​Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski reacts after a three-point basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2026, in San Francisco. (Justine Willard/Associated Press)
As Brandin Podziemski huddled with his personal trainer this past summer, exploring how to raise his game, they hit on some ideas. They watched video of New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, freshly crowned NBA champion. They examined the 3-point shooting volume of players such as Payton Pritchard and Tyler Herro.At some point, Podziemski posed a simple if heavy question: What about Steph?Stephen Curry counts as a model of efficient movement and basketball creativity. And the trainer, Dustin VanLieu, knew exactly how to help Podziemski gain deeper insight from his decorated Golden State Warriors teammate – magically make Curry left-handed.VanLieu flipped videos of Curry – let’s pause here for a nod to the power of digital editing tools – to turn No. 30 into a mirrored version of himself. That allowed Podziemski, who is lefty, to study the footwork, ball-handling and shot creation of a left-handed Steph Curry.The images are striking, as Curry scurries around the court like a familiar if semi-fictional character. He dribbles around bewildered opponents, as usual – even dropping Luka Doncic to the hardwood, on what looks like the opposite end of the court than the real-life moment Oct. 30 – but the sight of Curry launching long-range shots with his left hand is strangely captivating.Curry wasn’t aware of Podziemski’s uncommon preparation until the Chronicle showed him a video after Saturday night’s overtime victory over Orlando. Curry intently watched the lefty version of himself for a few moments, then said simply, “That’s crazy!”He also acknowledged the logic behind the idea.”Very creative and clever,” Curry said. “It makes a lot of sense to see footwork the way he moves, to create space in a way that makes sense to him. That’s pretty cool.”This was not the only tool Podziemski used in the offseason, merely the most novel. The early returns suggest his work is paying dividends: He’s averaging 16.3 points and 4.2 assists, while shooting better than 40% on 6.9 attempts per game from long distance – all surpassing his career highs – entering Wednesday night’s road trip opener in Houston.It’s just 11 games into the season, but Podziemski clearly is building on the gains he made in last season’s final two-plus months, when Curry was sidelined by a knee injury. Now, with Curry back and playing at his customary elite level and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg providing fresh life, the Warriors find themselves rolling along, with eight consecutive wins.Podziemski, still just 23 years old and nearly five months younger than Lendeborg, has become a central piece of the puzzle. He has established himself as Curry’s backcourt sidekick, and the Warriors rewarded him last month with a five-year, $110 million contract