Podz keen, prepared for second Warriors season after summer time refresh

Podz keen, prepared for second Warriors season after summer time refresh initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Bay Space

LAIE, Hawaii – Brandin Podziemski’s first NBA offseason had somewhat little bit of the whole lot. He noticed the enterprise aspect of basketball with Klay Thompson and Chris Paul shifting on to different groups. He went in opposition to the very best competitors as a member of the USA Basketball Males’s Choose Group and confirmed out within the few summer time league video games he performed for the Warriors.

With probably the most free time he ever has had in his younger basketball life, the principle recommendation Podziemski, 21, was instructed was to seek out different issues he liked outdoors of basketball. Podziemski listened and traveled with associates, taking in a couple of Group USA video games on the Paris Summer time Olympics. He even went again to his baseball roots, throwing out the primary pitch at a Milwaukee Brewers sport and took batting follow at Oracle Park earlier than a Giants sport the place he launched one over the right-field wall.

The Summer time of Brandin Podziemski expanded the Warriors’ standout rookie going into Yr 2, each as an individual and participant.

“I’m glad I obtained to try this, however I additionally put loads of time and work into my sport, realizing that these two legends have moved on, alternatives are open for somebody to take,” Podziemski mentioned in an unique interview with NBC Sports activities Bay Space. “Why not me?”

These final three phrases are how Podziemski seems at almost the whole lot. No person anticipated him to be a first-round draft choose after receiving little taking part in time as a freshman at Illinois earlier than transferring to Santa Clara and excelling as a sophomore, bolting up draft boards and touchdown with the Warriors at No. 19 total. Then the thought was he would spend vital time within the G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors.

As an alternative, Podziemski grew to become probably the most trusted rookie ever underneath coach Steve Kerr, resulting in being a First Group All-Rookie choice.

Following success comes better expectations, and Podziemski believes he’s as much as the duty, already taking over extra of a management position going into his second season.

“I’m all-in on these expectations and need to exceed them any approach I can,” Podziemski mentioned.

That’s the place Steph Curry comes into play. Not as somebody putting better expectations on Podziemski, however as somebody the younger guard can proceed leaning on – whether or not it’s blocking out offseason commerce rumors or being an instance of labor ethic and how you can go about your corporation.

“Having Steph as a mentor is the best factor in sports activities you possibly can ask for,” Podziemski mentioned. “He’s all of the success on the planet. Now together with his Olympic gold medal, he’s carried out the whole lot you would need to do as a basketball participant.

“Seeing him and seeing how he accepts criticism and seeing how he accepts successful and all his achievements, you simply need to replicate that as a lot as you possibly can. Though I’m far behind him, taking small steps to attempt to get to that stage is one thing that I try to do.”

Podziemski’s motivation additionally isn’t hidden within the darkness. He is aware of all 18 guys drafted forward of him. He additionally takes notes on social media for the entire world to see.

Whether or not it’s the retweets, quote tweets or liking adverse feedback about him and the Warriors on Instagram, gas is at all times being added to gentle his hearth.

Since highschool, he and his father have stored a thread of doubters, added to the lengthy record this summer time when the Warriors didn’t add a second celebrity to pair with Curry, holding Podziemski as proprietor Joe Lacob referred to as him a future All-Star in Las Vegas at summer time league.

“It’s at all times been a motivator for me to show these folks flawed,” Podziemski says. “I’ve lofty objectives that folks on the surface would possibly take a look at me loopy that I consider I might be an All-Star, a multi-time All-Star. Why promote your self quick while you’re in this sort of trade?

“For me, we simply use it as motivation and he does an incredible job of reminding me that folks say this, this and this. I am going into every single day attacking issues to show folks flawed.”

Guarding guys like Curry and Jrue Vacation this summer time, and taking a look at Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton as examples going from the Choose Group to successful gold for Group USA served as different motivators over the summer time for Podziemski. He credit Warriors assistant Anthony Vereen, who led the summer time league squad, for pushing him to be a frontrunner on and off the court docket.

The Summer time of Brandin Podziemski is over. Off the court docket, he grew to become a traveler and took a stroll down baseball reminiscence lane. On the court docket, he has scaled again his floaters and hook photographs within the lane for extra 3-pointers as somebody who may have the ball in his fingers a ton and is being pushed to be extra of a scoring possibility. All of the little issues that made Podziemski stand out in his debut Warriors season additionally aren’t going away.

Taking fees and diving for unfastened balls. Having a nostril for grabbing rebounds over larger gamers. No matter it takes to win. And now, an offensive explosion is on the way in which he believes.

As Podziemski himself says, why not?

“I felt like all through final yr I at all times had extra to provide,” he says. “And no more to provide within the sense of taking part in more durable, however I feel I had extra that I might have carried out – nevertheless approach you need to take a look at that. Taking part in arduous is one thing that I’ve at all times had, irrespective of the game. And I’m going to proceed to try this if I’m the very best participant or the worst participant on the workforce.

“You’re nonetheless going to see the costs, you’re nonetheless going to see the rebounds, irrespective of if I take 5 photographs or 15 photographs. With the elevated position, clearly you’d anticipate that to be the other, however that’s simply me.”

There’s no one else the Warriors need him to be, and now Podziemski is able to present everyone what Part 2 is all about.

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