Brandin Podziemski is quickly learning what it takes to build a career in the NBA. One of his Warriors teammates noticed.
“He’s a very confident guy,” Golden State superstar Steph Curry said of Podziemski after the Warriors’ practice on Tuesday. “He feels like he belongs, he knows he belongs, and he works. He has a style that he knows will translate across the league [he’s learning] how he can influence the game.”
Podziemski was a bright spot in the Warriors’ training camp and preseason. In three exhibition games, the 20-year-old averaged 7.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 27.3 minutes while shooting 40.9 percent from the field and 25 percent (2 of 8) from beyond 3-point range shoots.
The No. 19 overall pick scored 11 points on 5 of 11 shooting in the Warriors’ preseason opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 7 and recorded a double-double in the rematch six days later. In the Warriors’ 121-115 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, Podziemski held four points on 1-of-5 shooting but contributed six rebounds and four assists in the overtime victory.
The results can be attributed to Podziemski’s diligent approach.
“He studies the process, how we prepare for practice, how we prepare for games, how we view the game – he asks questions,” Curry said of his young teammate. “He is very active in this part and tries to gather as much knowledge as possible.
“When he plays out there, you can tell. He has a presence. That’s what you want to see from a rookie coming in – be fearless, understand that you still have a lot to learn, go out there and compete. And that’s him.” I did that.
Curry isn’t the only member of the Warriors organization to voice Podziemski’s progress this fall. Gary Payton II is the rookie’s prominent defensive coach and coach Steve Kerr is impressed with the results.
“He just gets a lot of deflections, which is an indicator that he anticipates really well,” Steve Kerr said earlier this month. “I think that’s one of the things our scouts really liked about him: He has a knack for the ball, whether it’s rebounding, passing or stealing.
“He may not have the length and the bounce you’re looking for, but he’s got the feel and the talent, and that’s just as important, if not more important.”
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