Is Brandin Podziemski making a leap? The Warriors sure think so

PHOENIX — Brandin Podziemski had already put it together before the Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler. He’d shaken off a brutal start to his sophomore season, coming back from his abdominal injury playing like the winning player Golden State is accustomed to. 

But the results since the Butler trade look like something different. Podziemski has gone from doing all the little things constantly to consistently doing a lot of the big things, too. 

In a blowout win Tuesday over the checked-out Suns, Podziemski scored 22 points in as many minutes, shooting 7-for-12 from the floor and 4-for-6 from deep. He emptied his bag of deceleration steps, pull-up jumpers, off-platform threes and hit-ahead passes. 

The 133-95 Warriors win (47-32) was Podziemski’s fourth 20-point game in his last six contests. In that span, he’s shooting 51.8% from behind the 3-point arc. In the 11 games since returning from a minor back injury on March 18, Podziemski leads the league in made threes, with 42. 

“He’s definitely taking a leap,” head coach Steve Kerr said. 

Podziemski, 21, has already solidified himself in the Warriors’ best five-man lineups. But the way he’s playing now, particularly as a scorer, has “changed everything,” Kerr said. 

How real is Podziemski’s hot streak? Even he, of unabashed confidence, knows the answer won’t come now, but in a matter of weeks. 

“I feel like I’m playing better,” Podziemski said. “But the good players in this league do it over a long period of time, they do it in the playoffs. So that’s the goal, keep pushing. I’m glad it worked out this way: struggling early and finishing this way instead of vice versa.” 

Three regular-season games stand between the Warriors and the postseason. They remain in sixth place, ahead of the Grizzlies and Timberwolves but behind the Nuggets and Clippers. Minnesota’s collapse to the Bucks on Tuesday night caused its 33rd loss; the other four teams have 32. 

Golden State’s 47th win, in the PHX Arena, was never in doubt. It was like a middle school play where everyone gets a part. 

Curry, the leading man, scored 25 easy points as he toyed with Bradley Beal, Ryan Dunn, Collin Gillespie, and Grayson Allen — a far cry from the hound of Houston super-soldiers who limited him to 1-for-10 on Sunday. Butler made a cameo with a bucket, steal, slam sequence in the third quarter while the Warriors were already up 30. Even Trayce Jackson-Davis made an impactful cameo with a pair of alley-oops in extended minutes. 

With little resistance from the Suns, the Warriors all got to line up and take a bow after three quarters. The Suns, now officially eliminated from playoff contention, played like they were already on a beach. They got out-rebounded 57 to 41 and didn’t rush back on defense in transition. Devin Booker (21 points) was the Suns’ only capable scorer, and Phoenix didn’t even bother double-teaming Curry.

The Suns’ body language was so poor that Beal laughed after Curry sank a look-away three in his grill and, later, Booker motioned for a challenge he knew the Warriors would win. 

It was a nice night for the Warriors to see the ball go in and get some extra rest for their veterans. 

And a nice night for Podziemski to continue his tear. 

Podziemski opened the game with a fall-away three at the end of the shot clock. It was a sign of the conviction in his 3-point shot. 

When Podziemski shoots from the outside without hesitation, it opens up the rest of his game. Defenders close out harder to him, clearing driving lanes. He has a habit of catching on the move, putting defenders on their heels. Since the Warriors added Butler, Podziemski is running fewer pick-and-rolls. He was a bit overtaxed as a lead playmaker, but has thrived as a second-side option. 

He’s making the leap.

“It has really coincided with Jimmy’s arrival,” Kerr said. “The two of them have this great connection. … I’ve always felt that when you can stack together a lot of high-IQ players, the game comes easier for everyone. That’s what I’m seeing now right now between Jimmy and BP, Draymond and Steph.” 

Podziemski has had issues finishing inside the arc but has recently found ways to mitigate it. His midrange pull-up has been automatic, and he has, on multiple occasions, decelerated at the rim to either finish around defenders or draw fouls. 

It’s a move he picked up earlier this year, when a pair of Grizzlies did it against the Warriors. When Podziemski learned it wasn’t a travel, he used his strong foundation of footwork to implement it quickly. Slowing down at the rim throws defenders off balance, allowing Podziemski to compensate for his lack of athleticism. 

Podziemski’s 3-point shot is the biggest factor, though. He won’t make half of them forever, but confidence can carry over. He went 7-for-9 from deep en route to 27 points in San Antonio, hit eight of 10 two games later in Los Angeles, and has sank four more in each of the past three games. 

“We already have Steph, we already have Jimmy, Draymond, all those guys,” Gui Santos said. “But if you have another guy like BP, like he’s playing right now, it’s so tough to beat us.”