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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr loves the confidence that rookie guard Brandin Podziemski is displaying but admits it sometimes rubs the team’s veterans in a wrong way.
Such was brought to the fore when the 21-year-old first-year player got in a verbal altercation with teammate Andrew Wiggins in their game against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.
The argument happened when Wiggins failed to pass the ball to Podziemski in transition before missing a layup after being fouled. Unhappy with the missed opportunity to score, Podziemski hollered at the one-time All-Star, who did not let it pass and had some choice words to say to their upstart guard.
Joining 95.7 The Game’s ‘Willard and Dibs’ the following day, Kerr spoke about Brandin Podziemski's confidence and how it sometimes gets him to butt heads with his seniors.
The four-time NBA champion coach said, as reported by NBC Sports:
"He's got great feel for the game; he just sees it before it happens and that's pretty rare.
“My favorite quality of his is his confidence. He just bounces back after tough nights and quickly. And that's real confidence and self-assurance. I love that and it drives some of the veterans crazy sometimes, because a rookie isn't supposed to behave that way.”
However, while he clashes with his veterans sometimes, Brandin Podziemski has given the Warriors a boost amid what has been a rough season for the team.
The former Santa Clara player has been averaging 9.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 27 minutes of play in 56 games for the Warriors, 34-30.
Draymond Green impressed with Brandin Podziemski’s fearlessness
While his confidence has gotten him into trouble at times, Brandin Podziemski has still left his Golden States teammates impressed with his on-court mindset and effort.
One of the stars who like what he has seen from the rookie is four-time NBA All-Star Draymond Green, who sees the first-year player as one of the rare breeds of players at his age.
Green highlighted it following their game against the LA Clippers in early in December, where Podziemski stood his own against one-time league MVP James Harden.
He said, by way of NBC Sports:
“He’s fearless. He’s going up against James Harden like he belongs there. That’s a skill. That’s a trait that most people don’t possess. You’re talking about a rookie going up against James, who has 1 MVP. … He’s taking on that challenge like he’s another guy at the park. Irrational confidence. It’s amazing when guys have that."
The Warriors lost the game against the Clippers, 113-112, but Podziemski had himself a ball game off the bench, finishing with 12 points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal in 37 minutes.
