Brandin Podziemski opens up about a “mystery illness.”

Brandin Podziemski has become incredibly important to the Golden State Warriors since being drafted. But his 3-point percentage of 19.1 so far this season is one of several glaring issues with the Warriors’ shooting. The team ruled Podziemski out ahead of Golden State’s game highly-anticipated game against Boston because of a mystery illness.

Podziemski told reporters, including The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, on Monday that the team does not yet know what exactly he experienced, or what the cause of it was.

“We didn’t figure out (what it is),” Podziemski said. “We’re still trying to figure it out right now.”

Podziemski also revealed that he had a meeting with both head coach Steve Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. in which the three discussed his early-season struggles. He shared the message he received from the two members of the Warriors’ strategic brain trust with the media, as well.

“Come out and be myself and the best version of me,” Podziemski said. “Not try to play for everybody else. Understand what I bring to the table.”

The Warriors just want Brandin Podziemski to be himself

Podziemski made the 2023-24 NBA All-Rookie First Team after an impressive debut season. Averaging 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game got him fifth place in the Rookie of the Year race. But this season, Podziemski is struggling to shoot at the rate his team knows he can. He’s nine of his 47 on his 3-point attempts. As a rookie, he made 10 times as many 3-pointers in only five times the attempts. Or more simply put, he shot twice as well.

He got off to an unfortunate start to the 2024-25 season, breaking his nose late in the preseason. And regardless of what the aforementioned mystery illness was, it doesn’t seem like something that has helped the second-year guard settle in. Sophomore slumps are common across all sports but typically do not include medical inconveniences.

Regardless of the causes, the Warriors understand the situation. Kerr told reporters after the Warriors’ Monday night loss to the Los Angeles Clippers that it’s clear Podziemski is in a slump.

“He’s not shooting the ball with much confidence right now,” the coach said. “That’s obvious. It’s part of being in the NBA. Everyone goes through stretches where you don’t quite feel it. The way he shot it at the end of last year, all summer, watching him in camp, he’s a really good shooter. He’ll find it.”

When Klay Thompson put pen to paper last offseason, the Warriors knew their shooting would have to improve elsewhere. Podziemski is taking about 22% more shots per game from behind the 3-point arc than he did in his rookie year. But the rate at which he makes his 3-pointers legitimately being half of what it was last year isn’t just growing pains.

Podziemski was taken 19th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft and burst onto the scene with his polished, decisive play and ability to shoot the ball off the bench for the Warriors. And Kerr and Dunleavy Jr. apparently made clear in their meeting with the young guard that his best path is playing like Brandin Podziemski.