Want the latest Bay Area sports news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here to receive regular email blasts, plus “The Dime,” our twice-weekly sports newsletter.
MINNEAPOLIS — Brandin Podziemski was on the verge of unfortunate history.
He started the Western Conference semifinals against Minnesota 9-for-40 from the field, a 22.5% clip that was among the worst high-volume shooting percentages in playoff history. His team needed him to step up offensively with Steph Curry out, and he instead stumbled.
The second-year guard turned in perhaps the best game of his career in Game 5 to salvage infamy, though.
Facing elimination, Podziemski dropped 28 points on 11-for-19 shooting — including 4-for-6 from deep — and added six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. With the Timberwolves’ defense hugging up to shooters on the perimeter and keying in on Jimmy Butler, Podziemski stepped up by routinely touching the paint and making decisive reads.
“I feel like when your back’s against the wall, the true you always comes out,” Podziemski said postgame.
Subscribe to The Dime
News, gossip, and inside-the-locker-room access for Bay Area sports fans, every Friday and Monday.
The 22-year-old’s strong finish doesn’t erase his playoff struggles. This postseason was rough for Podziemski. It was humbling. He had two great games, and 10 that ranged from mediocre to poor.
It was also a valuable experience. This was Podziemski’s first taste of postseason basketball, of facing elite defenses who hone in on his tendencies. He remains a big part of the Warriors’ future, so the organization’s hope is that he builds on taking his lumps.
That’s his hope, too.
“There’s obviously a bunch of stuff that I need to work on, that I was able to see what I need to work on during these playoffs,” Podziemski said. “It gives me some framework of what I need to do in the offseason to help the team get to another level.”
He listed off areas to focus on this summer: getting in better shape, improving his isolation game so he can slice into the key beyond attacking closeouts, making better decisions in the pick-and-roll.
Like Podziemski said, the playoffs reveal truths. These playoffs showed how far Podziemski still has to go to reach his ceiling.
Before Game 5, Podziemski was passing up shots against Minnesota and clanking the ones he took. Because he struggles to beat defenders off the dribble one-on-one, confidence in his outside shot is key; if he shoots them, he at least keeps defenders honest and opens up lanes into the paint.
In the first round against the Rockets, he dropped 26 points in a Game 4 win. But in the other six contests that series, he averaged 8.5 points on 34.5% from the field and 27% from behind the arc. Houston’s length gave him issues, both on the perimeter and at the rim.
Being able to elevate in the Warriors’ last game of the season was a big deal. Podziemski has struggled just about every time he has been asked to shoulder a heavier offensive load. To this point, he has been much more effective as a secondary creator than lead ball-handler.
His sophomore season started with a heap of hype, but he got outplayed by De’Anthony Melton in camp and struggled in the first month. Still, he bounced back to surge in the second half in an ecosystem led by Curry and Butler. He didn’t have to run as many pick-and-rolls. He could run through the catch and jab-step defenders rotating to him.
In Game 5, he played the Curry role. And he did it well. He pushed the pace whenever he could, getting his feet into the lane to kick out for teammates around the arc or finish himself. He got off the ball earlier than usual and hustled to get it back, imitating the two-time MVP he often watches warm up.
Podziemski scored at all three levels. On one play, he got Donte DiVincenzo on his hip and stepped back for a smooth jumper. That’s the type of shot he needs to mix in more frequently to keep defenses honest. As the Warriors tried to mount a fourth-quarter comeback, he used his deceleration — one of his niftiest tricks — to finish off the glass over Mike Conley and Naz Reid.
To play like he did says a lot about his resilience.
“The playoffs are a mind game,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s really easy to lose your confidence. Teams throw schemes at you. You have a bad game and everybody’s talking about your shooting percentage. You feel like you’re on an island. I’ve been there.
“It’s great for Brandin to go through that and then finish the series with a great game. Because he’s got to understand, this is what it feels like. Nobody cares in January if you have two games where you’re 4-for-20. But in the playoffs, everybody’s writing about it, everybody’s talking about it, you feel exposed. And that’s a big part of playoff experience is understanding you’ve got to keep firing.”
Kerr said Podziemski was even hesitant to shoot at times in Game 5. As aggressive as he was, he could’ve taken at least four more 3-pointers, the coach said. He told Podziemski after the game that when the Warriors return to this stage next year, he doesn’t want him to turn down a single shot.
It’s just one of several learning lessons that will be on Podziemski’s mind while he’s in the gym this summer. The playoffs can be a mind game, but they can also be a blueprint.
“This was a great experience for him,” Kerr said.