How Warriors’ preseason rotation changes aid Podziemski’s growth originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors have toyed with quite a few lineup changes during the NBA preseason, but coach Steve Kerr isn’t the only one benefiting from the constant rotation changes.
After Golden State’s 109-106 preseason win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday at Chase Center, point guard Brandin Podziemski detailed how the scattered rotations allows him to develop chemistry with teammates he normally wouldn’t share the court with, which could prove to be invaluable over the course of an NBA season.
“I think it allows me to understand my teammates. What they like, what they don’t like, what they prefer. In terms of catching the ball, what actions they like ran for them,” Podziemski said. “And for me, as a point guard, being out there with Buddy [Hield] and [De’Anthony Melton] and Lindy [Waters III] who can run off screens and shoot, it gives a little bit of a Klay feel a little bit.
“And so just taking the knowledge I learned from being with him and kind of applying it and asking them questions about what they think. I think it helps me just because you never know who is going to be out there during the year because it’s a long season. Injuries come up, people sit out games. So for me to just learn who’s out there, it’s going to help for the regular season.”
With plenty of new faces in the mix, Podziemski will be relied upon heavily to quickly learn the tendencies of his teammates who recently entered the fold.
After earning NBA All-Rookie honors in his first Warriors season, Podziemski figures to play a pivotal role for Golden State in his sophomore campaign.
The Warriors made it clear how much they value Podziemski after reportedly being unwilling to include the 21-year-old guard in any potential trade packages for another NBA star.
Podziemski’s relentless work ethic and attention to detail likely factors into Golden State’s confidence in him being a franchise fixture for years to come. For now, he’s just focused on putting his teammates in the best possible position to succeed.
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