Carlos Avila Gonzalez/S.F. Chronicle
Carlos Avila Gonzalez/S.F. Chronicle
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler packed plenty of playoff experience onto Friday’s flight to Houston. Collectively, they have appeared in 423 NBA playoff games in their decorated careers.
Even young swingman Moses Moody, another Golden State Warriors starter, has logged 25 such games.
And Moody’s partner in youth, Brandin Podziemski? Zero.
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That doesn’t mean the Warriors worry about Podziemski, 22, becoming wide-eyed Sunday night, when they tangle with the Rockets in Game 1. They know he brings abundant confidence into his impending playoff debut.
Golden State needs Podziemski to provide secondary scoring, play rugged defense and set up his teammates in this first-round Western Conference series. Or put another way: The Warriors need him to play as efficiently as he did over the past two months, not the way he labored through the first half of the season.
“In the playoffs especially, teams are always going to lock in on Jimmy and Steph and try to take them out” of the offense, Podziemski said Friday at Chase Center, after practice and before the team traveled to Houston.
“So someone else has to step up, and I think I’m fully capable of that. I’ll never shy away from the moment, especially in the playoffs.”
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The arc of Podziemski’s second pro season was curious. He struggled early, especially with his shooting. Amid this rocky start, Green publicly implored Podziemski to stop putting so much pressure on himself.
Then he missed most of January with an abdominal injury, a discouraging setback.
But Podziemski ultimately found his groove, especially after the Warriors traded for Butler on Feb. 6. He made his Golden State debut two days later, and since then Podziemski has thrived, settling into his starting backcourt role alongside Curry.
Podziemski averaged 15 points per game in the regular season since Butler’s debut. He took 156 shots beyond the arc in his final 26 games of the season, more than any Warriors player except Curry — while shooting 41.7% from long range, even better than Curry (40.8%).
And now the Warriors need Podziemski to keep it going amid the thick tension and high stakes of the playoffs.
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“This stretch adds a huge layer of confidence,” he said. “You’re seeing the work kind of come to fruition, and pay off on the court.”
Podziemski punctuated his second-half surge with some spectacular games this month. Most notably, he collected 28 points (including 8-for-10 shooting from deep), eight rebounds and six assists in an eye-catching 123-116 road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on April 3.
The next night, he had 26-8-6 in a home win over Denver. Then, in the regular-season finale — with a playoff spot hanging in the balance — Podziemski posted 19-7-4 in a loss to the L.A. Clippers.
On the flip side, he struggled in Tuesday night’s play-in victory over Memphis, managing only three points, four rebounds and three assists. Podziemski did chase down Scotty Pippen Jr. for a potentially vital blocked shot with 37 seconds left, though Podziemski was called for a foul (incorrectly, according to the NBA’s Last Two-Minutes Report).
Also worth noting: Podziemski played well this season against the Rockets, including 18 points in a road win Feb. 13 and 19 points in a home loss April 6.
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Head coach Steve Kerr described Podziemski’s up-and-down season, even after he earned All-Rookie honors last year, as typical for a young player. His playing time was sporadic before Butler arrived, as the Warriors tried veterans De’Anthony Melton and Dennis Schröder, among others, alongside Curry.
But the deal for Butler — in which Golden State unloaded Schröder, Andrew Wiggins, Lindy Waters and Kyle Anderson — created opportunity on the wing. Butler’s playmaking relieved some of the burden on Podziemski, his coach suggested, and allowed him to play more freely.
“Early in the season, it was hard for Brandin and hard for us to say, ‘Here’s 30 minutes.’ He had to earn that,” Kerr said. “I think he was pressing, missing shots, getting frustrated and not flourishing in the stuff he does, which is to read the game, kind of run through closeouts and move the ball.
“When we made the trade for Jimmy, everything changed — it clarified Brandin’s spot in the starting lineup. He’s a secondary ballhandler when Jimmy’s out there and Steph’s not, which is a perfect role for him. … So it’s a different role because of different personnel, and once he found his stride the jump shot followed.”
The Warriors clearly could use the best version of Podziemski against Houston. The Rockets smothered Curry in that April 6 game, with Amen Thompson holding him to three points on 1-for-10 shooting.
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But if Curry’s cohorts prove they can make shots against Houston’s active defense, that should create breathing room for No. 30. Podziemski insisted he doesn’t put pressure on himself to make shots, though one of his teammates has noticed more conviction in his game during this recent surge.
“I think the biggest thing is he’s not doubting his decisions on the floor,” rookie center Quinten Post said. “Before, every open shot he would kind of overthink it: Should I shoot, should I drive? Now everything he does is decisive.”
