How bitter college experience sparked Podziemski’s rise in the NBA originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — When the Warriors selected Brandin Podziemski in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft last June, the general reaction was skepticism, perhaps because many pre-draft projections pegged him as a second-round pick.
Or maybe it’s because Podziemski played 69 minutes as a freshman at the University of Illinois in the Big Ten and then transferred to Santa Clara University.
On Monday, less than a year after the 2023 draft and two years after that lost season on the bench, Podziemski was certified as a potential star in the world’s biggest basketball league.
He was voted to NBA All-Rookie First Team. The same team as San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren – both seen as future All-Stars and cornerstones of NBA contenders.
“Being the 19th pick in an organization where few rookies play and finishing as an All-Rookie is a credit to my work ethic, but also to my teammates, the coaches and the front office for offering an opportunity,” Podziemski said 90 Minutes after the All-Rookie team was announced.
Podziemski played in 74 of Golden State’s 82 games, making 28 starts. He averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 26.6 minutes. He was third among NBA rookies in 3-point field goal percentage (38.5), fifth in assists (3.7), sixth in rebounds (5.8) and eighth in minutes (26.6).
He went from being a spectator at Illinois in 2022 to being a starter in the Warriors’ backcourt alongside two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry.
It’s a meteoric rise, to be sure, and there has been no greater boost than the one that came to Podziemski during the 2021-22 season, when he was benched for 17 of 33 games under Fighting Illini coach Brad Underwood.
“It gave me a chip on my shoulder because the first few games I didn’t play, I really questioned my ability,” Podziemski said. “Was I good enough to play? I really had to think about it, if it was really something I wanted to do, move forward. I did it because I love the game.
“And here we are today, two years after transferring from Illinois. It was a really cool ride. To see where I grew, developed, what I became as a person, as a man, as a player.”
After Underwood, according to Podziemski, “made it clear I wasn’t good enough to play,” the Wisconsin native declined to participate in a second season at Illinois. He entered the transfer portal in May 2022 and Santa Clara pounced on the 6-foot-2, 185-pound combo guard.
Podziemski’s only season with the Broncos was a huge success. He averaged 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He shared the West Coast Conference Player of the Year award with Gonzaga center Drew Timme.
“It was nice to be welcomed and loved by a coaching staff and to be trusted with an important position on the team,” Podziemski said. “They can say it’s intermediate or not, but throughout this year I’ve proven that it doesn’t matter where you come from.”
Podziemski’s arrival at Santa Clara came shortly after Jalen Williams left after three seasons to enter the 2022 NBA Draft. Drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 12th overall pick, Williams was also named first-team All-Rookie — and finished second to Orlando’s Paulo Banchero in Rookie of the Year voting.
Podziemski, 21, finished fifth the 2024 Rookie of the Year votewith Wembanyama winning the prize and Holmgren finishing second.
Asked about the highlights of his debut season, Podziemski mentioned several moments, but one stood out. When the Warriors went to Milwaukee, 11 miles northeast of their hometown, in January, Podziemski wasn’t just in the starting lineup but scored 23 points (a season high at the time) shot 10 of 14 from the field, adding 10 rebounds and three steals.
“I remember playing for Marquette when I was at Illinois,” Podziemski recalls. “There were a lot of people there and I didn’t take off the warm-up.
“To have that feeling and come back two years later and play – and play well – even though we lost, it was a full circle moment. Those same people had to come back and watch me.”
Podziemski keeps motivational receipts. As he should. They served him well.
