The curious case of Brandin Podziemski keeps hitting the headlines every time he steps on the floor. With no Stephen Curry in the lineup, other Golden State Warriors players had to raise their level, and it became the ideal moment for Podziemski to establish his dominance in the game.
However, he blew cold yet again by scoring 11 points.
Furthermore, Podziemski’s Game 2 performance surely irked a few Warriors fans, and they want him to step up for Game 3.
Fans React to Brandin Podziemski’s Lackluster Performance
From the start, the shooting guard didn’t look comfortable on the ball and seemingly lacked the desire to attack the basket. He drove to the basket and passed it to his teammates instead of laying it up.
The lack of confidence became pretty evident as Podziemski struggled to get going. Thus, one fan mentioned, “Podz playing scared.”
Podz playing scared
— ᵃʳᵗᵒᵐᵃᵗⁱᵏ (@artomatik) May 9, 2025
One fanatic wanted to understand Podziemski’s role with the Warriors. He stated, “You know who the Warriors needed to show up big on offense? Brandin Podziemski. Is he supposed to be a scorer or is he supposed to be a defensive role player? His output has been putrid all playoffs and wildly inefficient.”
The Warriors fans, considering the Game 2 loss, are struggling to understand Podziemski’s role with the team. Historically, a shooting guard scores points, helps the defense by guarding the perimeter, and grabs the occasional rebound.
But Podziemski looks like a defensive role player who grabs rebounds and passes the ball. He rarely shoots the ball unless he gets open or, at times, drives to the rim. The fan questioned the player’s playoff stats, and in the last nine games, he’s averaged 10.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
That’s nowhere good enough. One user echoed this sentiment by saying, “Brandin Podziemski is so bad.”
Another fan commented, “I’m not sure what Brandin Podziemski is doing.” But if one looks at Game 2, Podziemski did better than some other players on the roster.
With 11 points, six rebounds, and six assists in 33 minutes, Podziemski’s game wasn’t terrible, to say the least. He also impacted the defensive end of the floor with two steals, but shot poorly from the field by only making 1-4 three-pointers.
That’s where the game went out of hand.
This fan posted a meme of Curry shaking his head while watching Podziemski and Moses Moody play. The fan captioned, “Moody and Brandin Podziemski, plus and minus gotta be off the charts.”
Moody and Brandin Podziemski, plus and minus gotta be off the charts. pic.twitter.com/tqW8ZCwsTy
— HOT CHOCOLATE (@DAT_HENNY_CHICK) May 9, 2025
Again, Podziemski had a better +/- than other players with 1. Moody, however, had a night to forget, scoring just three points in 16+ minutes with a +/- of -13. He shot three free throws to get on the board but went 0-5 from the floor.
But Podziemski had two turnovers, and one hit the Warriors in the gut. To sum up, the stats line looks fine for Podziemski. Yet, when you play for the Warriors, you’re expected to put points in a flurry.
He replaced Thompson after the guard left for the Dallas Mavericks, hoping to become the next big thing. Hopefully, he will come strong in Game 3 and shut down his naysayers.
Otherwise, Podziemski’s future with the Warriors remains hanging in the balance.