Brandin Podziemski Sees Expanded Role as Warriors Navigate Key Absences Ahead of Nuggets Game
Brandin Podziemski's responsibilities with the Golden State Warriors have increased as the team contends with a cascade of injuries and a coach's public admonition to refine decision-making. The timing matters with the Warriors hosting the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, February 22, a matchup that will test short-term rotations and playoff positioning.
Development details: Brandin Podziemski and roster moves
Head coach Steve Kerr singled out Brandin Podziemski as a young player who impacts winning but still needs to fine-tune his shot selection and choices on the floor, saying the guard's ambition can sometimes be excessive. The comment followed the Warriors' first practice two days after All-Star Weekend, held on a Tuesday that Kerr described as a refreshed, if initially ragged, return to work.
The immediate roster landscape is concrete: Golden State entered the week with a 29-27 record and listed four players on its injury report. Stephen Curry has been sidelined with a lingering right knee injury since January 30 and is expected to miss at least one more week. Seth Curry is ruled out for at least two more weeks due to sciatic nerve irritation. Kristaps Porziņģis was also on the injury report, and his minutes ticked up after a 17-minute, 12-point debut that suggested increasing involvement.
With Steph Curry unavailable, the coaching staff has identified Pat Spencer, Brandin Podziemski and Gary Payton II as likely to take on larger roles. Kerr also noted lineup adjustments: Draymond Green will start at center, while Al Horford’s role in the starting five will hinge on Curry’s availability.
Context and escalation
The Warriors' personnel challenges collide with a Nuggets team that arrived in the Bay with a 36-21 record, fresh off a road win in which Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray paced Denver. Murray entered the matchup listed as questionable with right hamstring tightness after playing through the issue in a recent game; he had not missed a contest since January 23. Denver also had multiple players ruled out, including Jalen Pickett, out for a third straight game with right knee soreness, and others recovering from hamstring injuries.
Analysts projecting the matchup highlighted Jokić's playmaking impact, noting his high assist totals in Golden State and suggesting Denver's offense could shoulder increased facilitation if Murray's availability is limited. What makes this notable is how quickly a single injury — Curry's prolonged absence — reorders role definitions and in-game responsibilities on both ends of the court.
Immediate impact and forward outlook
The short-term effects are tangible: without Curry in the lineup since January 30, the Warriors are asking younger and complementary players to handle ball pressure, scoring creation and late-clock decision-making. Podziemski, who leads the league in Effective Field Goal Percentage in the 0-to-4 seconds window of the shot clock, faces a sharper spotlight as coaches and teammates lean on him to supply reliable offensive possessions and steadier judgment.
On the Denver side, Murray’s questionable status for the Feb. 22 game opens the door for role increases from veterans like Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. if the guard cannot go. Jalen Pickett’s continued absence marks his third consecutive missed contest, while Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson remained sidelined with right hamstring strains.
Looking ahead, the Warriors have framed the final stretch of the regular season as a period of building toward the playoffs, emphasizing defense, transition offense and ball security. The team still lists a top-six seed as a goal, not an expectation, given current standings. Key near-term milestones include Curry’s re-evaluation after at least another week off, the outcome of the Feb. 22 matchup that will influence seeding trajectories, and Porziņģis’s incremental minutes as he settles into the rotation.
Kerr’s counsel to Podziemski — to balance ambition with on-court discipline — underscores a broader coaching task: converting individual confidence into consistent, team-oriented production as personnel availability shifts. For now, measurable changes in minutes and usage are the immediate levers the Warriors will use while navigating this compressed, consequential portion of the schedule.
