Brandin Podziemski Returns to Warriors' Starting Five vs. Grizzlies

Brandin Podziemski is back. After sitting out Golden State's season opener — a 127-105 beatdown from the Lakers on Wednesday — the third-year guard has been cleared and will start at the two-guard spot against the Grizzlies on Friday. Steve Kerr confirmed it to reporters before the game.

The holdup was a sore back, and the resolution was simple: Podziemski went through a morning workout, came out of it clean, and Kerr penciled him right back into the first unit. No lingering restrictions were mentioned, which is exactly what you want to hear about a soft-tissue issue barely a week into the season.

This matters because Golden State's guard rotation lives and dies by health. With Podziemski sidelined Wednesday, the Warriors leaned on their veterans and still got run off the floor. Getting a 23-year-old back into the starting backcourt restores the two-way role Kerr has been building around him since last year.

The back thing is worth monitoring only in the sense that back soreness tends to come and go. But a one-game absence that resolves after a single workout is about as benign as these things get. There's nothing here suggesting a minutes cap or a looming re-aggravation.

The Fantasy Fallout

If you drafted Podziemski, the move is obvious: plug him back in. A starting role on a team that needs his playmaking and defense is a floor you can build around in both points and category formats. Managers who stashed a replacement off waivers for Wednesday's absence can let that spot go now.

Bottom line — start him Friday and don't overthink it. A single missed game cleared by a morning workout isn't a red flag, it's a footnote. Keep an eye on the box score Saturday morning to confirm the minutes look normal, then move on.