The Golden State Warriors have been in a tough spot over the last couple of weeks. Despite the team signing Buddy Hield in the offseason, it’s still uncertain how the team will perform next season with veteran shooting guard Klay Thompson leaving the Warriors after his prolonged stint with the franchise. That being said, the Warriors still have guard Brandin Podziemski to rely on if Hield fails to match up to the expectations.
The 21-year-old has shown great versatility and consistency in his rookie season in the league last year and his veteran-like composure has set him apart from his Draft class. Therefore, during a recent sit down with Bay Area Sports Station “95.7 The Game”, Podz was asked about the secret of his veteran-like confidence coming into the league.
The Dubs guard revealed that his rookie season’s beginning wasn’t as seamless as it appeared and his composure wasn’t as unwavering initially as it seemed.
Podziemski claimed that his transition appeared to be smoother than most rookies because he started observing his veteran teammates closely and started to work on the things that his teammates lacked in their repertoire. And that made him an essential component on the team and also brought him his All-Rookie First Team honors.
But the 21-year-old admitted that his initial months with the team were definitely challenging. He added,
“The part that people don’t see is that it’s daunting at first…you have these two elite points guards at your position, You have Klay, you have Draymond, you have a bunch of guys in the locker room that have won together. You kinda think where do you fit in?”
Even though most rookies would have given up on the dream of starting for a team with experienced players like Steph, Klay, Draymond Green, Chris Paul and Gary Payton II, among others, it didn’t deter Podziemski from trying. The rookie explained during the interview that through practices and player-only camps, he understood what the team needed and focused on doing just that.
The Warriors guard focused on getting stops, rebounds, steals, and dishing out assists, eventually leading him to earn a starting spot on the team. Explaining his mindset throughout this journey, the Warriors star said,
“At first I didn’t really see it…Through the workouts, through our player-only camp, through training camp I kind of looked at what our veteran star players do really well…and what they don’t do as well. Everything that I found that they didn’t do as well is something that I wanted to do, and I looked at it from that perspective.”
Podz mindset pic.twitter.com/r5zHL67uhA
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) July 12, 2024
So when Thompson was struggling in the starting line-up, Podziemski stepped up as a starter and balled out. In his 74 appearances[ 28 were starts] last season, Podz averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 26.6 minutes of play per game.
Among all rookies, he ranked third in 3-point field goal percentage (38.5), fifth in assists (3.7), sixth in rebounds (5.8), eighth in minutes (26.6), and 10th in both scoring (9.2) and steals (0.8). But his league-best 38 charges drawn best highlights how the 21-year-old earned a starting spot in one of the most stacked teams in the West.
But next season will be the true test of Podziemski’s potential as the sophomore guard will most likely play heavy minutes due to Thompson’s departure. While Buddy Hield is poised to start ahead of him, Podziemski has a chance of stealing the starting spot, and his mature approach to team basketball gives him a fighting chance at it.
