Steve Kerr raves about Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody

SAN FRANCISCO – What Brandin Pod Ziemia and Moses Moody did in Golden State Warriors‘ 128-117 upset over the Denver Nuggets is something the Dubs have long dreamed of.

No Stephen Curry again as he continues to heal his runner’s knee. Kristaps Porzingis has been ruled out with an undisclosed illness. Draymond Green was a late scratch with “left lower back soreness,” and Jimmy Butler is apparently out for the season. And it didn’t matter, at least for this game.

In their absence, Podizemski collected 18 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, closing out the Nuggets with 15 points in the fourth quarter without a single miss.

“phenomenal,” Steve Kerr he said of Podziemski’s fourth quarter. “I think he had eight rebounds in the quarter. He hit some great shots. He was brilliant, and we needed that. … It’s been up and down for (him), for sure. But our season has been up and down as a whole, and sometimes team struggles affect individuals. But we know what he can do. The last couple of years he’s been our best player, he’s been the best. player.

In addition to Podziemski, the team was led by Moody with 23 points, along with 7 rebounds and five assists. Another steady game for the player who has become the protector of the team, especially without their stars.

“Moses has been brilliant for six weeks now,” Kerr said. He turns off the lights – self-confidence. He may have been our most consistent performer. His on-ball defense – he’s the best in the league against the pick and roll. And he’s such a great teammate. He is there for you every night the way he does. He is so ready. It’s really fun to watch Moses blossom and have such a good season.”

The two remaining first-round draft picks from a young core did what the Warriors alluded to in the later years of the Curry dynasty. They gave Golden State that much-needed youth and juice – they looked like the pieces that could give this doomed Warriors team a real chance when Curry inevitably returns.

Podz and Moody’s growth

Especially for Podizemski, it has been a rocky season so far. He has struggled with shortcomings on the field, as well as the desire of a large section of the crowd – in a season in which he is eligible for an extension in the summer. But Kerr kept his faith in the young combined guardpointing to games like this as examples of what he and the staff are trying to accomplish.

“He’s a really confident guy. He wants the ball, he wants the big shot, but like any player, he needs rhythm,” Kerr said. “He needs the flow of the game and he can help himself. That’s one of the things we’re trying to teach him. He can help himself by getting the ball early in possession and then getting it back. And sometimes he wants to play from the start, and that’s a lot to do. So he’s still learning and growing, but it was a fantastic night.”

As for Moody, who, as Kerr pointed out, averaged 14.4 points on 45.7 percent shooting over the last six weeks, it was simplifying the gamein his words.

“I had a conversation with coach (Kerr) yesterday,” Moody said. “And I asked him, since Steph’s gone, is there anything else I’m supposed to be doing? Does my role change at all? And he was saying, that’s one of his favorite things about me. Just keeping my composure and being tough, and I’ve been really tough for a long time. And I heard that, and that’s the same thing. I thought that’s cool, what are you somebody else. your head.”

It’s a mindset Moody admitted he had to grow into. Growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas, Moody’s game was never separated as he was the best player in the state. Things have changed in the NBA and that has forced him to adapt.

“I’m not buying everything everybody says, but finding things that make sense, and a lot of those things fall into that lane to be able to run an offense.”

Warriors injury update

Golden State had to rally around its two big names in the frontcourt, which ruled out game day.

Kerr told reporters that Porzingis was too ill to leave the hotel room and spent the game in bed trying to recover. But the Dubs coach didn’t reveal exactly what was bothering Porzingis. With his chronic health bouts with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), speculation is sure to wander in that direction.

But that was a risk the Warriors were willing to take with the big man. They understood his health history and said they made the trade with full confidence in his doctors. Kerr could not say whether this illness lasts for a week, because the coach did not give many answers about the specifics of his condition.

As for Green, Kerr and the team hope he will be available for the upcoming trip. Kerr told reporters that Green’s lower back tightened up during warmups, so they decided against forcing him to play through the pain and discomfort. But unlike years past, Green’s absence hasn’t been nearly as debilitating as his decline in play. His offense is a non-factor and his defense comes and goes with the tide.

“And we know that as you get older, it’s harder to do that every night,” Kerr admitted before the game. “In your prime, you could count on him every night as you get older. It just doesn’t work that way. There’s going to be nights where they shoot. There’s nights where they don’t. But the thing that’s consistent with Draymond is that he’s there for us every night. The level of defensive intensity, but also just his acumen, it’s so helpful.”

It’s been a tough transition for both Green and the Warriors, especially given the trade rumors surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo during the sweepstakes. But organizationally, faith remains in him. From Steve Kerr all the way to Joe Lacob.