As the Golden State Warriors continued their quest to make it past the regulation, they faced a setback during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies, who inbounded early in the 2nd quarter, hoped to gain an advantage on the close 34-35 deficit. However, as Jake LaRavia utilized a screen from Jaren Jackson Jr., he accidentally swiped on Brandin Podziemski’s face.

Podziemski, immediately feeling the sting, took to the ground in pain. As players briefly went on, referees stopped the game after the Memphis bucket. Teammates swarmed the guard and head coach Steve Kerr argued the missed call as Brandin tossed on the floor with blood on his face. He was soon taken to the locker room for medical attention.

The game against the Grizzlies holds immense value for the Warriors, as a loss could extend their reach from the Play-In tournament. Moreover, with the Houston Rockets‘ hot 6-game winning streak, a loss can culminate into an elimination from the playoff contention race in the coming games.

As the Warriors continue to face struggles on the 2023-24 season, Brandin Podziemski has turned out to be a promising addition to the squad. Playing in his rookie season, the 21-year old has seen court time in 59 games so far, averaging a consistent 9.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists. Additionally, Kerr has confided in the 6’5 shooting guard as the season progressed, handing him increased minutes on the court alongside a starting role. Kerr’s trust in Podz was in full display when he attended questions around the guard’s tussle with efficiency from the recent games.

Kerr’s wants Brandin Podziemski to grow

The Warriors, having faced the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and the streaking New York Knicks, are 1-2 in the last 3 games. Their losses came within a margin of 10 points, shedding light on Brandin Podziemski’s lack of efficiency in his starting role.

Over the last 3 games, Podz has displayed contrasting outings, posting 5.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists. The game against LA saw him attempting just 4 shots while the Knicks game cultivated in 0 points from the youngster.

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Read More – Rookie Brandin Podziemski Extends Heartwarming Gesture to Late Dejan Milojevic

When addressing the performance narrative around Podz, Kerr backed up his rookie by citing the frequency of on-and-off game amongst rookies. “Yeah he had a tough night, but that’s to be expected,” Kerr said in post-match interview against Knicks. “He’s played a lot of minutes this year, but he still plays with a lot of energy. I think the biggest thing is just continuing to show on tape things he can improve upon and remind him of the details that are really important for him.” 

With that, Kerr overshadows the questions about Brandin’s performance and expects the guard to simply keep growing at this point in his career.