The Golden State Warriors’ most recent 91-90 defeat at the hands of the Houston Rockets in their NBA Cup Quarter-Final matchup Wednesday night dropped the team to a No. 5 seed placement in the Western Conference with a 14-10 record.
Golden State’s legendary point guard and four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry struggled against Houston’s overwhelming defense, scoring just 19 points.
Following their disappointing performance, it became clear that the Warriors need more production from their bench with the recent season-ending ACL injury to guard De’Anthony Melton.
If one thing is certain, they aren’t receiving much support from 2024 First Team All-Rookie selection Brandin Podziemski on the offensive end.
Podziemski’s averages of 7.9 points on 24.7% accuracy from the three-point line are a massive step back from his 38.5% efficiency from range last season, possibly prompting Golden State to make a change.
Due to Podziemski’s major slump and the Warriors’ recent skid, their general manager Mike Dunleavy could be tempted to contact the Indiana Pacers regarding a potential trade for a replacement at the backup point guard position.
The Pacers’ 24-year-old Andrew Nembhard’s progression has hit a tiny snag, but the former No. 31 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft has given the league plenty of indication that his shooting woes are not to the degree of Podziemski’s.
The 6-foot-5 combo guard is currently averaging 8.1 points and 4.4 assists in just 24.7 minutes through 11 appearances for Indiana this season, and his 30.4% three-point shooting could be attributed to a small sample size.
During the Pacers’ incredible run to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2024 Playoffs, Nembhard etched his name into the franchise’s postseason history when he knocked down an amazing game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
Nembhard continued to prove that he’s capable of stepping up when the lights are their brightest, as he averaged 21.0 points and 7.8 assists to go along with a 47.6% three-point percentage in the Conference Finals against the eventual champion Boston Celtics.
Substituting Nembhard in for Podziemski in a potential swap would make the Warriors’ offense more dynamic thanks to Nembhard’s shot-creation ability. An improved defender sporting a career-best 1.1 steals and an improved defensive rating, he’d also fit into the Warriors’ scheme if he truly buys in on that end of the floor.
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