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The Golden State Warriors landed one of the steals of the 2023 NBA draft when they selected shooting guard Brandin Podziemski at No. 19. Despite not being a high-volume scorer, the 21-year-old has made a winning impact all season.
Podziemski's impressive well-rounded play earned him the sixth spot on NBA.com's latest Kia Rookie Ladder.
He may not be considered a serious threat to win this year's Rookie of the Year award. However, if the Warriors (43-35, 10th in the Western Conference) advance to the playoffs, he could be one of the few rookies who earn meaningful postseason minutes.
On that note, here's a brief scouting report on Brandin Podziemski ahead of the playoffs.
Brandin Podziemski 2024 regular-season stats
Through his first 70 career games, including 28 starts, Podziemski's stats are as follows:
None of those numbers jump off the page. Nonetheless, Podziemski ranks in the top five on the Warriors in scoring (fifth), rebounding (second), assists (fourth), steals (fourth), 3-pointers (fourth) and 3-point percentage (fifth).
Thus, he has made a consistent all-around impact.
Brandin Podziemski strengths and weaknesses
Among Podziemski's most notable strengths is his knack for taking charges. The rookie guard leads the NBA in total charges drawn (36) and charges drawn per game (0.51), consistently getting in ideal defensive positioning.
Additionally, his ability to play sound team basketball within the flow of games has benefitted Golden State immensely. Podziemski can plug into various lineups with starters or bench players and make an immediate impact.
He can playmake, score off the dribble and hit catch-and-shoot jumpers. Meanwhile, he is a strong rebounder (5.8 rpg) for his size (6-foot-5).
Podziemski's versatile skill set has allowed him to rank first on the Warriors in total plus-minus (+260), over superstar teammate Steph Curry (+177).
As for his weaknesses, Podziemski is a sub-par free-throw shooter (62.8%). Moreover, while he has been an above-average 3-point shooter (37.9%), he struggles from midrange (29.0%).
Overall, Podziemski's team-friendly playstyle appears to have earned him coach Steve Kerr's trust, despite Kerr having long been reluctant to play rookies heavy minutes.
Brandin Podziemski 2024 playoff outlook (impact, role, and minutes)
If Golden State makes the playoffs, Podziemski projects to be a valuable glue guy off the bench.
He is averaging 26.7 minutes per game through 70 contests and 29.8 mpg through 28 starts. So, he should continue receiving around 25 to 30 mpg come the postseason. However, his minutes could fluctuate depending on matchups, as Kerr often tinkers with his rotations.
If Podziemski's winning impact translates to the playoffs, he could be the Warriors' X-factor.
