"I wanna win Most Improved Player": Brandin Podziemski on Team USA Select roster experience, 2024-25 aims with Warriors (Exclusive)
Brandon Podziemski's playing time increased with every charge he took, every rebound he grabbed and every hustle play he made. Yet, Golden State Warriors sophomore guard remained sensitive that his elevated role during his rookie season also came at Klay Thompson’s expense.
So even if he became empowered with landing on the NBA’s All-Rookie Team, Podziemski also stayed sensitive on how that would affect his dynamic with Thompson considering he played a focal point in the Warriors winning four NBA titles in six Finals appearances.
“I made sure he was okay with it,” Podziemski told Sportskeeda. “You don’t want any internal bad blood between teammates when it’s not something you can necessarily control. So we talked about it. He was cool with it. I’m just excited that I got to share the court with him for that one year.”
Brandin Podziemski interview (Exclusive)
Podziemski spoke to Sportskeeda on numerous topics following practice on Saturday between the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team and the U.S. Select team. That included included Podziemski’s outlook on how the Select Team will elevate his game, the art of taking charges, the Steph Curry teammate experience and speaking up to Draymond Green when he committed a turnover during practice. Podziemski also touched on the dynamic with Thompson, and how he try to help mitigate Thompson’s absence next season.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.
What do you think of camp so far?
Brandin Podziemski:
“Camp has been short, but it’s been fun playing with the up-and-coming guys from America. Five of us made an All-Rookie team this year. So it’s been fun to play with those guys. I got to play with a bunch of them during Rising Stars weekend. Then being with the up-and-coming young vets that we have. Payton [Prichard]. Jalen Suggs. Trey Murphy. Jalen Duren. Those are guys that been around. Then our newest guy, Cooper [Flagg], is about to start his freshman year in college. It’s been fun. I’ve been really happy with how we played today against the national team. There are definitely some things that we can clean up. But all in all, it’s been fun competing against the best in the world.”
What have you enjoyed about going up against the Olympic guys?
Brandin Podziemski:
“You can’t get anything better than that. I think for a U.S. basketball player, especially in the summer, you always want to play against the best and compete against the best and show what you got. You learn from this and take what you can from this and apply it for the rest of the summer leading into your season. For me, it’s honestly a confidence booster if I can play well against the best of the best. Then I feel like on the day-to-day against other NBA teams I can do the same.”
I read that you were talking to Steve and he was talking to you about Austin Reaves as a comp, not just as a player but what Team USA can do for you. How do you view that?
Brandin Podziemski:
“Quite frankly, I get compared to a lot of white guys (laughs). But I try to get as many things as I can from the most skilled guys. Whether it be Steph, Austin, Luka and Jalen Brunson, all guys that are not that athletic. So I just try to take bits and pieces from guys that are really skilled and smart and try to apply it. I think this summer I’ve seen a bunch of growth in my game. I’m going to continue to get better through the rest of the summer.”
What specific things do you draw from all of those players?
Brandin Podziemski:
“Luka and Jalen combined, you take away the footwork and you take away the pace. You take away the fakes and the tough shotmaking. With Steph, you take away the pace he plays with and the urgency, efficiency and leadership qualities that he provides. You take all of that into account. You can make a great player out of that. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
What expectations do you have with what playing for the Select team will do to help you reach an even higher level for your second season?
Brandin Podziemski:
“The confidence is a big piece and being able to play against the best of the best. When you’re going to play in the playoffs, you’re going to play against these guys. So being able to guard the best players in the world, especially when there are five of them out there, it forces you to play one-on-one individual defense. So that’s going to help me. Just being on the floor with them and showing your competitive nature is something that I expected not only from me, but from my teammates.”
Have you already taken charges?
Brandin Podziemski:
“I was actually going to take one on LeBron [James] and ANT [Anthony Edwards], but I didn’t want them to get hurt for the Olympics. So I caught them in the air. I didn’t really want to do that. But in the season, I’m taking them, for sure.”
You led the league in charges (26). What’s the art in doing that?
Brandin Podziemski:
“I feel like part of it is a mindset. I think it’s about being able to put your body on the line for the team. A lot of people say it, but they don’t really mean it or do it. It’s another form of rim protection. I’m not the best vertical athlete. So how can I impact shots at the rim in a different way? I feel like that is just kind of a niche that I found and something that I’ve done since high school. I’ve carried it along with me.”
What are your favorite charges this season?
