Despite being one of the best rookies around and even winning a place in Golden State’s starting lineups many times throughout the past campaign, Brandon Podziemski wasn’t really in the Rookie of the Year conversation. This is one of the main reasons why the 21-year-old can’t wait for the upcoming season to start.
In a recent interview speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Laura Britt before the San Francisco Giants game this weekend, he admitted that he’s looking forward to proving people wrong in his sophomore year. The player even assures that the club’s best days are ahead of them.
“We don’t love to hear that, but we love to hear that in the fact that we’re going to do something that no one expects us to do,” he said after taking batting practice on Friday. “They don’t think that we’re the Warriors that we were before, and for us, I think it’s just the best feeling when you don’t have anything to lose out there, and you just go out and prove people wrong.”
“My NBA hero was Manu Ginobili. Lefty European style. Kind of like how I play, so I try to mimic as many things I could from him.”
– Brandin Podziemski pic.twitter.com/q3DUzl9SKi— PodzGOAT (@PodzGOAT) September 8, 2024
Now that he’s expected to embrace an expanded role under coach Steve Kerr this next season, he revealed just how he expects to make a stronger impact in his sophomore competition. The player even sees himself as a crucial part of the Warriors’ impending success.
Despite him showing great promise in his rookie year, he still struggled halfway at times. Even though he earned a place as a starter on the squad, he had difficulty shooting from long range, even though he’s always been a well-known sharpshooter ever since his college days.
When asked about his offensive approach last season, he displayed his confidence in his shooting and noted he’s learned to impact the game even if his shots aren’t going inside the rim. “Very comfortable. Obviously my percentages aren’t where I’d like them to be,” he told the press back in March. “But I just try to read what the game calls for. If it calls for me to take the shot, I’m gonna shoot it.
“If not, I’m gonna try to get something better for my teammates. I think that’s kinda where I’ve grown in that area. To start, I was maybe a little bit passive. Now I’m just doing what the game calls for, and I think it’s led to success on the floor because I’m just trying to make the right play.”
The 21-year-old admitted that snub on Rookie Of The Year race has only fueled his desire to compete stronger in the future
There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Brandin Podziemski has been one of the revelations of the 2023/24 NBA season, as he’s slowly been turning into a starter for one of the most successful franchises in recent history during his rookie year. However, the rising star wasn’t too happy when he found out, month after month, that he’d been snubbed out of the Western Conference’s Rookie of the Month voting.
The competition was harsh last campaign, as he was up against none other than French sensation Victor Wembanyama, who earned the honors as the campaign’s best rookie, and other greats like Thunder’s Chet Holmgren, Keyonte George from Utah, and Amen Thompson in Houston.
However, the 21-year-old is mostly disappointed with the fact that he’s not even among the athletes considered, month after month. The Warriors player simply feels he deserves some recognition. “I should have at least been in the conversation for sure,” Podziemski said back in March.
When asked about it, he gave a straight answer. “One hundred percent,” he expressed. “I played every game in February; we went 11-3. Led our team in plus-minus, led all the rookies in plus-minus. All the stats that look at helping your team win, I led in those categories. That’s what matters most to me, and I think that’s what matters most to a team in term of winning.”
