After high-profile summer, Brandin Podziemski ready to take next step for Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO Brandin Podziemski grits his teeth then purses his lips when recalling how the third offseason of his NBA career started The focus for Podziemski during the preseason has been controlling his emotions Or perhaps more specifically directing his competitive fire toward making plays and not arguing with referees over calls that will not change He had already received plenty of practice in dealing with disappointment well before the NBA preseason began Podziemski became a social media darling for his seemingly endless summertime sidequests a boisterous Valkyries supporter one day showcasing his new signature shoe the next He also learned quieter lessons that should serve him well as he enters the season as the crew s presumptive starter at shooting guard next to Steph Curry Podziemski underwent surgery on both his left shooting wrist and his core shortly after the season rendering him unable to do anything basketball-related for two months I had never had to get a surgery before in my life Podziemski stated the Bay Area News Group You realize your passion for basketball When that s taken away from you and you can t do anything and it s out of your control you realize your love for basketball Unable to shoot or dribble for much of June and all of July the -year-old determined another way to stay connected to the battle He was a fixture on the sidelines at the Bay Area s WNBA games becoming an unofficial mascot for the Valkyries with a jersey for every athlete on the roster Podziemski made his presence known by protesting calls cheering Valkyries baskets taunting Caitlin Clark and making the trip down to San Jose for the club s first home playoff competition which he considered his favorite memory of the season Being a fan it s so much fun especially when you re on the other side of it a lot of times Podziemski reported Golden State Warriors Brandin Podziemski celebrates a -point basket by Golden State Valkyries' Chloe Bibby in the second quarter of their WNBA battle at Chase Center in San Francisco Calif on Thursday June Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group If going to pro sporting events were a competition Podziemski would be in the running for a gold medal He displayed up to a couple of Stanley Cup playoff games in June repping his Edmonton Oilers How exactly did a kid growing up in Wisconsin grow to love a unit based miles away in Alberta The answer is surprising Around years ago Podziemski and his family vacationed in Tampa Bay and happened to catch a contest between the Ligtning and Oilers Prime Steven Stamkos made less of an impression than the Oilers orange I had no idea about hockey at the time but I was like just I like the color the bright orange disclosed Podziemski I was like yeah I m gonna like this gang and I ve stuck with them Podziemski also made sure to keep up with his hometown Brewers Although he has unfailingly been a big fan of the Brew Crew he wistfully recalled the NLCS organization as being one of his faves Podziemski had another reason to be invested After unexpectedly sitting with a limited of Brice Turang s friends at a challenge between the Brewers and Giants last offseason Podziemski met the Milwaukee second baseman and the two struck up a friendship But aside from traveling back to Wisconsin a scant times including once to attend his younger sister s high school graduation and one trip to Turks and Caicos with his friends from back home Podziemski was focused strictly on hoops once he was cleared to resume basketball activity on Aug Shooting dribbling passing reads and defense were all on the docket but the physical skills were not the priority coming off a season in which he averaged points per encounter and entrenched himself as a starter Skill-wise we can say I need to do this this and this Podziemski announced But if they don t trust you to go out there and be emotionally mature it doesn t matter what you work on in the summer Golden State Warriors Brandin Podziemski drives past Los Angeles Lakers Rui Hachimura in the first quarter of their preseason NBA championship at Chase Center in San Francisco Calif on Sunday Oct Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Helping lead Podziemski was Warriors director of sportsman maturation Seth Cooper a fellow Wisconsinite For the coach the biggest step was getting Podziemski to become aware that his constant complaining to the officers and up-and-down demeanor on the court were issues Related Articles Warriors coach Steve Kerr explains why he went to No Kings protest Kevin Durant agrees to -year extension with Rockets through th NBA season Why Warriors had to cut Seth Curry Curry Kuminga Horford and injuries What we learned about Warriors during preseason Warriors instant analysis Al Horford Draymond Green show passing chemistry in preseason finale One of the things I consistently tell him is that he s very smart Cooper narrated this news organization He sees the battle and feels the competition but when he puts his strength toward the refs or certain things it takes away part of his potency from knowing what the next play is checking in on his teammates knowing what s going on the court It is still very much a work in progress In a preseason tournament with the Lakers he vehemently disagreed with a traveling call and had to be guided back to the bench by Steph Curry during a stoppage But longtime coach Steve Kerr has been encouraged by his gradual improvement in this area The strides he has made with the ball in his hands have been encouraging too The balance we re trying to show him is to be aggressive but to get off the ball early if someone is available because he s a really good passer and playmaker and he s a connector out there Kerr commented He s getting better and better After the summer Podziemski had it is easy to characterize him as the hotheaded event-hopping two-guard who is still somehow the youngest sportsman on the squad while entering his third season in the NBA But he has loftier expectations Looking at the bigger picture when those guys are done do they feel relaxed saying BP here you go this is your group because we trust you to do the same things we did Podziemski declared I m working towards that