Brandin

Podziemski

Podziemski recorded his second 20-point game of the season on Monday, finishing one point shy of his high (21 vs. the Lakers on Friday). Like Stephen Curry, Podz was most effective during the third quarter, scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field. The negative for fantasy managers is that Podziemski didn’t provide much value beyond the points and three-pointers. They’ll hope for more on Thursday when the Warriors host the Heat.

Podziemski has scored 17 points or more in four of his five appearances this season, but he stood out on Sunday with his assists. The eight assists were a season high, and he’s tallied five or more in four straight games. Podziemski will look to build on this current run when the Warriors face the Suns on Monday.

After taking a back seat offensively in Wednesday’s win over the Timberwolves, Podziemski was more involved on Friday to make up for a quiet night from Yaxel Lendeborg (six points, one rebound, one three-pointer, and five turnovers). Podz scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half, shooting 4-of-8 from the field and 3-of-4 from the foul line. The 21 points are a season-high for Podziemski, who scored 18 in each of his first two appearances.

For the Warriors, it was all Stephen Curry and Yaxel Lendeborg on Wednesday, so Podz took a step back. You want more scoring than what you got tonight, but he got you some good rebounds and assists from the guard position. However, Podz is not someone who has been able to show consistently that he can ramp up usage and score the ball when the team needs it, so there is a cap on his upside.

Back in the lineup after sitting out Saturday’s loss to the Suns, Podziemski recorded his second 18-point game of the season. He played 33 minutes against the Nuggets, a positive sign given the back issue that kept Podz out of the Warriors’ October 21 season opener. Golden State has three more games in Week 2, ending with a Sunday/Monday back-to-back, so another injury management night could be on the horizon for Podziemski.

Curry and Podziemski did not play in Saturday’s loss to the Suns for injury management reasons. Their returns will push Brandon Williams and Will Richard to the bench.

Podziemski entered Friday’s game dealing with a sore lower back that kept him out of Wednesday’s loss to the Lakers. It didn’t help matters that he took an inadvertent forearm from Grizzlies center Zach Edey to the head early in the first quarter. Podziemski returned later in the period after a trip to the locker room and logged 33 minutes overall. He finished with a complete stat line, but this is it for Podz in Week 1. After Friday’s defeat, he said he would not play in Saturday’s game against the Suns.

Podziemski is available after missing Wednesday’s loss to the Lakers due to a lower-back injury. His return means that De’Anthony Melton will come off the bench. Ike gets his first NBA start, letting Green play his usual power forward role.

Podziemski is available after sitting out Wednesday’s season-opening loss to the Lakers. His return likely pushes De’Anthony Melton to the bench.

Podziemski is trending in the right direction after he was initially listed as questionable with a back ailment. He missed Wednesday’s loss against the Lakers with the same injury. Now that he’s been upgraded to probable, Podziemski, who appeared in all 82 games last season, should start alongside Stephen Curry against the Grizzlies Friday.