[Leftcoast]

I'll make the case for Podz.

First, Podziemski REBOUNDS.  He was the second leading rebounder (after Draymond Green) on the team ... from a guard position. On a team full of non-rebounders due to size (Chris Paul, Steph) or simply lack of interest (looking at you Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga) this kept him on the floor a lot of nights.  A strong rebounding backcourt player is a must have on a small team and the only rebounding guard on the Warriors was Podziemski.  

Secondly, all the things we don't like about Wiggins are found in Podz - He plays with passion, dives for balls, fights for rebounds, runs hard, and attacks with confidence (if not always success).  When you watch him you know you are watching someone who loves the game and is making the most of his skills. He's the anti Wiggins.

What's not to love here on a team that's old and feeling its age? The Warriors needed a cheaper replacement for the spark plug that was Donte DiVencenzo in 2022-2023 and found it here.

(For a Stanford angle there used to be a player in the 80s known as the "human floorburn" for his propensity to dive hard after loose balls. Wasn't the greatest player on the team but he played with passion and energy. For the Warrions Podziemski has been a more skillful version of that player.)

[Leftcoast]

I'll make the case for Podz.

First, Podziemski REBOUNDS.  He was the second leading rebounder (after Draymond Green) on the team ... from a guard position. On a team full of non-rebounders due to size (Chris Paul, Steph) or simply lack of interest (looking at you Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga) this kept him on the floor a lot of nights.  A strong rebounding backcourt player is a must have on a small team and the only rebounding guard on the Warriors was Podziemski.  

Secondly, all the things we don't like about Wiggins are found in Podz - He plays with passion, dives for balls, fights for rebounds, runs hard, and attacks with confidence (if not always success).  When you watch him you know you are watching someone who loves the game and is making the most of his skills. He's the anti Wiggins.

What's not to love here on a team that's old and feeling its age? The Warriors needed a cheaper replacement for the spark plug that was Donte DiVencenzo in 2022-2023 and found it here.

(For a Stanford angle there used to be a player in the 80s known as the "human floorburn" for his propensity to dive hard after loose balls. Wasn't the greatest player on the team but he played with passion and energy. For the Warrions Podziemski has been a more skillful version of that player.)