It may not be the best season so far for the Golden State Warriors, but somehow, they continue to find flashes of brilliance from time to time. During Christmas Day’s loss to the Denver Nuggets, Warriors rookie Brandin Podziemski achieved a feat that puts him in a category with some of the league’s best standouts back in the day.
Podziemski has joined Ben Simmons, DeMarcus Cousins, and John Wall as the only NBA rookies in the last 15 years to tally 13-plus points, nine-plus rebounds, six-plus assists and five-plus steals in a single game, as per the Warriors’ official X account.
The rookie out of Santa Clara has been a main part of the Warriors’ rotation so far this season. Averaging 8.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, Podziemski has somehow found a way to earn minutes in a team full of talent-laden guards, some of whom go by names such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Chris Paul.
Podziemski emerges as a key role player for the Warriors
His key to playing time can be attributed to doing all the “little things.” Whenever the 20-year-old steps on the floor for Golden State, he provides a defensive spark and a nose for rebounding not seen among plenty of other guards in the league. Podziemski can score too. Whether he has the ball in his hands or not, the young guard finds ways to contribute on the offensive end. Despite being able to create his own shot, one big factor in Podziemski’s offense lies in how he’s able to play off the ball alongside Golden State’s big names. This has led to the rookie being inserted into the starting lineup ever since Draymond Green’s suspension.
Brandin Podziemski may not be a frontrunner in the Rookie of the Year race, but he’s surely looking like the perfect rookie for the Warriors this season.