Why Warriors' Brandin Podziemski 'licks chops' when Stephen Curry is out
03/19/2025 09:52 PM
The Golden State Warriors are showing that patience pays off; after being linked to blockbuster trades that would have required them to relinquish some of their youngsters, including Brandin Podziemski, they managed to strike a deal for Jimmy Butler without having to give up their young prospects. And ever since the Butler trade, Podziemski and Moses Moody have had their moments.
On Tuesday night, on the second night of a back-to-back in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks where the Warriors didn’t have Stephen Curry, they needed someone to step up and fill the scoring void left by Curry’s absence. And Podziemski did just that, scoring 17 points in 29 minutes after getting the start in a 104-93 win over the Bucks.
And with Curry out, the mindset for Podziemski was clear: be aggressive in doing whatever it takes to collectively fill in for the Warriors star’s absence.
“When 30’s out, I tend to lick my chops a bit, knowing I’ll get some more shots,” Podziemski said via Willard & Dibs on 95.7 The Game on X (formerly Twitter).
Podziemski has gone through his fair share of struggles in his sophomore season, although a lot of it is on the mental side of the ball. He was being hyped up as this untouchable player in the offseason, with head coach Steve Kerr even imploring him to launch without much conscience from beyond the arc, but the 22-year-old guard’s shot deserted him at multiple points in the season.
The Warriors’ belief in Podziemski, however, never wavered. And it looks like Podziemski is internalizing this belief from others as well. This more aggressive version of him is what the team needs moving forward, especially when the young guard can simply focus on making the most of the opportunities he has, with his burden to create being reduced by the arrival of Butler.
Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski is overcoming rough start to ’24-’25 campaign
Brandin Podziemski was widely regarded as one of the biggest steals of the 2023 NBA Draft, emerging as an instant contributor for a Warriors team that barely missed the cut for playoff qualification. But to start his sophomore campaign, Podziemski lost a bit of his luster, as his shooting percentages went down and his confidence seemed to go down with it.
But Podziemski has been getting himself back on track since he returned from an injury in late January. He’s averaging 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on 46/36/76 splits since then.
The post Why Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski 'licks chops' when Stephen Curry is out appeared first on ClutchPoints.
