It seems like a string of bad luck hasn’t stopped haunting the Warriors! It was only a few hours ago that they announced De’Anthony Melton’s season-ending ACL surgery. Amid the heartbreaking update, they had to focus on continuing their hot streak. They stepped on the floor to face the Hawks and did their job. But while closing in on a blowout victory, the Bay Area franchise suffered another massive setback as Brandin Podizemski suffered an injury mid-way through the game.

The incident occurred in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter while Clint Capela tussled for a rebound on a missed shot. As he jumped to grab the board, he accidentally hit Podziemski in the face with his left hand. Notably, Podz recently recovered from a fractured nose and only got rid of his protection mask last week. Sure enough, he was shaken up after Capela’s hit and lay on the floor in agony with his face down.

Seeing the young guard struggle, the Warriors had to call a timeout and Brandin was rushed to the locker room to assess the injury. As expected, his night came to an early end, and he finished with only three points.

After the game ended and the Warriors added another win to their column, Steve Kerr revealed that the X-rays on Brandin’s nose returned negative. Moreover, Kerr remarked that he had been put on a Day-to-Day status.

That means he could return sooner than expected. However, he might have to bring back the protective face mask. Obviously, the unfortunate injury only adds to Podziemski’s concerns amid his ongoing sophomore slump. Yes, while Dub Nation expected him to take a massive leap this year, his averages have dropped significantly to 7.8 points and a little over three assists. And Draymond Green revealed the reason behind his struggles.

Draymond Green blames the people for Brandin Podziemski’s struggles: “It’s y’all fault”

Addressing why Podz has been unable to elevate his game as a sophomore, Green said post-game, “What he’s trying to work through is y’all fault.” The veteran forward believes that Brandin has come under immense pressure to become a superstar by the media and fans. He detailed how difficult it is to do so. “It’s hard having a great rookie season and then coming back and having a second year as good or better. It’s tough. That’s why you’ve always heard of sophomore slump,” said Green.

Draymond continued, “I think for him, he’s just put so much pressure on himself for the player that he wants to be and that he thinks he should be.” Well, Podz was a standout rookie last year as he averaged nearly ten points on 38.5% shooting from deep. But his three-point shooting has dropped to an abysmal 19.1%. Of course, a lot of revolves around the pressure of living up to expectations and recent injury concerns. Green also had some advice to impart to the young guard to overcome his struggles. “If you don’t have to have that pressure. Don’t put that pressure on yourself,” said the Warriors star.

With Steph and Draymond leading the charge, Brandin should not have to worry about carrying a team and doing everything on the court. If he sticks to his role and follows Kerr’s instructions, his fortunes could improve. Do you agree?