The Golden State Warriors announced on Wednesday that their starting shooting guard, Brandin Podziemski, underwent surgery on his left wrist in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The 22-year-old, who shoots with his left hand, had a debridement procedure to address the injury. According to the University of California San Francisco’s Department of Surgery, debridement surgery involves “thoroughly cleaning the wound and removing all hyperkeratotic (thickened skin or callus), infected, and nonviable (necrotic or dead) tissue, foreign debris, and residual material from dressings.” The Warriors expect Podziemski to be fully recovered in time for the start of training camp.
The surgery sheds light on Podziemski’s struggles during the postseason, where his shooting efficiency took a noticeable dip. In the regular season, the Santa Clara product averaged 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game across 64 appearances, including 33 starts, while shooting an impressive 44.5% from the field. However, in the playoffs, his field goal percentage plummeted to 36.4% over 12 games. His struggles were particularly evident in Games 1 through 4 of the Warriors’ second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he converted just 9 of 40 shots. Podziemski did manage to bounce back in Game 5, scoring an efficient 28 points, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Golden State’s season-ending loss to the Timberwolves.
Podziemski isn’t the only Warrior to go under the knife this offseason. Teammate and fellow guard Moses Moody underwent surgery on his right thumb less than a week earlier. Despite these setbacks, the Warriors remain optimistic about their young talent as they prepare for the upcoming season.
Last season, Golden State finished with a 48-34 record, advancing past the Houston Rockets in a seven-game first-round series before falling to the Timberwolves in the second round. With Podziemski and Moody expected to be ready for training camp, the Warriors are poised to build on their playoff run and address the challenges exposed by their postseason exit.