Brandin Podziemski to Take the Reins as Stephen Curry Sits Out Road Trip
Let’s be real for a second—being a Warriors fan right now feels a bit like riding a roller coaster that only goes down. The Dubs are sitting at .500, we just got absolutely dismantled by the Thunder, and now the news we were all dreading is official. Stephen Curry isn’t packing his bags for the upcoming road trip.
Yep, you heard that right. The ankle breaker, the baby-faced assassin, the guy who literally is the Golden State Warriors, is staying home. Head coach Steve Kerr confirmed what most of us feared after that quad injury flared up in late November. Steph is grounded. He won’t be facing the 76ers, the Cavaliers, or the Bulls. Instead, he’s staying in the Bay with the medical staff, hoping to get right by the time the Timberwolves come to town next Friday.
So, where does that leave us? Staring down the barrel of a three-game road stint without our safety blanket. But, before you go doom-scrolling on Twitter, let’s look at the silver lining—or at least the next man up.
It’s Podziemski Time
With Steph out, the spotlight shifts squarely onto Brandin Podziemski. The 22-year-old is in his third season, and honestly? He’s been one of the few bright spots in a season that’s been mostly “meh.”
Podziemski isn’t just filling a jersey; he’s actually playing ball. He’s hitting a career-high 12.5 points per game this season, and over the last eight games, he’s bumped that up to 14.5 points. He’s cracked 15+ points five times in that span. Is he Steph Curry? No. Nobody is. But is he capable of keeping the ship afloat while the captain is in dry dock? I’d say so.
He’s started the last two games while Steph has been sidelined, and now he’s got a real shot to show what he can do with the keys to the offense for a full road trip. It’s sink or swim time for the young guard, and frankly, we need him to swim like Michael Phelps.
The Rest of the M.A.S.H. Unit
It’s not just Steph, though. The injury report reads like a CVS receipt. Jimmy Butler (knee), Jonathan Kuminga (ankle), and Al Horford (sciatica) are all questionable. It feels like half the roster is held together by athletic tape and hope at this point.
However, there is a weirdly wholesome plot twist in all this mess. Seth Curry—Steph’s younger brother—just signed a one-year deal and looked surprisingly solid in his debut against OKC. He dropped 14 points in 18 minutes. If Kuminga or Butler can’t go, we might see a lot more of the other Curry. Who knows? Maybe “Splash Brothers 2.0” is just Seth and Podziemski raining threes in Philadelphia.
Can Podziemski Step Up?
Look, nobody wants to see the Warriors play without Steph. It’s like watching a band without the lead singer—you know the songs, but it just doesn’t hit the same. But this is the hand we’ve been dealt.
We need Podziemski to step up, we need the bench to show some life, and we need to survive this road trip without falling completely off the map. If we can scrape together a couple of wins in Philly, Cleveland, or Chicago, we might just survive until the chef gets back in the kitchen next Friday. Until then, hold onto your hats, Dub Nation. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
