Podziemski’s breakout performance against Lakers starting to feel normal

Podz’s Year 2 is becoming must see TV.

Vindication is the best. For those of us who’ve been paying attention to Brandin Podziemski’s emergence, watching his logo-bombing performance against the Lakers was less “shocking development” and more “inevitable coronation.” Let’s take a delicious trip down memory lane, shall we?

When the Warriors were down 3-2 to the Rockets back in 2018, the basketball world was writing Golden State’s obituary. “The dynasty is over,” they said. “Houston’s iso-ball has broken the code,” they proclaimed. Meanwhile, I was telling anyone who would listen: the Warriors were about to showcase championship DNA that would drown Houston’s dreams in a tsunami of clutch buckets.

What happened? Golden State rallied to win Game 6 and 7, with Houston memorably missing 27 straight threes in their home collapse. Basketball gods don’t reward iso-ball, folks.

Then came the Andrew Wiggins saga. Remember this Nick Wright classic from 2020?

“Andrew Wiggins is a bad basketball player… It’s over for them now. We will never see Steph in another NBA Finals again. Ever.”

When I suggested Wiggins would be an integral piece to another championship run, the laughter was deafening. Fast forward to 2022, and there was Two-Way Wiggs, locking down Luka Dončić and throwing down poster dunks en route to a Finals victory and his first championship.

Now, we’re witnessing the Podziemski prophecy unfold in real-time.

My piece questioning if Podz was becoming the Warriors’ next great guard wasn’t just optimistic fan fiction – it was backed by the eye test and the numbers. This second-year guard out of Santa Clara isn’t just contributing. He’s becoming essential to Golden State’s identity.

Against the Lakers, Podz didn’t just hit threes; he launched them from DEEP, including a half-court buzzer-beater that had Crypto.com Arena feeling like a morgue. His eight made threes weren’t just impressive. They were historic for a young player in this system.

The basketball cognoscenti are finally catching on to what some of us recognized early: Podziemski represents the perfect bridge between eras. He embodies the two-timeline strategy in human form. He’s contributing meaningfully to extending the Steph Curry era while simultaneously developing into a cornerstone for what comes next.

Let’s acknowledge something remarkable: Podziemski is already the second-youngest Warrior ever to drain seven threes in a game. The youngest? Stephen Curry back in 2010. If that doesn’t send chills down your spine, check your pulse.

What makes Podz special isn’t just the shooting although that stroke is buttery. It’s his basketball IQ, his rebounding instincts at the guard position, and his knack for making winning plays. How many 22-year-olds crash the boards with the ferocity of a young Charles Barkley while displaying the court vision of an old-head point guard?

For those still skeptical, just track his growth curve. From drawing charges at a league-leading rate as a rookie to becoming a legitimate offensive threat in year two, Podziemski is ascending faster than anyone projected. That’s the Warriors development system working its magic once again.

The Lakers game wasn’t an anomaly folks. It was a glimpse into both the present and future. A taste of what’s to come as Podz continues to absorb knowledge from Curry while carving out his own identity.

So let me save you some time: Don’t be the person who has to eat crow two years from now when Podziemski is firmly established as one of the league’s premier two-way guards. The evidence is already there if you’re paying attention.

The two-timeline strategy isn’t dead – it’s alive and thriving in the hands of a 22-year-old from Wisconsin who plays like he’s been in the league for a decade.

I’m not saying Podziemski is the next Klay Thompson.

I’m saying he might be something entirely his own – and that should terrify the rest of the league.