Warriors rookie Brandin Podziemski won the guard lottery by getting to play alongside future Hall-of-Famers Stephen Curry and Chris Paul in his first NBA season.
Podziemski agrees, giving this analysis of his fortune earlier this week.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“Yeah, just shows you how blessed of a situation I've been put into," Podziemski told reporters at Warriors Media Day on Monday. “Just being 20 years old and them guys having 13 to 15 years under their belt already, just learning from them every day is something that is truly a blessing for me.”
Being blessed is an understatement. Between Curry and Paul, they have combined for 43,467 points, 17,241 assists, 21 NBA All-Star appearances, 20 All-NBA nods and seven finals appearances.
For any rookie, especially a guard, there isn’t a better tandem to learn and develop under.
Podziemski was the Warriors' No. 19 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. After averaging 19.9 points on 48.3 percent shooting at Santa Clara College, he has struggled with his move into professional basketball, even having some NBA Summer League woes.
Golden State Warriors
However, consistently practicing and getting shots up next to Curry and Paul has given Podziemski more confidence and made the game easier to process.
“I think every time I step on the floor, I feel like I belong more and more now,” Podziemski said Monday. “Just getting accustomed to playing with them. The way I play is similar to how they've always played, so me adjusting to terminology and play style hasn't been an issue at all.”
To find time on the floor, Podziemski has his work cut out with Golden State’s stacked backcourt. But it appears the rookie is using his experienced teammates to his advantage, using their skills and insight to improve his game and further his level of comfortability.
It isn’t easy to jump on the Warriors' moving train that is seeking a fifth NBA Championship in 10 seasons, but Podziemski has the help of two of the league’s best guards to ever play.
Podziemski will have opportunities to mirror his star teammates during Golden State’s preseason, which starts Oct. 7 against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Chase Center.