High expectations were set for Golden State Warriors’ fast-rising star Brandin Podziemski when they kept him out of the Lauri Markkanen trade talks.
It went sky-high when Warriors owner Joe Lacob boldly declared, ” We’ve got a future All-Star” in Podziemski.
So, it came as a surprise when De’Anthony Melton got the start over Podziemski during the Warriors’ 91-90 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in their preseason opener on October 5.
“I don’t mind it,” Podziemski said, per NBC Sports Bay Area. “Whoever I’m with, starting or coming off the bench, for me, I just want to finish games and be where the most important plays are made. If I’m starting, if I’m coming off the bench, it really doesn’t matter. I take pride in leading the second group.”
Podziemski played the Sixth man role in the tight win, but he struggled with his shot. He missed eight of his nine shots from the field, finishing with only four points. Despite his shooting struggles, he still made a huge impact.
Podziemski led the Warriors with four assists while adding five rebounds and two steals against only one turnover in 19 minutes. The Warriors outscored the Clippers by five when Podziemski was on the floor.
“Point guard is supposed to be a leader out there,” Podziemski continued. “I think today I did that. … From a broader perspective of leadership and being a point guard, I think I did that pretty well.”
Podz hits GP2 with the power-bounce assist 🤯 pic.twitter.com/6kPAS3Zj8B
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 5, 2024
Podz hits GP2 with the power-bounce assist 🤯
Brandin Podziemski to Fill in Chris Paul’s Shoes Than Klay Thompson’s Void?
Kerr basically used Podziemski in the Sixth Man role Chris Paul played last season.
It’s an unexpected turn of events for Podziemski, who supplanted Klay Thompson in the Warriors’ starting lineup midway through last season.
Podziemski was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team after he led the league in offensive fouls drawn (38), showing his commitment to sacrifice his body on the defensive end. He also led the Warriors in total rebounds (427) despite being a 6-foot-4 guard. Most importantly, the Warriors were plus-264, the best in the team, when Podziemski was on the floor.
Podziemski finished his rookie campaign averaging 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 45.4% from the field and 38.5% of his 3-pointers in 26.6 minutes.
Steve Kerr Likes the Steph Curry-De’Anthony Melton Pairing
Melton, the Warriors’ key free agent signing this offseason, started next to Stephen Curry in the Warriors backcourt.
They showed plenty of promise which Kerr raved about after the game.
“They look great together,” Kerr told reporters. “I know Steph didn’t shoot well, but they look for each other. De’Anthony’s a really good shooter, but also a playmaker and gets in the mix on everything defensively. I’m a really big fan of De’Anthony and I really like the depth of our offense.”
Melton complemented Curry with his two-way play, which the Warriors had in prime Klay Thompson during their championship runs.
Melton, the Warriors’ midlevel exception signing, produced eight points on 3 of 7 shooting with 2 rebounds, 1 assist and a steal in just 12 minutes. He was a plus-2 in his Warriors’ unofficial debut.
But Curry struggled in his first game since his heroics in the 2024 Paris Olympics for Team USA.
Curry scored nine points on 2 of 9 shooting in 14 first-half minutes. The Warriors superstar missed all his four 3-point attempts.
‘There’s No Ego’
If Melton wins the starting job, Podziemski has no complains about it.
“I call De’Anthony OG because he looks old as [expletive], but he’s only 26,” Podziemski said, per NBC Sports Bay Area. “It’s been good. We’ve just been clicking, vibing. There’s no ego. We just want to go out there and hoop for each other.”
Melton said he’s unsure if he should be called OG because they are only four years apart. However, Melton has already played six seasons in the NBA, which Podziemski has been leaning on.
“That’s my dog,” Melton said of Podziemski. “He calls me OG, but I’m not that old, so I don’t know about that. But that’s my dog. We actually chop it up a good amount. We just pick each other’s brains, see what’s going on and I like being around him.”
Alder Almo is a basketball journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 15 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo
