With the loss of Klay Thompson this off-season, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made it clear that he expected his younger players to put up more shots. Brandin Podziemski in particular was asked to attempt over 8 three-pointers a game this season. However, the 21-year-old guard has struggled with that directive and his teammate Draymond Green believes it’s partly because of the media.
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“What he’s trying to work through is y’all’s fault,” Green commented after the Warriors beat the Atlanta Hawks at Chase Center last night. Podziemski had to leave the game early because of a blow to the face during the contest. Thankfully, the x-rays for the same are negative, and the 2nd year player doesn’t have another nose fracture.
He is currently averaging 3.9 3-point attempts per game, a small jump up from his 3.2 attempts last season. But the guard’s efficiency has seen a sharp decline as his three-point percentage has halved to 19.1% this season.
“It’s hard having a great rookie season and then coming back in, having the second year [be] as good or better. It’s tough. That’s why you’ve always heard about the sophomore slump,” Draymond explained during the post-game presser.
The 2017 DPOY believes that Podziemski has put a lot of pressure on himself to live up to the narratives that formed after his rookie campaign. “It’s hard night in and night out to live based on whether you make shots or not,” Green said.
“That’s something that we’ve[him and Stephen Curry] been trying to talk to him about. Like, ‘Stop reacting to everything that goes wrong for you.’ No one cares but you…What we care about is all of the other things that you do, so if you do all of those things well, and that can keep you on the floor, who cares about the shot?”
Draymond Green went long on Brandin Podziemski’s shooting struggles and the pressure he’s putting on himself
“What he’s trying to work through is y’all’s fault.”
“I’m saying this because I hope he hears it.”
Full soundbite pic.twitter.com/03dGCG0fTF
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 21, 2024
Even though Brandin Podziemski is just in his second year, he takes pride in the trust his coaches and teammates have in him. He takes every single miss to the heart, and that’s something that a shooter just can’t do.
Perhaps Podz is feeling the additional pressure because of the franchise he’s playing for. After all, the Warriors have found much of their success by shooting the ball better than their opponents.
Brandin Podziemski is trying to replicate his rookie success
The sophomore guard broke his nose during the 2024-25 pre-season after colliding with his teammate, Trayce Jackson-Davis. He had to play with a protective mask through the first 12 games of the year and it certainly affected his confidence while shooting the ball.
“When I look up, just with my eyes, I see the mask. But if I flip my head up, I can see clearly,” Podziemski shared earlier this season.
With the mask now off, fans are hoping that the #2 can play the brand of basketball that won him an All-Rookie First-Team selection last season. He averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, earning the trust of his teammates and coaches. Podz was also among the 15 players named to the 2024 USA Men’s Select Team following his impressive rookie campaign.
Even with the rocky start to his second year, teammates like Draymond Green have remained staunchly in his corner. They know that his incredible IQ and high motor on the court can go a long way to helping his team win games. Now listed as day-to-day, Podziemski could see his next minutes as early as Friday when the Warriors travel to New Orleans for their third NBA Cup game.
