The Warriors are in a fragile spot, trying to keep things together without their offensive engine, Stephen Curry, who’s sidelined for the next few games with a left quad injury. Sitting at 10-10, one more stumble pushes them below .500, and their brief three-game spark has already faded into four losses in their last five. Now the Pelicans arrive at Chase Center, and Golden State is scrambling, testing lineups, shuffling roles, and searching for anything that can steady them until Curry returns.

And part of that scramble meant handing Brandin Podziemski a spot in the starting lineup. Golden State rolled out a makeshift group against the Pelicans: Podz, Jimmy Butler, Quentin Post, Draymond Green, and Moses Moody, a combination nobody saw coming. As for Dub Nation’s reaction to that five? Let’s just say ‘concerned’ would be putting it gently.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr explained the thinking behind the lineup shake-up, pointing to Curry’s absence as the driving factor. “We got to play fast, we’ve got to get stops, we’ve got to play off our defense, and we’ve got to get,” he said, emphasizing the need for energy and focus.

As Anthony Slater pointed out, the numbers tell the story: Golden State posts a 118.2 offensive rating with Curry on the floor, but that drops to 105.2 when he’s off, a stark difference between sixth and 30th in the NBA.

Kerr added that this stretch without their star presents an opportunity. “Give guys more opportunity, look at different combinations, you know, be more aggressive, try more things,” he said, making it clear the experiment isn’t just about survival, it’s about learning who can step up when the team needs it most.

Warriors fans weren’t happy seeing Podziemski in the starting lineup, and his recent struggles haven’t helped. In Wednesday’s 104-100 loss to the Kevin Durant-less Rockets, Podz missed two crucial free throws and coughed up a turnover in the fourth quarter. Golden State also got out-rebounded, turned the ball over more, and committed more fouls, adding to the frustration.

Podziemski, however, tried to keep perspective after the team’s 10th loss of the season. “I mean, I think we all care. Obviously, it looks just a little bit worse because we lost and we’ve been losing. Yeah, no one is gonna bail us out of this kind of losing funk that we’re in. We just gotta dig deep. It may not look pretty, but that’s how you win,” he said, showing optimism even when the results weren’t there.

Still, fans are not buying it.

Fans react to the starting lineup vs the Pelicans

One fan even took to X, saying, “Favoritism is going to kill this team.”

But is Podziemski really Kerr’s favorite? Not likely. Early this season, Kerr was clear about what the team is missing, “fire” and the fight needed to be a title contender and he called out some of the younger players by name, including Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski. On Podz specifically, Kerr said, “He’s not at his best right now,” showing that the criticism isn’t about favoritism but about getting the most out of the roster.

Some fans weren’t convinced about Podziemski starting, with one even asking, “Podz over Richard!?”

Podziemski has been putting up 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 44% from the field, placing him around the middle of the league in most categories. Will Richard, on the other hand, is averaging 8.7 points, 2.7 boards, and 1.2 assists, but his shooting has been more efficient at 54.9%. Sure, Richard has been inconsistent at times, but for a late second-round pick, he’s exceeded expectations. He’s started eight games and is averaging 18.3 minutes per night, ranking eighth on the Warriors.

Another fan commented,”Kerr so inluv w/podz but podz keep failing the team”

But when you dig into the numbers, it’s clear why the Warriors made that choice. Danny Emerman of The San Francisco Standard broke down the team’s best lineup combinations. The top five in terms of effectiveness are Green, Kuminga, Podziemski, Steph Curry, and Jimmy Butler, together, they’ve produced a staggering +170 points in 65 minutes on the floor.

The second-best group swaps Podziemski for Will Richard, keeping Curry, Butler, Green, and Moses Moody, and they’re still impressive at +143 points in 55 minutes. The takeaway? The Warriors’ chances of winning with Podz are higher, but that comes with a huge asterisk: Stephen Curry.

One fan’s frustration was clear: “I’ve been saying it forever, Podz is related to an investor of Golden State…”

The sarcasm didn’t miss a beat. Podziemski, meanwhile, has openly shared his ambition to eventually become the face of the franchise after veterans like Curry and Green move on. But Warriors fans aren’t quite on board with that vision, some have even called for him to be traded or sent away, showing just how divided opinion is on the young guard.

Another netizen quipped, “This is the lineup nightmares are made of.”

Whether it turns into a nightmare or not will only be clear after the final buzzer. For now, it’s halftime, and the Pelicans trail 42-38. Podziemski has logged 14 minutes so far, contributing 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 points.