The Warriors never want to play without superstar Steph Curry, but they know they must step up in his absence as they did in Tuesday’s 104-93 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase Center.
However, Golden State guard Brandin Podziemski, who scored 17 points against Milwaukee on 4-for-7 3-point shooting with seven rebounds and one steal, admitted he looks forward to games when Curry is unavailable – for understandable reasons, of course.
Podziemski on Wednesday explained to 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs” why he genuinely enjoys opportunities to suit up without his four-time NBA champion teammate.
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“I mean, [when] No. 30’s out, I tend to lick my chops a little bit, knowing I’ll get more shots,” Podziemski told Mark Willard and Dan Dibley. “[I] understand everyone’s play has to elevate because of his absence and just be ultra-aggressive; I think I was for three quarters, I think a little bit in the third quarter I was a little bit passive.
“And ‘aggressive’ doesn’t always mean scoring, it’s just always trying to be assertive and make the right play; I think we did that, for the most part, in yesterday’s game.”
Golden State never wants to be Curry-less. But sometimes, the 37-year-old just needs a break. And Curry was given a rest day Tuesday night.
Podziemski proved his later point by helping lead the Warriors to a massive win over the Bucks in Curry’s absence, specifically knocking down a couple of Curry-esque, big-time triples late in the fourth quarter.
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Six-time NBA All-Star wing Jimmy Butler also poured in a historic, game-high 24 points on 6-for-11 shooting with an impressive 10 assists and eight rebounds, while rookie center Quinten Post and reserve sharpshooter Buddy Hield combined for 29 points and 10 boards.
As Podziemski mentioned, the Warriors understand they must step up to minimize Curry’s absence. So far, Golden State is 7-3 without Curry during the 2024-25 NBA season, and Podziemski has averaged 13.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists over the eight Curry-less games he has played this campaign.
While the Warriors prefer Curry to be active for every game, at least coach Steve Kerr and the rest of the organization know Podziemski always is ready to answer the call.