Podz addresses heightened Warriors role, expectations in Year 2 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Perhaps the biggest Warriors storyline of the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season centers around how Golden State will replace Klay Thompson.
Buddy Hield projects to pick up a large portion of Thompson’s shots from range, but coach Steve Kerr also will rely on Brandin Podziemski to fill that hole, particularly on the defensive end.
In a recent interview with Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Podziemski discussed his mentality heading into his second NBA season. After a breakout rookie year, the versatile guard is set for a larger role — and higher expectations.
But even after a tumultuous offseason of trade rumors, Podziemski isn’t fazed. In fact, he remains as confident as ever.
“I think for me, anything in life, if you do something good, with good comes expectation,” Podziemski told Slater. “I mean, I won’t go into games thinking about it. I just know what I’ve done all offseason. I know how much better of a player I’m going to be. Obviously, I have expectations for myself to perform.
“But I don’t think there’s any nervousness to exceed expectations. I’m just going to be me.”
That version of Podziemski is a well-rounded contributor: a great rebounder at his size, a solid passer and a gritty defender who led the NBA in charges drawn as a rookie.
However, after being named to the All-Rookie First Team, the Warriors believe they can get more out of Podziemski, whom they view as a future All-Star.
“I really feel good about staying in front of my man,” Podziemski explained to Slater. “I feel more confident in my defensive ability. I’ve been in the position last year where sometimes you don’t feel comfortable, you hope to keep this guy in front. Where now it’s kind of like I expect to. That’s something going into training camp that I want to showcase.”
Podziemski’s defensive value is comparable to Thompson’s — which is important — but Golden State still needs to recreate the Splash Brother’s offensive production. Hield has a more proven history as a 3-point shooter, but Podziemski is an upgrade in most other facets of the game.
That’s why the Warriors have challenged Podziemski to increase his volume from behind the arc. In other words, Golden State hopes the young guard can be their next Thompson to complement Curry.
Those are some pretty big shoes to fill. But — based on his comments — Podziemski isn’t flustered by those expectations.
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