Why Podz’s Summer League 3-point shooting is crucial for Warriors originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
NBA Summer League it’s not about looking at scores and making concrete judgments about players after a few games with teammates they’re unfamiliar with and in an entirely new system. There’s a mix of talent on the court between top draft picks, second-round picks and undrafted players trying to prove their worth, while veterans are still competing to show they belong in the league.
Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski looked overmatched at times a year ago in Las Vegas, as well as during the California Classic. Golden State’s top draft pick wasn’t hitting shots and didn’t appear to be close to an All-Rookie First Team selection. Another example of not betting too much on summer league was obvious for all the intangibles the Santa Clara product brings to the court.
Podziemski’s second summer at the exhibition the circuit didn’t last long and didn’t need to. Steve Kerr and his coaching team’s main request for him, as well as high-ranking voices on the board, was put to the 21 year old test.
Podziemski has to be a 3-point threat, whether he’s starting alongside Steph Curry or leaving the bank. Between two games in Las Vegas and one at Chase Center for the California Classic, he showed no hesitation from beyond the arc.
And with each game Podziemski has improved as a 3-point shooter this summer.
After being part of the USA selected team and playing three summer league games, Podziemski will not play any more games for the Warriors in Las Vegas. He filled the scoreboard in his final game, a 92-83 victory against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night, that improved Golden State’s summer league record to a perfect 5-0.
Podziemski led the Warriors in points (21 on 8-of-14 shooting), rebounds (12) and assists (seven). He was also 4 of 8 from three.
Podziemski, in his summer league final, took three points in a variety of ways. Catching and shooting, coming off the dribble and returning to the shot – everything was there.
“In terms of volume and accuracy, we need more guys shooting the three,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy told reporters Friday in Las Vegas. “This could be internal. Certainly with Moses [Moody]with [Andrew Wiggins]with PA and [Jonathan Kuminga]. All those guys that I think can hit. We’re going to have to improve our three-point shooting as a team.
“I would have said with Klay [Thompson] either way, we would have to go back. With Klay and Steph there’s just a huge volume of threes that these guys produce and then everyone gets a little bit lower. I would like to make everyone else a little more balanced and just be more of an outside threat. I think we can do that, but at the same time we will always try to improve and add more.”
The Warriors already know that Podziemski will give them the energy of a fully charged battery on both sides of the ball. His decision-making shouldn’t scare them, as someone who will be the primary ball handler in Year 2. He could also be the best candidate to make a leap in 3-pointers.
In the previous game in Las Vegas, Podziemski was 3-of-6 from three. Although his shot didn’t fall in his only California Classic game this year, he still let six threes fly after two scrimmages against Team USA, where he was the lead point guard on the USA Select Team.
As a rookie, Podziemski averaged the fifth-most 3-point attempts on the Warriors and fourth-most overall. On a 2024-25 team without Thompson, the lefty should trail only Curry and possibly Buddy Hield — the Warriors’ newly acquired veteran sharpshooter — in terms of shooting.
This year’s summer league version Podziemski was clearly a stronger player who managed to get to the basket with relative ease and continued to show flourishing connection with Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Most notably, the 3-point line is more of a point of comfort for Podziemski, more akin to the strength he shot nearly 44 percent from there in his lone season at Santa Clara that saw him rise up draft boards and fall into the hands of the Warriors with the 19th overall pick.
