Steve Kerr Plugs Brandin Podziemski Back Into the Warriors' Starting Lineup

Steve Kerr is officially pulling the lever on the Brandin Podziemski experience for Friday night.

According to Underdog NBA, the Warriors head coach confirmed the second-year guard will return from a back injury and slide straight into the starting lineup against the Memphis Grizzlies.

"Kerr: Brandin Podziemski (back) will start Friday."

Podziemski missed Golden State's season opener with back soreness, which forced him to watch his team get absolutely dismantled by the Los Angeles Lakers in a 127-105 blowout. Sitting on the bench with a stiff back while your defense gives up a casual 127 points is the kind of helpless feeling usually reserved for substitute teachers.

The Golden State Warriors desperately need what Podziemski brings to the floor. Last season, he quietly stuffed the stat sheet with 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while starting 28 times. He is the ultimate connective tissue guy for a roster that looked completely disjointed on Tuesday.

For anyone firing up fantasy lineups or looking at player props, his immediate return to the starting five means Kerr trusts him to handle a real workload. You do not throw a guy with a lingering back issue into the starting unit against a physical Memphis team unless he is fully cleared for chaos.

Golden State has a brutal back-to-back this weekend, hosting the Grizzlies on Friday before flying to Phoenix to play the Phoenix Suns on Saturday. If Podziemski's back holds up, the Warriors might actually have a functional rotation. If it does not, Kerr is going to have to get very creative, very fast.