Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski (2) walks on the court against the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter of their game during the 2023 California Classic at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Monday, July 3, 2023. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Brandin Podziemski’s first action in Warriors threads was a mixed bag.
The Golden State Warriors’ 19th overall pick showed flashes of promise as a decision-maker and scrappy guard in the Summer League opener against the Sacramento Kings, a 100-94 loss on Monday night in the first of two California Classic games at Golden 1 Center.
Podziemski, 20, passed on some open shots initially, scoring four points through the first three quarters. But he settled into a 12 point with some late scoring, including a three-pointer in the fourth quarter.
“The next step with him is we got to find ways as a staff to put him in position so he can be more of a scorer, looking to score,” Summer League head coach Jacob Rubin said. “He’s been good for us getting in the paint and facilitating, we just got to find a way for the ball to find him a little bit more.”
What stood out was Podziemski’s playmaking out of the pick-and-roll. He had six assists and was aggressive on the boards with six rebounds — the guard stood out at Santa Clara for his rebounding skills. He looked a little lost on defense at times, but that was an expected aspect of his game that needed to be addressed heading into his NBA career.
“I think that’s just a mindset thing,” Podziemski said. “First couple of quarters I was kind of just feeling it out and seeing what my teammates were doing. And then in the fourth quarter I just started playing aggressive, and the more aggressive you are, the more things open up for your teammates.”
Lester Quinones, a Warriors’ two-way guard, was the standout player in a Warriors loss with 26 points. Quinones played with the Santa Cruz Warriors G League team last year and made sure to pass on his know-how to the rookie.
“I can teach him a few things as far as just being more poised and kind of just letting it come to him,” Quinones said. “I feel like either tonight or tomorrow I’m gonna sit with him and talk to him about kind of just not letting people just take you out of your offense or kind of pressure you at half-court, to kind of just be more poised and really just controlling it, being a controlled PG to get us into our offense.
“I feel like once he gets that down, he’s gonna be really solid. He has a great, high IQ. He makes the right plays. He’s not selfish, he’s a hooper. I’m excited for how he’s gonna blossom.”
Trayce Jackson-Davis, the Warriors’ 57th overall pick out of Indiana University, did not play on Monday due to a right hamstring injury sustained during a team practice. He may play in the Warriors’ final California Classic game against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday at 3 p.m. PT.
Originally published at Shayna Rubin