In a post‑game interview recorded on March 14, 2026, Golden State Warriors rookie guard Brandin Podziemski discusses the team's third‑quarter surge after a 39‑point first quarter, emphasizing a sense of urgency and momentum. He describes injuries to teammates as a "blessing in disguise" that offers him opportunities to build confidence and step into larger roles, especially when veterans like Steph Curry are unavailable. Podziemski explains how he maintains confidence, helps younger players gain belief, and approaches defensive assignments such as guarding Antetokounmpo, noting the difficulty of allowing high‑volume shooters to take shots. He outlines his personal health routine that helped him stay on the court for most games, his mindset for captaining the offense under pressure, and the ways he has earned coach Steve Kerr's trust by filling niche roles like taking charges and offensive rebounding. The conversation also touches on the tactical impact of roster changes, specifically how Kristaps Porzingis' presence improves spacing and how the absence of Al (presumably Al Horford) and Draymond Green affects defensive schemes. Throughout, Podziemski conveys optimism, confidence, and a commitment to process‑driven improvement.
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Coming out of halftime when you guys put up a 39-point quarter, what were you thinking about how this is going to be a challenging game, but the fight that you guys wanted to show?
Just come out with a sense of urgency in the third quarter, see what we could do with it. Got some stops, some turnovers, and we're able to capitalize and just kept that momentum, I feel like, throughout the last 24 minutes.
When guys start leaving the game with injuries, how do you guys kind of adapt, seeing that your game plan has to change?
I mean, I look at it as a blessing in disguise just because it's an opportunity and you're able to build confidence when you're out there, especially when there's no expectation and people will probably think we're going to lose. So it's a blessing for me just knowing that when the other guys come back, that confidence that you build up, you can be ready to continue to show that when they get back.
Brandon, along those lines, Steve just said he still has a lot of optimism for getting a, healthy roster. I mean, has it been pretty hard these last— this last stretch, but seeing some light at the end of the tunnel that gets some guys back?
I mean, yeah, as a competitor you want to win. But for me, I just game by game, just try to put my best foot forward and, you know, try to help the young guys in two ways and just bring their confidence along. And yeah, so yeah, there's light at the end of the tunnel, but Until we see that light, it doesn't really matter.
And what did you like about the energy mid— around 8:37 left in the fourth, you guys cut it to 7. Some big plays and then they made it—
Yeah, I think we switched up our defense a little bit. Made Ann have to see different pictures on defense and we was forcing turnovers. And I think we didn't give up some offensive rebounds until late. So I think that helped too.
Where's your confidence level right now?
Same me all the time. Good or bad, still gonna be a confident person. But like I said, my goal is just help lead the young guys and guys coming off the bench, just giving them confidence.
Have you learned anything about your game in these past month or so, like having to have the ball more without Steph?
That I can do it.
What's the challenge guarding Ant on a night like tonight?
I think, you know, as a defense, I think league-wide you would be okay giving up the majority of the shots that he took tonight. Him and Shea and Kawhi are kind of on that level where the shots you would give up to everyone else, you probably won't want to give up to them. And, you know, he had a bunch of those kind of mid-range shots tonight. And, you know, he got 12 free throws too, so. You know, top 5 player in the NBA.
You said one thing that you can do is you can try to help give confidence to other players on the team. How do you do that?
Yeah, I think it's easy for me. Just, I just tell them, lose yourself in the game. Every open shot they have, shoot it. Don't let the outcome dictate the process you have. You know, you're playing the wrong sport if that's how you think about things. And so as long as the process is right and they're, You know, they're doing what they feel is right in the moment. Not really thinking, just reacting. That's all you can ask for.
You've played in every game this season.
Mm-hmm.
What is the difficulty of staying healthy like that or the luck of staying healthy like that, especially as you look at this time of year when maybe guys aren't on the injury report, but the soreness is accumulating?
Yeah, I think my first year I played 74. Last year I played only 64. So coming in, I think I built a good routine for myself in the back half of last year that makes me feel really good on game days. And so I just carried that over to this season and I wanted to play 82 this year. That's still my goal. But I mean, the challenging part with the injuries is the heavy minutes with the back-to-backs, especially we've got 6 and 9 nights coming up. So yeah, I'm just stick to my process, my routine that I've built. How much of that is And, you know, I don't know if it's luck, but it's working.
And then what are you doing right now as far as trying to captain these games, trying to create for your teammates? There's some times when maybe you looked around or it looks like you're very confident in your handle right now, as well as defenses try to swarm you as that point of attack.
Yeah, I think just taking on that challenge, like I said, you know, tonight being guarded by Jadon Daniels or Amin Thompson from Houston, or, Kayson Wallace from OKC. Just trying to embrace those challenges. I've got to see Steph do it for 2, 3 years now, really going at those high-level defenders. And so I just try to take that approach and, you know, just be assertive while I'm doing it and, you know, just read what I see with my eyes and play from there.
Yeah, Brandin, so Steve has shown a lot of trust in you this season. So especially some big moments. So what do you think you've done to earn the trust?
Yeah, I think it starts from how you approach the game. Just being able to come in as a rookie and fill voids where we had some veterans on the team where they weren't as good as at some things that I was, taking charges, offensive rebounding. And so I just found my little niche with that and then The more you do it, the more confidence you get and the more opportunity you get. I think Gee's a perfect example, you know, not playing majority of the first part of the year, coming in when he does, gets offensive rebounds. And now you're seeing, you know, 15+ shot attempts from him and just an all-time confidence that he's having. So I think it just starts from that. You find your little niche and over time opportunity grows.
Brandon, the last couple of games, seems like Kristaps is finally finding a comfort zone with you guys. With Al, we're not knowing how long he's going to be out. There's a chance that he's going to get, obviously, some more playing time. What's the difference for you guys when he's on the court offensively as opposed to when he's not?
I think spacing. I think about the last couple times we played Minnesota, especially on the back-to-back in Minnesota where we didn't have Al or KP. And I think it just makes it a little bit easier on Rudy to just stand and sit in the paint And so having them being able to space the floor like that really helps kind of open up the floor for us. And I think we were able to get to the paint a lot more than we have been recently. But yeah, I mean, tough shot maker, 7'3", can give him the ball. So makes guys like me, my job a lot easier.
Hello, Brandon. Follow the defense question. How much difficult when Draymond's out there? The defense, how much difficult when Draymond's out there?
Yeah, I think when he's not out there, some calls don't go our way that we normally, that normally go our way. His communication is really important for us. You know, he saves a lot of our possessions with his defense. And so not having him out there, it's a little different, but at the end of the day, you gotta work with what you got.
