The Golden State Warriors fell to the Brooklyn Nets on their home floor by a score of 128-120 Monday night in heartbreaking fashion, dropping to 12-5 on the season.
Golden State led by as many as 18 points in the second half before Brooklyn led an incredible comeback, scoring 41 points in the fourth quarter alone to storm back and claim the victory.
While it was a collaborative effort from Golden State that led to both their hot start and disappointing finish, their incredibly productive bench did little to help stave off Brooklyn’s run to end the contest.
Averaging 52.7 points, the Warriors’ electric bench unit faltered during Brooklyn’s huge second-half run. Buddy Hield shot just 25% from the three-point line and Brandin Podziemski registered a plus-minus of -10 in 23 minutes.
Golden State’s bench has been suppressed as of late, as well as the offensive ability of their star role player Podziemski.
The All-Rookie First Team guard was held scoreless in 16 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night, a game where San Antonio pulled off a 17-point comeback to steal a win.
Podziemski’s putrid 19.3% shooting from distance has also done little to excite the organization regarding his progression.
Due to Podziemski’s cold start and the unfortunate season-ending ACL injury to fellow bench guard De’Anthony Melton, the Warriors’ general manager Mike Dunleavy may be tempted to flip Podziemski for a draft-class contemporary of his from the Eastern Conference.
The Orlando Magic selected Anthony Black with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft with the idea that the 6-foot-7 point guard would progress into a premier passer and future All-Defensive Team member.
As a rookie, Black impressed many by performing well in 69 appearances and 33 starts for the Magic in 2023-24. Black averaged 4.6 points while shooting 39.4% from three-point range in just 16.9 minutes.
Black’s potential on defense has fully come through in 2024-25, as his 1.4 defensive box plus-minus as a sophomore has surely kept him on the radar of front offices around the league.
For Golden State specifically, Black could be one of their biggest trade targets as they continue to monitor Podziemski’s performance this season.
In return for Black, the Magic would likely seek prospects like Podziemski and Moses Moody in combination with draft compensation to stay in contention while simultaneously building for the future
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