Brandin Podziemski’s influence on the Warriors is immeasurable, despite the fact that he is just 20 years old. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are teaching him how to maximize his 17 minutes of playing time per game, which is more than most players get.

On Saturday afternoon, Podziemski contributed positively to the Warriors’ loss against the Clippers with 12 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steаl while shooting 56% from the field. Podziemski has been vocal about the guidance he’s been getting from Steph Curry and Klay Thompson since making his lineup debut, and it’s paying off.

Podziemski advised his students to “just be poised” and ignore distractions. “You know [Stephen Curry], the amount of stuff he has to go through on a daily basis, stuff he has to deal with, just blocking that out and staying poised in the moment, definitely a carry-over effect into my game.”

Even without Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, and Gary Payton II, the Warriors have managed to stay in the game and perform admirably. Podziemski and the other younger players on the squad deserve a lot of the credit for their accomplishments.

That is the stuff of life for a competitor. One of my primary objectives as a rookie is to gain the respect of the coaching staff so that I can contribute when it matters most. Losing is never fun, but I feel like I did okay.