SAN FRANCISCO – When Brandin Podziemski was scoring 26 points in a pivotal Game 4 Warriors victory over the Houston Rockets, he showcased his full arsenal of scoring moves.
Fading bank shots, sidestep 3-pointers, tough drives and catch-and-shoot triples – Podziemski torched the league’s most physical defense with each of them as Golden State won 109-106.
It was a continuation of what Warriors coach Steve Kerr once called a breakthrough for one of the league’s best young shooting guards.
“Brandin is big-time,” Kerr said after Game 4. “Second-year player, but plays like a 10th-year guy. Got so much poise and confidence.”
Though the 22-year-old perimeter dynamo now plies his trade at Chase Center, his breakout began 45 miles south and three years ago.
Back in the summer of 2022, Podziemski was a skinny Midwestern shooting guard looking for a change of scenery in the South Bay for his sophomore year.
After the Wisconsin native spent his first year in higher education at the University of Illinois – student body of 59,000 – averaging just 1.4 points per game, Podziemski decided to head west.
He settled in Silicon Valley, where he grew to love Santa Clara’s smaller campus and the advantages that came with it.
“Being able to really get to know people on a personal level, and not just athletes but also regular students, you find that you can connect with a lot more people,” Podziemski told this news organization of the school with an enrollment just over 9,000. “When you see people walking to class, you’re able to say ‘What’s up?’ to them and actually know their name.”
One person Podziemski connected with was SCU coach Herb Sendek, who once coached another lefthanded guard at Arizona State named James Harden.
Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski (2) attempts to steal the ball away from Los Angeles Clippers’ James Harden (1) in the third quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Podziemski’s work ethic made it clear that he was destined to play in the same league that Harden has dominated for over a decade.
“From the very start, Brandin was obsessed with getting better, with making the NBA, and being the very best version of himself,” Sendek said.
Podziemski was single-minded in his dedication to the craft, with the Broncos coach noting that the young player was in the gym “day in and day out, month in and month out.”
Podziemski was consistently excellent, averaging 19.9 points per game on his way to being named the co-West Coast Conference player of the year.
After being chosen 19th overall by the hometown Warriors, Podziemski was a consistent contributor as a rookie and finished fifth in rookie of the year voting.
Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski (2) takes a shot against San Antonio Spurs’ Blake Wesley (14) in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Instead of focusing on his successes, the guard instead fixated on what he could improve.
“I want to be more versatile than just being a 3-point shooter or someone who just finishes around the rim with floaters and stuff,” Podziemski said. “So this summer, that’s really what I worked on, was just to drill pull-ups left and right, getting into space and different footwork.”
The fruits of that labor were not immediately apparent, as Podziemski was often forced to play as the lead ballhandler, running the offense with Steph Curry on the bench and struggled to find his shot in the first half of the season.
That changed when the Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler, moving him to his more natural off-ball spot.
Once Butler arrived at the February trade deadline, Podziemski’s scoring average improved to 15 points, far above his season average of 11.9.
“The thing with Brandin, we know he’s at his best when he’s a secondary playmaker, playing off the weak side, running through the catch, creating shots in the paint for himself and others,” Kerr said.
During this breakout, Podziemski still has found time to remain in contact with former teammates, coaches, and even professors at SCU.
“Brandin’s been great about staying in touch and coming down to campus, attending games and stopping by practice,” Sendek said. “He’s had a real presence here at Santa Clara, and that’s another reason we’re quite happy he remains in the Bay Area.”
His strong play has continued in the pressure cooker of the playoffs.
Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski (2) celebrates after their 109-106 win over the Houston Rockets for Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 28, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Podziemski had a team-high plus-minus of plus-17 in a Game 1 victory in Houston, and came up big down the stretch in Game 4. Aside from his scoring, he also had a number of impactful defensive plays, including a late block on Fred VanVleet.
“All you want is everybody to be confident to take open shots, play the way that they see fit, just bring energy. He did that from the jump,” Curry said.
If the Warriors are to close out Houston on Wednesday, and go on a deep playoff run beyond that, Podziemski will need to continue his strong run of play.
And as he has shown since arriving at Santa Clara three years ago, he’s ready for the moment.
“There’s no pressure,” he said. “Everything I do, I’m never going to have a regretful decision. I’m just going to go out there and know and tell myself I belong, because I do.”