"Being like Darvin Ham and Taurean Prince": Warriors fans slam Steve Kerr for defending $16M guard after horrid game
Golden State Warriors fans were buzzing with reactions after coach Steve Kerr defended Brandin Podziemski despite the guard's lackluster performance in Sunday’s high-scoring game against the Dallas Mavericks. In a contest dominated by 3-point shooting, with both teams combining for an NBA-record 48 made threes, the Warriors fell to the Mavericks 143-133 at home.
Podziemski, currently on a four-year, $16.2 million contract, struggled to find his rhythm during his 16 minutes off the bench. The young guard managed just three points, one rebound and two assists, shooting 1 of 5 from the field, including 1 of 3 from beyond the arc.
When asked about Podziemski's performance after the game, coach Steve Kerr defended the young guard, stating that he did a "nice job."
However, Warriors fans were far from impressed with Kerr’s comments and took to social media to criticize his assessment of Podziemski's contributions.
"Steve and podz are being like darvin ham and Taurean Prince," a fan commented.
"This feels more like he didn’t want to call him out publicly," commented another user.
"holy smokes this team just been so so so downhill because of this guy needs to stick to creating plays and leave the real coaching to someone else," wrote another.
"Tbh he had no other option but to say what he said, him stuttering says a lot tho …. He just couldn’t say he stinks on national TV," a user said.
"He’s the Opps man. Dude is working against Steph every night," said another X user.
"Brooo he has a short man syndrome. AIN'T NO WAY WE WATCHED THE SAME GAME," said another.
Brandin Podziemski in 2024-25 season
Brandin Podziemski’s struggles this season have been a recurring theme and his disappointing performance against the Dallas Mavericks was no exception. With the Golden State Warriors’ front office and fans hoping for the young guard to step up, particularly following Klay Thompson's departure in the offseason, Podziemski has fallen short of expectations, even failing to match his performance level from last season.
This season, the former Santa Clara standout is averaging 7.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. His shooting has been a significant concern, as he is connecting on just 37.6% of his field goal attempts, including a poor 25.0% from beyond the arc.
Podziemski will have an opportunity to rebound and prove himself when the Warriors take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.