Heading into his third NBA season in 2025-26, Brandin Podziemski will be expected to take on more responsibility on both ends of the floor.
The 6-foot-5 two-way combo-guard has impressed Golden State’s superstars such as Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler along with their coaching staff in the past due to his undying motor and elite charge-drawing capabilities, but his streaky shooting has raised a few questions about his overall impact within their rotation.
Golden State’s 2-1 beginning to the season has continued to have little to do with Podziemski on either side of the ball, a trend that recently gave one Warriors writer a chance to ask those burning questions.
“The Golden State Warriors have suffered their first loss of the season, having had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 139-119 blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on Friday night,” FanSided’s Peter O’Keefe wrote Friday.
“While Jonathan Kuminga continued to impress with some highlight plays in another productive performance, the form of fellow youngster Brandin Podziemski continues to be a growing concern after a quiet display from the third-year guard.”
“They’ll now have the weekend off to regroup ahead of hosting the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, with Podziemski’s form and role increasingly under the microscope following a rough start to the season.”
Through his first three appearances in 2025-26, Podziemski’s 8.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists on a putrid 44.0% effective field goal percentage jump out as an unwelcome sight for Golden State from an offensive perspective.
One thing that he’s had going for him after his first two seasons in a Warriors uniform was his defensive consistency, but his 121 defensive rating per 100 possessions and -2.8 defensive box plus-minus to start the year have truly left Podziemski without an avenue to effectively contribute.
Thankfully for the 23-year-old Santa Clara University product, he has already experienced what it’s like to struggle early into a season and finish incredibly strong.
Post All-Star break in 2024-25, Podziemski averaged a sensational 15.5 points and 5.9 rebounds while knocking down 43.8% of his three-point attempts and registering a 105.6 defensive rating in 28 games.
Podziemski will have to step up if the Warriors wish to compete for another title, and his experience from an up-and-down sophomore campaign could help to get him out of his current funk.
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