After aspirations of being in the Most Improved Player conversation and identified as one of the brightest young stars in the league, Brandin Podziemski's start to his sophomore year hasn't been ideal for he or the Golden State Warriors.
Podziemski hasn't taken the leap he or most expected in his second season, having earned All-Rookie First Team honors in 2023-24. Numbers are down across the board for the 21-year-old, most notably in his shooting efficiency.
Having shot 45.4% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point range in his rookie year, Podziemski is now just 24.7% from deep and 38% overall. His minutes are also down, coming as quite a surprise given the offseason departures of veteran guards Klay Thompson and Chris Paul.
The Warriors must retain faith in Brandin Podziemski
Podziemski's underwhelming play has drawn significant criticism from fans on social media, often going way over the top to the point of completely unwarranted for any player let alone one in his second season.
Much of that has to do not only with the regard in which Podziemski has held himself, but perhaps more so how the franchise viewed him amid trade speculation during the offseason. Owner Joe Lacob famously labelled him "a future All-Star" during Summer League, with the front office unwilling to include Podziemski in trade talks for Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen.
It's those expectations that have led to so much disappointment surrounding his play through the first quarter of the season. Many are now urging Golden State to move on from last year's 19th overall pick, with trade speculation again rising in the lead up to the February 6 deadline.
Assuming that they can't land a top 20-25 player in the league, then there's really only one option for the Warriors -- hold faith in Podziemski. If they honestly thought they had a future All-Star on their hands during the offseason -- and that was more than just a public statement amid trade discussions -- then that shouldn't changed based on the first 24 games.
Fans expect linear improvement from young players, but the truth is that it doesn't always come. Golden State should be patient with their young guard, while also balancing the need to prioritize the win-now approach of this team with Stephen Curry.
There's no point in the Warriors selling low on Podziemski now in exchange for a role player, doing so would be admitting they made a mistake in their evaluation just months ago. If they can get a genuine All-Star then sure, but it's unlikely that rival teams will view him as a cornerstone piece in any such trade.
What Golden State do need to do is add another ball-handling playmaker (hello Dennis Schroder) that lessens a heavy burden that was placed upon Podziemski entering just his second season. That could help alleviate some of the pressure that has built up, allowing Podziemski to get back to make the winning plays that were so impactful during his rookie year.
