by The Golden State Warriors have put a lot of faith in Brandin Podziemski. After letting longtime shooting guard Klay Thompson leave as a free agent, the Dubs were reportedly hesitant to include Podziemski in offseason transfer talks, even for All-Star talent. Despite the pressure that comes with making these decisions, Podziemski doesn’t seem rattled by the developments. During a radio appearance with Willard & Dibs on 95.7 The Game on Thursday, Podziemski shared that he hasn’t felt like he’s improved this much during an offseason since high school.
“From a skill development standpoint, I think this offseason has been similar to my penultimate/senior year of high school,” Podziemski said. “I feel really good. Got the floaters out, got the hook shots out. Got more mid-range shots, more threes off the dribble, more threes off the catch. So just adding different things and then defensively trying to take on that challenge of being out there with Steph every night.”
Whether Podziemski will take a big step forward in his second NBA season remains to be seen, of course, but the 2023 first-round pick has a chance to build on a promising rookie season. Podziemski appeared in 74 games (28 starts) and averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 26.6 minutes per game. The left-hander still had room for improvement at the free throw line (63.3%), but converted 38.5% of his three-point attempts.
Still, Podziemski was far from an aggressive scorer. Despite his efficient shooting numbers throughout college, the Wisconsin native was hesitant to shoot, especially early in the season. Instead, he often focused on driving the ball and/or continuing to move it elsewhere. With Thompson no longer on the roster, Golden State will likely need Podziemski to be more willing to call his own number. From the sounds of it, he seems ready to do just that.
