Brandin Podziemski really came into his own during this regular season for the Warriors. He started in over half the games he played and had quite serviceable numbers in them. However, things haven’t really gone his way during the postseason. He’s just kind of … disappeared from games. And calls were mounting against Podz being a regular in the Dubs’ lineup. Well, his head coach, Steve Kerr, has come out to clear the air.

Ahead of Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with the Dubs 3-1 down, Steve Kerr appeared on 95.7 The Game’s Willard & Dibs. During his appearance, he explained how Brandin Podziemski may be going through a rough patch right now. But he’s still an incredible hooper who has Kerr’s trust for a game as high-stakes as Game 5 v the Wolves. He said, “The confidence in the shot right now is not there, but let me tell you something, [Brandin Podziemski] is a ballplayer. Every game you look at the plus-minus and he’s at or near the top for our team.”

“He does so many other things besides shoot that are crucial for us. He’s still going to be out there. That’s why I’m still playing him as much as I am despite his shooting struggles. He’s a crucial player for us. These are great experiences for him to go through and to learn from. I’m confident in his ability to get past this shooting funk and have a big game tomorrow because he has a lot of confidence in himself,” said the 4x NBA title-winning coach.

And coach Kerr isn’t wrong about Podz’s on/off numbers. In Game 2 of the Minnesota series, every Dubs player had a negative rating. Every player except Podz! He had a +1 rating despite logging the second-highest minutes in the game. Looking at the bigger picture, though, this season, Golden State’s offense generates 17 more points per 100 possessions, and its defense surrenders 7.6 fewer points per 100 possessions, compared to when he checks out.  And even in his worst games, this postseason, his on/off rating hasn’t plummeted to negative double digits.

But what is it about Podz that makes Steve Kerr trust him so much? Well, if you were wondering that, then you’re in luck. The Dubs’ longtime coach revealed why he values Podziemski so highly despite it being only his sophomore season in the league.

Steve Kerr talks about Brandin Podziemski’s best quality

You can easily teach someone to dribble, to shoot better, or even jump higher. But something that’s really difficult to learn and even harder to teach is the ability to read the game. Some call it basketball IQ. Whatever the moniker, it’s what sets the elite apart from the average. And Steve Kerr believes Podz has basketball IQ in spades.

“[Brandin Podziemski] reads the game, he handles the ball, he passes, he’s a great rebounder. He sees things defensively, so he’s always in the right spot. The game just connects when he’s out there. It just makes a lot of sense for the rest of the group,” explained Kerr.

Among the 5 guards on the Dubs roster, none averaged more than Podz’s 5.1 rebounds a game in the regular season. Steph Curry has more boards on average during the postseason, but that can be chalked up to Steph playing fewer games because of his hamstring injury. Regardless, simply mentioning Steph and Podz in the same breath sort of vindicates Kerr, no?

But just because the Dubs’ longtime coach sees these qualities in Podz, it doesn’t mean he ignores some of the flaws in the 22-year-old’s game. “That doesn’t mean he’s perfect. But he does a lot of things that just make the game make sense. Not every player does that, frankly. Brandin, despite his shooting struggles, continues to connect lineups and make good basketball plays, and those are the things that help you win,” said Kerr.

We can’t really dispute him on this. Brandin, at the raw age of 22, manages to keep up with giants like Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler. And there’s no denying that he couldn’t really do it if he had a low basketball IQ.

That said, Podz needs to get over his shooting hump really quickly. He may be able to read the game well, but it’s of no use if he can’t impact it. But the Dubs are facing elimination in Game 5. So, if there was ever a time he needed to step up — it’s NOW!