SAN FRANCISCO – For the Warriors, March proved to be a month that intensified their existing struggles, despite the arrival of clearer weather in the Bay Area.
March saw significant setbacks for the team, with Steph Curry sidelined for a second consecutive month due to a runner’s knee injury. Further compounding their woes, Moses Moody suffered a severe torn patellar tendon in his return game, having just missed ten games with a sprained wrist. A notable victory over Kevin Durant’s Houston Rockets was quickly overshadowed by a four-game skid, featuring painful, successive defeats against the struggling Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls. Overall, the month was marked by both a three-game and a four-game losing streak, culminating in ten losses compared to just five wins.
Amidst these challenges, was there any positive news beyond their victories against the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, and Washington Wizards? Rest assured, it wasn’t entirely bleak.
Without a doubt, the most significant bright spot was Brandin Podziemski. While his performance has sparked debate among Warriors fans, on the court, Podziemski truly excelled, experiencing the finest month of his fledgling NBA journey.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr commented on Tuesday after practice, stating, “When key players are absent, you naturally search for positives as others rise to the occasion.” He added, “Whether it’s the increased playing time for Gui [Santos], for instance, enabling him to advance his skills, or BP taking on greater ball-handling duties and getting more practice, it’s consistent across the board: repeated execution is essential for grasping the subtle aspects and understanding one’s capabilities and limitations. More repetitions lead to better outcomes. The opportunities BP received last month have been tremendously beneficial.”
Podziemski participated in all 15 Warriors games during March, logging an average of 33.5 minutes per game – a monthly high in his three-year NBA tenure. The month marked numerous career milestones for him. He posted his highest monthly scoring average (17.7 points per game) and sank the most three-pointers in a single month (38), alongside his career-best monthly usage percentage of 21.3.
Beyond his scoring, which included eight games of 20 points or more out of 15 played, other aspects of Podziemski’s performance were equally impressive. He recorded double-digit rebounds in three games, averaging 6.3 rebounds per game for the month, along with 4.1 assists per game, achieving a strong 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio (61 assists to 30 turnovers).
“Firstly, he’s a true competitor,” Kerr remarked. “He’s consistently present. He’s played every single game, thankfully. It’s quite challenging to be available for your team for every game and every practice. He’s driven by competition, he relishes this challenge. He simply aspires to be exceptional.”
Podziemski concluded March with a disappointing blowout defeat against the Denver Nuggets, yet it marked his fourth consecutive game with 20 points or more, scoring 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, complemented by five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block. He maintains that his increased scoring isn’t a primary focus, but rather a natural outcome of allowing the game to unfold organically.
“Honestly, I’m not really concentrating on that,” Podziemski stated to reporters on Sunday evening in Denver. “I’m just playing my style, seizing chances as they arise, and letting the outcomes take care of themselves. Luckily, my recent performance has been quite strong.”
However, moments of immaturity were still evident, such as in the last game when Kerr openly expressed frustration after Podziemski attempted to dribble past Christian Braun and forced a runner, ignoring an open Kristaps Porziņģis who was calling for the ball on the right wing. Porziņģis had been perfect from three-point range (5-for-5), and that misjudgment shifted momentum towards the Nuggets. Furthermore, three weeks prior, Podziemski missed four crucial fourth-quarter free throws in a dire loss to the Utah Jazz, though he rebounded to shoot 84.2 percent from the line for the remainder of the month.
Another indicator of Podziemski’s evolving growth, development, and maturity was his recent acknowledgment of remarks he made at the start of the 2025-26 NBA season. He had previously claimed he would be the “white Shohei Ohtani” if he were still playing baseball and expressed a desire to surpass Steph Curry. Podziemski recognizes that while confidence is a strong trait, he understands that selecting his words more carefully would have been beneficial for the team’s cohesion.
Kerr observed, “I believe his development was evident the other day when he conceded, ‘Look, I shouldn’t have said what I did at the season’s start.’ I found that display of self-awareness excellent – acknowledging a mistake and the need to learn from it.” He continued, “The growth of a young player truly encompasses everything. It’s about their performance on the court, their conduct off the court. It involves understanding game patterns and subtle details, and also recognizing the team’s emotional dynamic and what they require from you. Elite teams operate with a specific synergy, and each player must contribute to that cohesion. I think he’s genuinely grasping that concept.”
Upon Curry’s eventual return in the foreseeable future, he will naturally resume his role as the central figure around whom the Warriors’ play revolves. Podziemski, along with the entire team, stands to gain the moment Curry rejoins the action. He has already demonstrated his ability to play effectively alongside Curry, and this period has been crucial for him to show he can be a dependable contributor in Curry’s absence.
Currently, Podziemski is among just four players under contract expected to be healthy heading into next season. While he is eligible for a rookie contract extension, that discussion is presently a lower priority for the Warriors. It’s also possible he could serve as a valuable trade asset.
These are merely conjectures. Focusing on current realities, the Warriors face the prospect of being without Jimmy Butler for most of the upcoming season. It remains uncertain if Moody will even be able to return to play. Furthermore, expecting Curry to participate in 70 games next season, mirroring his performance last season, appears to be an unrealistic demand.
While Podziemski has progressively learned to temper his approach and embrace the developmental journey, his career-best month solidified the notion that entrusting him with greater responsibility can prevent the Warriors from losing their way and help maintain their course. This comes alongside his ongoing personal and professional maturation, all while he continues to be Golden State’s youngest team member.
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