$110M Warriors Star Credits Jalen Brunson After Major Improvement in 2026-27 Season

Brandin Podziemski's strong start to the 2026-27 season didn't happen by accident. After signing a five-year, $110 million extension with the Golden State Warriors, the young guard revealed that New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson played a major role in his offseason development.

Following the Warriors' 119-114 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Podziemski explained that studying Brunson's game helped shape the approach that has fueled his early-season improvement.

“Watching film,” he said postgame. “I watched a lot of (Jalen) Brunson tape this summer, understanding that guys who make jumps in this league shoot a lot more threes, a lot more free throws. And the back half of last season, that's what I did. And I'm just trying to continue that. I know our team notoriously doesn't get fouled a lot and shoot a lot of free throws. So, for me, if I'm able to do that, reset a possession, and slow the game down a little bit, get the legs back under us. That's what we need.”

The impact of that mindset was evident against Minnesota. While Stephen Curry led the way with 44 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, Podziemski also made his presence felt by going 4-of-7 from the foul line, second only to Curry's perfect 16-of-16 performance.

That emphasis on creating contact and earning free throws has become an important part of Podziemski's game. His free-throw percentage has remained above 70% throughout his first three NBA seasons, but this year's campaign has featured a noticeable increase in his offensive involvement.

Brunson's Influence Goes Beyond One Game

The Warriors guard has spoken before about the impact Brunson's game has had on his development.

Podziemski missed Golden State's season opener because of a back injury and had played only his third game of the season against Minnesota. Even so, the three-season-old guard has continued applying lessons he picked up from studying Brunson's approach to reading defenses and controlling pace.

This wasn't the first time Podziemski publicly credited Brunson, either. Earlier this month, he pointed to Brunson's handling of San Antonio's full-court pressure during the 2025-26 Finals as a valuable learning tool while speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area's Bonta Hill and Dalton Johnson on Dubs Talk.

"I know offseason this year was big on Jalen Brunson," Podziemski said. "Being able to see him play a variety against defenses of different sorts, whether it was the (San Antonio) Spurs or the (Philadelphia) 76ers or whomever you want to call it, just seeing him having to manipulate different coverages and being successful and winning a championship. I think we took a lot from him this off-season and implemented it."

So far, the Warriors sit at 2-3, and Podziemski is averaging a career-high 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game.

The next opportunity to see those Brunson-inspired adjustments in action will come against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday as Podziemski looks to continue the best offensive start of his NBA career.