The Golden State Warriors season may have come to an end less than a month ago, but Brandin Podziemski has already switched gears to next season and beyond with some major aspirations in mind.
During a recent episode of Up & Adams with Kay Adams, Podziemski reiterated his desire to become an All-Star in the NBA and be part of Team USA’s Olympic campaign in 2028. Clearly those goals will not only come down to the young guard’s own development, but how exactly the Warriors view him within their rotation.
The Warriors are likely to continue granting Brandin Podziemski a starting role
The idea of stardom has been a primary goal for Jonathan Kuminga over recent years, yet those aspirations have been restricted by limited and inconsistent playing time under Steve Kerr. It appears that won’t be an issue for Podziemski, at least not based on the reports and speculation surrounding what the Warriors will be chasing in the offseason.
In the immediate aftermath of Golden State’s elimination, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office would be on the hunt for a playmaking wing defender or a center after Draymond Green was asked to carry a heavy workload over the second-half of the season.
The Warriors have already been linked to a number of potential big men options in recent weeks, including veteran free agent Brook Lopez, along with Kristaps Porzingis as a plausible trade target given the Boston Celtics are facing payroll issues.
If Golden State are focusing more on the front court than the back court (which they should be), then that suggests they’re comfortable with Podziemski retaining a prominent role within the rotation and most likely as a starter.
The 22-year-old started all but one of his final 36 combined regular season and playoff games, having made just 10 starts prior to that. There’s no indication to suggest they’re looking to make a change in the back court, albeit it’s not impossible to foresee a change being made.
Should the Warriors empower Podziemski in a starting role playing 30+ minutes, then at the very least he’ll have the opportunity to develop into the All-Star level player he envisages. Whether he can ever reach that level remains to be seen, but needless to say it would be a huge development in the team’s fortunes and hopes of title contention.
After a slow start to his second season, Podziemski enjoyed a strong finish to the regular season where he eventually ended up averaging 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists on 44.5% shooting from the floor and 37.2% from 3-point range.
