyone else on the roster don’t you think?
Where did I say they were the answer? Are the Warriors the only team with injured players? Why is not possible for their staff to treat him?
Because even the Warriors towel boys are the best ever according to you. There is NO cure or easy fix for POTS. He is done until further notice.
It didn’t develop in the playoffs he played 42 games the second season in Boston cuz of it. He had been dealing with it since the offseason after the championship.
Yep, I noticed that also. At their height, the Warriors were a selfless team. That is why Draymond never scored a lot. He realized that Klay, Steph, Livingston were better that way. So, he brought the defense, rebounding, and passing.
Poole and Kuminga wanted to be the main guys.
The younger guys might not become All-Stars. But, they can set a tone going forward. They’ll be funner to watch and might pull out a few upsets. A rebirth of the “Strength in Numbers” culture?
Druuu. Bro has a flu and didnt want to get his team sick. What you think he ditched his team to hit that fenty in Newsome land? I totally get the frustration but we turned Mr DNP Coaches Decision into a higher IQ player who will show up as often as Kuminga did when both are healthy. Kuminga checks out…. apples for apples but KP had a chance to help us. Should have drafted Haliburton. Their you feel better?
POTS isn’t contagious.
Living in a hotel is probably not the best place for someone’s health.
Yeah especially since POTS is a very common comorbidity. Another reason why I think he will retire at season’s end.
Look man without himmy none of this really matters this year anyway.. meaningful basketball next year hopefully. Steph deserves a handful of rings
You guys are addicted to counting eggs that are bound to be tossed in the garbage
Podz building trade value by playing badly for 3 quarters and great for 1. Typical Russ-style game. I wish this guy was not on my team. Ball hogs dont win rings.
Moody is getting better and better by the day, they should just make him the official SG next to Steph and play him 35 MPG. Moody is the closest they are going to get to Klay.
Podz needs to be regarded as untouchable now. He and Moody are the prototypes for what we need. In attitude. I want dogs. But more like a Boxer than a Pitbull.
Untouchable? LMAO
Off one quarter?
Get better analysis dude.
Podz isnt a dog, he is dollar store Russ, a me-first ball hog. Those dont win titles. He can go be that somewhere else. Moody is the keeper.
Podz is a RFA next year but its a tough decision for warriors. If a team offers him more than $15 million a year might be a tough decision to resign him. To say he is untouchable the warriors would disagree.
Ball hog is a bad take and even worse choice of words. Simply wrong there
Podz played 1.5 more minutes than Moody and scored 5 fewer points but was a team best +19 to Moody’s +5.
But neither would have made the difference in winning without Horford. There’s more to winning basketball than FG%.
Horford plays so savvy. He uses his energy wisely. I even thought his defense was good for how successful they are with cuts. He defends cutters well and stays disapplined with arms up. Hardly jumps early.
By Kerr’s comment, I feel Kerr may become quickly fatigued by the kp experience.
Not certain, but confident.
Most in Kerrs position want more certainty, or at least power to do something.
Between the lines, Kerr makes a point that KP didnt “talk” to him about being unable to work. Instead he received a text, presumably from someone else.
If kerr said ,’Yeah KP wasnt able to play’
That would be a throwaway comment.
But he didn’t say that.
Kerr:”he’s not even going to come over here.”
That especially sounds some kinda way.
I get vilified when I provide personal examples on all 3 of these forums. But whatever.
Coming from hiring and managing hundreds, and dealing with people not showing up to work, and having to make comments, but …much later, coming from being the person with a chronic illness and immunity issues, calling in as a usual thing, hearing the unspoken comments.
I may be projecting based on experience both ways, but it is my opinion.
We are a sum of our experiences. To me.. in this forum what makes “community” is having someone just like you offer your version of events. Which is very relevant by the way. All the ppl that interact. I cant sense who cares and who is a click bait nerd. In every fascist of life it’s probably best to recognize we never get all the facts. Until the autobiography comes out.
Damn, where’s the self proclaimed “knows ball expert” complaining about Kerr??!! Or GPII!? Oh that’s right, the Warriors won. With “bigs” only playing 76 minutes! Looks like “small ball” or balanced lineup doesn’t it? Now I get it, in his little fantasy world the Warriors win despite Kerr and lose because of Kerr. Or 82-0 if the “expert” was HC! lol smh
Only nine players, missing Steph, Green and KP against the current #3 team in the West that has six more overall wins. I’d say that’s a nice win for the team thanks in part to an excellent HC and his coaching staff!
Either way, still not a championship team this year and that has nothing to do with who the HC is this season!
Fighting a losing battle boss. The kid doesn’t even know what his opinions are until he’s typing. He’s the best fence rider you’ve ever seen.
Funny. Last week Davey was trashing Santos. Now he is calling him a big; 6’7″ is average by NBA standards.
Best mute decision ever. In any case, I’m happy to hear he’s still active and entertaining.
Well, I take that back. Second best mute decision ever. Angry what’s his face from the city is just plain nasty, mean, and not nice.
Hi Gary,
I’ve never muted anyone, but IMO you’re missing out on a lot of unintentional humor.
Once muted, can it be undone?
Yes, it can be reversed because a couple of years ago I tried muting our buddy and undid it in the hopes things would improve.
But they did not improve.
I was still referred to as a loser, a crybaby, and worse, so forget it. I don’t have time for that and have no respect for people who communicate that way.
Thanks.
So today GSW is in New Orleans with a possible Kuminga showing and no Porz. Draymond questionable and due to the B2B Horford and Melton will miss either tonight or tomorrow in Memphis.
Pels haven’t played since the upset of the 76ers on the 21st, where Borrego finally took Poole out of mothballs and he scored team high 23 pts in 24 minutes shooting 8-15/5-11/2-2 with 5 ast and 0 TOs. And Murray is supposed to play his 1st game of the season as well.
It’s hard to believe GSW is favored by 1.5, I’m guessing the Pels win easily.