The Golden State Warriors didn’t make a major splash this season. They are expected to run it back with a team that won 37 games last season.
The Warriors also have to make a decision on two more things ahead of training camp.
Steph Curry is now eligible for a contract extension, while Brandin Podziemski is due for his rookie-scale extension.
Brandin Podziemski Gets Bad News
Despite averaging 18.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steal on 47.7% shooting in the last 20 games of last season, Brandin Podziemski was left off HoopsHype’s Top 27 shooting guard rankings for next season.
Podziemski was among the biggest snubs along with Tre Johnson of the Washington Wizards, Shaedon Sharpe of the Portland Trail Blazers and Aaron Wiggins of the Atlanta Hawks.
Johnson and Wiggins are expected to come off the bench next, while Sharpe is out until March due to injury.
Podziemski, on the other hand, will likely earn the starting shooting guard spot for the Golden State Warriors this offseason.
It’s bad news for the 23-year-old guard since he’s not being highly rated amid his potential extension. Some players who made the list that didn’t have a better season than Podziemski last season include Christian Braun and Reed Sheppard.
Even rookie Keaton Wagler of the Los Angeles Clippers was ranked 23rd despite not playing a single minute in the NBA.
Podz on Haters and Critics
There has been a part of the Golden State Warriors fanbase who has been critical of Brandin Podziemski online.
It started last season when he told reporters that his goal was to be better than Steph Curry. It was a bold message by Podziemski that, though confident, was not well-received by Warriors fans.
Coach Steve Kerr defending Podziemski back in March also didn’t help, but the player doesn’t care about outside noise.
“I think the easy answer for me is just being process-oriented and understanding that people’s opinions outside the people in my circle are pretty irrelevant,” Podziemski said on a recent video on his YouTube channel. “They don’t see me on the day-to-day, what I go through, so to let someone affect my perception on basketball or my game, I just don’t let it affect me.”
Podziemski has been spending time in Miami this offseason. He continues to work on his game and is expected to join the Warriors in Hawai’i for training camp later this month.
As for his extension, the Warriors’ front office has already expressed their intention to sign Podziemski and called it a “priority.”
Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski Gets Bad News Ahead of New Season