Just like the Golden State Warriors’ turbulent season, Brandin Podziemski has found himself in hot water. Tasked with shouldering the team’s offense amid the injury woes, the guard has managed to leave the Dub Nation frustrated. Things may have stayed differently if he hadn’t said what he said about Stephen Curry. Nevertheless, BP began damage control after coach Steve Kerr’s warning.

Featuring in the latest podcast episode with Steiny and Guru podcast, Podz was put on the spot. The hosts briefed him about Kerr’s warning on his “confidence comments”, especially the one where he said he wanted to be better than Steph. The 23-year-old, clearly taken off guard, wanted to redeem himself, as he said, “I think I could have worded them a little bit differently. But I also think how it’s perceived on the internet is a little taken out of context.”

Following that, the floor was open, and Podziemski went ahead to reword it. “It’s just something you strive for. Seeing, you know, the greatest player at the point guard position, the same position you are in. And if you have the opportunity to be better than, obviously, anybody would. And I think that’s kind of where I was going with that. Not that I am going to be better than them. Just that if, you know, I can be, obviously, I would.”

Nevertheless, Brandin Podziemski seemed to have learnt a crucial lesson in this mix-up. Before rewording his controversial comment, he said, “Your biggest strength could be your biggest weakness.” Well, the young guard could be hinting at his confident approach.

However, Steve Kerr, appearing on the same show two days ago, guided the young man on ways to express his confidence, while labelling him as a “lightning rod”. In short, attracting unnecessary shade. The coach handed out advice saying, “There are other ways of showing your confidence than saying you’re going to be better than Steph Curry.”

In fact, Kerr blamed Podz for putting it on himself, saying, “He’s put some of that on himself, and when you’re brash and confident, that’s kind of the way it works.” Now that he has reworded his statement and taken Kerr’s warning into account, he knows what to do: Perform!

How has Podz performed in Stephen Curry’s absence?

Stepping into the third season, Brandin Podziemski had a simpler role. He just had to generate minimum offense while Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler did the heavy lifting. In the first 50 games, Podz racked up 9.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, and 3.9 apg, shooting 45.7% from the field and 37.3% beyond the arc. Even though the numbers had dropped compared to his sophomore year, it didn’t affect the Warriors’ run.

Meanwhile, in Curry’s absence after his ‘Runner’s knee’ situation, Podziemski saw a significant increase in his output. In the last 23 games, he recorded 15.1 ppg, 6.6 apg, and 4.2 apg. However, the rising star’s efficiency has dropped considerably with 43.2% FG and 32.6% 3PFG. At the same time, BP also showed flashes of greatness, dropping 25+ points on three different occasions.

Anyway, with Steph’s return around the corner and the Warriors hanging on to the Play-In spot, Podz finally may have some relief. Thus, a reduced offensive load could enable him to return to his efficient production, which remains sustainable for his developmental stage.