Overview
- With Stephen Curry out for two months with a knee injury, Podziemski has taken primary on-ball duties as Golden State has gone 9-15 and fallen to 10th in the West.
- His recent run mixed big lines — 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists against Washington with strong games versus Brooklyn and Dallas — with a five-point showing in Atlanta that underlined inconsistency.
- Kerr said the added ballhandling reveals “warts,” explaining Podziemski is strong off the ball but can over-dribble, which showed in late mistakes at Dallas before he settled in and finished overtime without a turnover.
- Podziemski said he sees the online backlash, admitted some comments were poorly worded, and said he tries to block out criticism when he plays.
- He is posting career highs, including 13.2 points with small rebounds and assists bumps, as increased minutes set the stage for rookie-scale extension talks this summer.