The first of many secret weapons that have helped Brandin Podzemski make his way to the NBA and the Warriors is his looks. Rich curly blonde hair suggests ownership of a surfboard. Constant sneers suggest a brash and sarcastic child. Serious Hooper? prove
Welcome to Scrubs, Greater Milwaukee’s playground. Please come and take a lesson.
If you didn’t know, you didn’t know. It won’t take long for Podzemski to let them know that, so he will learn the hard way on the road.
“It’s just that no one is backing down,” Podzemski said during a guest appearance on the latest “Dubs Talk,” which premiered Thursday. “It might sound crazy, but I’m going to go out there and play the game the way I play, regardless of the color of my skin.”
Dub Nation likes what Podzemski brings to the Warriors, but they also like the way he brings it. The rookie’s game is defined by uncompromising tenacity. He appears to be powered by his 120 self-charging batteries. He plays man defense against guards on the perimeter, forces mistakes, and slips between two big men to grab rebounds. The man his teammates call “BP” has a muscular 6-foot-4 frame and the temperament of a 6-foot-10 Adonis.
“He’s a very confident guy,” Stephen Curry said. “He feels like he belongs, he knows he belongs and he works. He understands that his style is transferable to the league and (he) ) Understands how to influence the game.”
Curry’s evaluation was announced in October, a full week before the start of the season, and at the time it was generally assumed that Podzemski would spend the majority of the season with the G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors. Two months later, BP entered the NBA Warriors’ starting lineup.
How do you make such a meteoric rise? It starts in the usual place. childhood. Brandin’s father, John, was a talented baseball player, and that talent was passed on to his son. As a teenager, Brandin had skills such as a fastball that could reach over 90 miles per hour. But Southpaw wanted something more challenging and ultimately more rewarding.
“If I hadn’t played in the NBA, I’d probably be in the minor leagues somewhere by now,” Podzemski said. “It was one of those things that came naturally to me. I could pick it up whenever I wanted. It was easy for me.
“For me, at a certain point it was too slow and I wanted to try something more up-tempo and something that maybe I’m not that good at.”
Podzemski turned to basketball, which has a better pace for players with a lot of kinetic energy. Spending your youth in Greater Milwaukee means surviving on a rugged proving ground. Southeastern Wisconsin is home to some underrated talent, as evidenced by NBA stars like Kevon Looney, Tyler Herro, Jordan Poole and Tyrese Haliburton.
The tapestry of demographics on display at local courthouses and gyms provided Brandin with a certain sense of security. He grew up in Greenfield, 8 miles west of downtown Milwaukee. The city’s population is 40 percent white, 39 percent black, and the remaining 21 percent are mostly Hispanic, Asian, and people of multiple races.
“My background was something like that, so I know how things work in that sense,” says Podzemski. “Growing up in that environment and having the opportunity to play basketball with the same people taught me a lot about the confidence and swagger it takes to be successful.”
John had the unwavering support of his father, a big Brandin fan, and the boy played under the tutelage of coaches such as Antonio Curro (AAU) and DJ Mlachnik (St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy High School). .
As Podzemski’s passion for basketball grew, he also studied NBA players, starting with San Antonio Spurs star Manu Ginobili, a hyperactive left-hander with a similar build. He also drew from European players and James Harden from his time with the Houston Rockets.
Ultimately, Podzemski landed during the Warriors’ dynasty. Kevin Durant was there. Klay Thompson. Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and of course Curry. He fell in love with the motion offense, where the movement of the ball and players is systematically chaotic.
Podzemski went from being a three-star recruit during his junior year at St. John’s University to four-star status as a senior and was named Wisconsin’s Mr. Basketball in 2021. His scholarship offers went from trickle to flurry with the powerhouse school Kentucky. He was at Kansas State before choosing Illinois.
As a freshman, his impact was no different than an unused surfboard. Podzemski endured 17 DNPs and decided to transfer to Santa Clara University. Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash spent four years at the school in the 1990s, and Jaylen Williams is being claimed as a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Podzemski was the Broncos’ best player during the 2022-23 season, finishing with a 23-10 record. He went from zero on NBA Draft boards to Golden State as the 19th overall pick and was in the starting lineup after 23 games.
Podzemski’s rise is a result of his attitude and perseverance. He is a classic example of getting more than what meets the eye.
“I’m not afraid of anyone on the court,” he says. “When I got this, I wanted this to be my dream. If I’m going to make it to the NBA, I’m going to face that challenge at some point.
“For me, it’s just going out there and hooping. If you hoop and show people what you can do, that’s how you earn honor.”
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