“We think we have a future All-Star. We really do.” During the Summer League, Joe Lacob revealed his bold expectations for Brandin Podziemski. With an impressive performance as a rookie, Podz has set the bar high for the upcoming season. However, it looks like he has yet to solidify his spot in the team’s starting lineup. As the Warriors prepare to face the Lakers in their preseason finale, Steve Kerr has picked a new star over Podziemski in the starting five amid Stephen Curry’s unavailability. And the head coach revealed why.

Yes, Steph will not suit up for tonight’s game because he sprained his finger at practice, the same one he jammed earlier in the preseason. As his replacement, Kerr has picked De’Anthony Melton as the team’s starting point guard. Well, he did have the option to choose Podziemski instead, but when asked about his decision, the head coach told everyone to ‘not look too far into it’. But it does look like Podz is being prepared to come off the bench and run the second unit, which could be his role for this season.

In the five games so far, Brandin has played in four but started only twice. And in the remaining two, Kerr has gone with either De’Anthony Melton or Gary Payton II as the starters. Obviously, Podz missed the last game after he broke his nose last Friday when he took an accidental elbow to the face from Trayce Jackson-Davis. But there were expectations that he would start tonight with Curry out of action. Especially because in the two games that he started, Podz scored a combined 20 points and even dished out twelve assists. So, he has been extremely productive in that role. But Kerr had other plans for tonight.

Brandin Podziemski doesn’t mind coming off the bench and wants to ‘Finish Games’

While Kerr has experimented with Podziemski by putting him in different roles, the second-year player is not bothered by the uncertainty, “I don’t mind it.” His only focus is to impact winning any way he can, “Whoever I’m with, starting or coming off the bench, for me I just want to finish games and be where the most important plays are made. If I’m starting, if I’m coming off the bench, it really doesn’t matter. I take pride in leading the second group.”

Moreover, while Melton might have taken his starting spot in tonight’s game, Podz has no issues with his new teammate and they have even developed great chemistry in such a short span, “I call De’Anthony OG because he looks old as s–t, but he’s only 26. It’s been good. We’ve just been clicking, vibing. There’s no ego. We just want to go out there and hoop for each other.” With all players on the same page and ready to take on new roles when needed, it provides Steve Kerr with the flexibility to experiment with different combinations based on the matchup. Surely, it will also give them the depth to replace injured players like they did tonight in the case of Steph. What are your thoughts on Podziemski potentially leading the Warriors’ second unit instead of starting the game?