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Just hours after the news dropped that De'Anthony Melton will miss the rest of the season and undergo knee surgery, the Warriors' backcourt depth took another hit.
During Wednesday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks, second year guard Brandin Podziemski got hit hard in the face while attempting to get a rebound and stayed down on the floor for a minute. After he finally was able to get up to his feet, Podziemski went back to the Golden State locker room.
This is especially troubling to see for Podziemski, who broke his nose during the preseason and recently stopped wearing a protective face mask to keep it in tact. A blow like this so soon after the injury is not a good sign for the promising young guard.
Podziemski has been a little bit of a Swiss Army Knife for the Warriors during his time there. He is a great complementary piece on the offensive end of the floor and is able to knock down a shot if defenses leave him open. Podziemski is also capable of creating a shot off the dribble by driving into the paint or cutting away from the ball. He is also a good screener, making him a perfect fit in this Warriors offense.
Defensively, Podziemski isn't the biggest guy, but he is able to stay in front of guards and competes very hard on that end of the floor. He is also a very good rebounder for his size and position, which is a crucial element for a Warriors team that plays a lot of small lineups.
Coming into Wednesday's big win against the Hawks, Podziemski was averaging 7.8 points per game in nearly 25 minutes per night. He hd appeared in 12 of Golden State's 13 games but had started just three. However, he was one of the guys in line for a major role increase after Melton went down with an injury.
The Warriors have a ton of depth, but Steve Kerr is going to have to rely on the guys he trusts a the rotation thins out a little bit. After the way he performed last season, Podziemski is certainly one of those guys.