Brandin Podziemski:
“I took one against AD [Anthony Davis]. I took one against [Nikola] Jokić. I took one against [Joel] Embiid. I took one against ANT [Anthony Edwards]. I took one against Book [Devin Booker]. I got most of the guys on the national team, honestly. It’s just been fun being able to compete against the best. That’s all you can ask for in an up-and-coming guy.”
What is the post-charge experience like both with how your body is feeling immediately and the next day?
Brandin Podziemski:
“It feels good, actually. A lot of people ask me if it hurts. But it never does. I think I’ve mastered the art in how to fall. So being able to take the impact and letting your body go with the impact instead of not trying to go against it, it definitely helps. It’s something that I’ve carried through high school. It’s been easy for me ever since.”
Can you explain how it can feel good when you’re feeling so much impact from really physical players?
Brandin Podziemski:
“It’s like if you breathe in and you hold your breath and someone just hits you. Then you let it all out. That is how it feels. That’s the best way you can describe it. You just don’t feel anything.”
What do you take away big-picture-wise with your rookie season and how to make an impact right away while the franchise is going through a balancing act with managing its veterans and developing young players on the fly?
Brandin Podziemski:
“I was coming into a situation where the norm is rookies play a lot in the G League, but they don’t really play [on the NBA roster]. I just analyzed all of our stars and our veterans and looked at what they did well and what they didn’t do as well. Everything that I could take away from our vet guys that they didn’t do well, that’s what I wanted to do well because I know there is a place for that on the court. That’s what I tried to do. Obviously, I was in luck. I got my opportunity when Klay and Draymond got ejected against the Wolves [on Nov. 23]. Then I took it from there. All you need is opportunity. If you continuously do the little things that you can control, over time you get more and more leash from the coach. Then with a good season like I had, there comes expectations for year two. I feel like I’m ready for that. I worked super hard this spring and summer for it. I’m excited for year two.”
How do you prepare for that knowing that Klay is gone and there could be even more of an opportunity?
Brandin Podziemski:
“I’m excited for that. My goal all along has been to be a second star to him or a third star with Jonathan [Kuminga]. I know there are a lot of 3s off the table now with Klay gone. We’re going to have to make that up in some facet. So it has been a big part of my game that I’ve been working on. But I know a bunch of our guys, both our vets and our young guys are not stupid. They see that Klay’s gone. So it’s an opportunity for a lot of people. I think our guys have been working extremely hard since we’ve been done in April. I’m excited to see what it looks like in October.”
You received a lot of praise internally with how you managed that dynamic with being a competitor, understanding the fallout with Klay’s role changing and being comfortable enough to speak up to Draymond. What’s your view on how you handled all of that?
Brandin Podziemski:
“I feel like it was just about being a competitor and them knowing in between the four lines that I just want to win, no matter what it takes or what’s said. Off the court, it’s about understanding what they brought to the game and what they brought to the organization. They changed the game. They changed the organization’s outlook. But it was about doing everything in my power to win. I think the thing with Draymond was something simple, but it was something a rookie probably never said to him. That earned his respect in that way because he knew that I’m a competitor and that I’m all about winning. I think for Klay, when I started for him and his role changed, I made sure he was okay with it. You don’t want any internal bad blood between teammates when it’s not something you can necessarily control. So we talked about it. He was cool with it. I’m just excited that I got to share the court with him for that one year.”
What about Steph? There are so many cool things about playing with him. But what’s your favorite experience playing with Steph?
Brandin Podziemski:
“The game-winner that he hit against Phoenix and off the inbounds pass that I passed to him. That’s definitely my favorite moment for the year. He’s an incredible person. The thing that’s different about him in regards to other stars is that people want to play for him. He’s a great leader. He inspires others. He doesn’t ask for much. He gives everybody the credit and the limelight. He just goes out there and works his tail off as much as he can. He lets us have our shine. He's a super personable person. People want to play for him. So as a young guy coming in, that’s all you can ask for in a mentor.”
Given all of the roster changes, what are your expectations on what you will accomplish next season individually and as a team?
Brandin Podziemski:
“Individually, I want to be able to be in the conversation and win Most Improved Player of the Year. I want to partake in the Rising Stars game again because it’s in San Francisco next season. I want to participate in the Skills Challenge. That would be fun. Then I want to put my name up there as an up-and-coming star of the league. I’m ready to make the year two jump. As far as team goals, obviously you want to win a title. We have some older guys. But even just to make the playoffs, honestly. That feeling of being done in mid-April and you have to watch everybody else in the playoffs, that hurts. How can we get back there to the Golden State Warriors that everybody is accustomed to? Obviously, the league has gotten so much better, especially in the Western Conference. So how can we collectively day in and day out put good games together and get a top sixth seed?”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.