The Golden State Warriors will have to start the season without a significant player. The Californian franchise has announced that Brandin Podziemski will be out for the clash against the Lakers with which they open the regular season tonight, creating an unexpected absence whose length we will see in the coming games.
The guard had already missed the latest training sessions due to back pain, but it was not until last night that his absence from the game was confirmed, news that has caught many by surprise. After all, Podziemski played all 82 games of last regular season and, on a team with an advanced average age, his youth should allow him to be a constant amid the ongoing ups and downs. But, at least today, that will not be the case.
His absence joins those already known of Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and Kristaps Porzingis, leaving Stephen Curry rather alone, who despite the scare with which he finished the last friendly, appears set to play. Anthony Slater, ESPN reporter, notes that the plan is to give the guard between 28 and 32 minutes, although how the game unfolds will ultimately determine the exact figure.
Podziemski averaged 13.8 points and 3.7 assists during last regular season, although his numbers rose to 17.5 points and 4.1 assists after the All-Star break, when injuries forced him to take on more responsibility. That strong stretch invites a certain optimism about his development, in which the Warriors appear to believe after signing him to a $110 million, five-year extension.