It was another fascinating chapter in the Stephen Curry and LeBron James rivalry. And it belonged to Curry after losing three straight games to the Akron Hammer. Both the icons showed up, Curry pouring 37 and James with 33. However, the man who shot the Bay to victory was arguably Brandin Podziemski. The sophomore has found his mojo in the second half of the season. Yet tonight, his dashing shooting night was because of coercion from Draymond Green.
Green recalled a game against the Spurs when Podziemski had a similar opportunity. Then he passed the rock to Jimmy Butler. It instantly triggered a reaction from the veteran forward and the Warriors. “We’re all like what are you doing? No, you have to take that shot,” Green revealed the message.
So tonight Brandin Podziemski didn’t make the same mistake. He stepped in with confidence at the end of the second quarter and made the shot. “It was a great moment,” said the four-time champion. It was a “huge shot” as Green saw it as the Lakers had cut the lead to 10. Podziemski heave returned the momentum to the Warriors’ favor.
But the reaction from the Warriors’ bench wasn’t out of surprise or shock. It was almost a relief. Draymond Green revealed a major trait about Podz. The 22-year-old and Stephen Curry often battle with half-court shots during practice. “I’m not sure what their account is but BP could be possibly leading. Like he hits those shots very frequently,” he said about the Warriors sophomore.
Dec 27, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
And on one of the biggest nights of the season, Brandin Podziemski was the catalyst to the Warriors’ pivotal win. Aside from his 28 points, Podziemski also added six assists and was a pesky defender. Likewise, with him playing with such a high level of confidence, the Warriors have another direction they can go to.
If there’s one thing about the playoffs, it’s having unlikely players step up. In that regard, Podziemski is stepping in the right direction.
Brandin Podziemski is brimming with confidence
Podziemski had been remarkable over his last 10 games. The 6’4″ guard is shooting 44% from beyond the arc. Against the Lakers though he picked it up a notch. He hit a career-high eight threes, including the surreal buzzer-beater. In the past, Podz refrained from taking these hail mary’s in the game as Draymond Green revealed.
But maybe tonight wasn’t just a one-off. As Steve Kerr sees it, the pressure from Green and the locker room has given the promising guard the confidence to shoot such shots.
“Yeah I mean he carried us in the first half and made a big one just inside half-court. We were all over him last week. He turned down a half-court shot in a game I think it was maybe New Orleans. So he took that to heart and took that shot. Obviously made a lot of big ones and yeah, Brandin was amazing,” the Warriors head coach added.
It has been a challenging season for the sophomore who was slated to have a drastic impact this season. In the first half of the season, Podziemski didn’t have a single month where he averaged even 10 points per game. That impacted other facets of his game too. But the second half has been a complete turnaround.
Not only is he shooting more threes than before, but his impact is visible in all departments of the game. His resurgence is a major factor behind the Golden State Warriors being such a formidable force after the trade deadline. And as they inch closer to securing a playoff spot, Kerr will likely rely heavily on his contributions during the important part of the season.
The post Brandin Podziemski Took Draymond Green’s Insult to Heart as Steve Kerr Confirms Warriors Star’s Behavior Shift vs Lakers appeared first on EssentiallySports.