Two weeks ago, the Warriors’ backcourt picture still had some fuzz around it. Now, Brandin Podziemski has turned that conversation on its head.
The question hanging over Golden State was simple enough: was Podziemski really the right starting partner for Stephen Curry, or was De'Anthony Melton the better fit because of his defense? Some around the team were already talking about a possible trade for a guard, or maybe waiting until free agency next year to solve the problem.
That chatter looks a lot quieter now.
Podziemski kept rolling Monday night in Golden State’s lopsided win over the New Orleans Pelicans, putting up 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting and 5-of-11 from three. He matched the game high, and he did it while helping power an offense that had no trouble putting the Pelicans away in a 138-87 rout.
The Warriors’ top trio of Podziemski, Curry and rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg combined for 73 points in 74 minutes, a clean fit that helped Golden State stretch its winning streak to eight games. That’s the kind of night that makes a roster decision feel a lot less complicated.
Through nine games this season, Podziemski is averaging 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 48.2% from the floor and 40.8% from deep. He missed two of the first three games with back soreness, but that issue has apparently faded without much concern.
The numbers tell part of the story. The rest is on the defensive end, where Podziemski has taken a clear step forward. That growth has eased the worry about whether he and Curry can hold up together in the backcourt, and it has helped make Podziemski one of the team’s biggest positive influences.
He still leads the Warriors in plus-minus, with Golden State outscoring opponents by 97 points during his nearly 300 minutes on the floor.
Not long ago, the Warriors had issues all over the roster. A backcourt upgrade looked possible, the wing depth was shaky with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody out, and the Kristaps Porzingis situation left the frontcourt short-handed.
That picture has changed. At this point, center looks like the only real area to address, and even that has become less urgent with Charles Bassey giving the team useful minutes off the bench. That leaves the front office in a much simpler spot: if a Porzingis trade brings back a big man, there’s no need to chase another guard.
With Curry, Podziemski, Melton and Brandon Williams already in place, the Warriors don’t need to spend resources on a backcourt fix that no longer looks necessary.
Curry and Lendeborg may have grabbed the spotlight during this eight-game run, but Podziemski has been the quiet driver of the shift. His leap has been years in the making, and now it’s taken the Warriors out of the market for another guard.
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Warriors Backcourt Plans Could Suddenly Revive A Familiar Reunion Talk
The Warriors eight-game surge has only sharpened the sense that this group is back in the kind of position where bigger roster ideas start to surface. After the win over New Orleans, Golden State is once again being mentioned in the same breath as high-end names such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis, which tells you how quickly the conversation can shift when a team starts stacking victories and looking ahead to the next offseason.
Jordan Poole has also re-entered the picture in a way that would have sounded unlikely not long ago, with the former Warrior saying he would be open to a return as a free agent. If Golden State does end up with more salary cap flexibility next offseason, the front office may have more room to explore familiar paths as well as splashier ones, and that is the kind of backdrop that keeps reunion talk alive even when the roster is already rolling. [Read more 🡒]