Fw: [外絮] 勇士 Brandin Podziemski 的無懼心態

看板G-S-WARRIORS (金洲勇士)作者waderu (划的路)時間6月前 (2024/05/21 16:06)推噓4(4推 0噓 3→)

留言7則, 6人參與討論串2/2 (看更多)

今年總版的舊文了，發現同溫層沒有，就趁熱點轉過來。有些翻譯可能比較硬，我把原文也抓出來貼在下面。 GSW官方專輯: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMPbe7hHLzE

Podz也是今年看我勇比賽難得的看點之一。 Loony:他有一種覺得自己將會變得優秀的錯覺。 ※ [本文轉錄自 NBA 看板 #1brmtQQj ] 作者: laptic (靜夜聖林彼岸花) 看板: NBA 標題: [外絮] 勇士 Brandin Podziemski 的無懼心態時間: Thu Feb 22 17:03:19 2024 原標題：The fearless mindset of the Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski: ‘He’s got a delusion to him’ (勇士隊 Brandin Podziemski 的無懼心態：「他對自己有一種錯覺」) 來源：https://theathletic.com/5273977 作者：Anthony Slater 全文編譯：第一部分舊金山——在將近一年前的今天，當時是勇士隊未來總經理人選的 Mike Dunleavy Jr 和漸受重視的高層人員代表 Kent Lacob 坐進了一輛車，往南快速行駛了五十英里，來到了聖塔克拉拉大學校園。他們在該地的主要目的是要會見來自佩珀代因的潛在選秀球員 Maxwell Lewis。當時他打得不錯。他後來在2023年選秀中，以第四十順位被選上了，但他並非場上表現最好的球員。身高六尺四寸、才剛在選秀雷達裡嶄露頭角的後衛 Brandin Podziemski 為了帶領聖塔克拉拉取得勝利，在關鍵時刻繳出了傑出的發揮。他得到了二十三分，但讓 Dunleavy 和 Lacob 眼前一亮的是十八個籃板的表現。 Lacob 說：「當我和 Mike 離開球場時，當下的感覺是『嗯，這球員大概會是在首輪被選上的新秀』。」 Podziemski在上星期五出戰了全明星周末的新秀挑戰賽。他以在十四場比賽中，能至少場均打出十分、五個籃板、五次助攻的表現領先其他新秀，是入選新秀第一隊的不二人選。他在本星期迎來二十一歲生日，但他已經成功超越 Klay Thompson、進入勇士隊的先發和收尾陣容，成為主教練 Steve Kerr 最喜歡的五人組之黏合劑。該五人組在一起的一百零七分鐘裡，共贏了對手五十七分。 Podziemski和勇士之間的關係，可回溯自當年二月的晚上開始說起。那是他們第一次開始認真看待 Podziemski 這個潛力股的時候。在隨後的十二個月裡——其中有許多重大的轉捩點——他贏得了隊內每一層人員的青睞，尤其是他的老將隊友們。 Podziemski的未來近期在鹽湖城的客隊休息室內浮上檯面。他目前是關鍵球員的雛形，但夢想是要入選全明星賽，而在前方有需要突破的障礙和限制。但事實證明，迄今為止曾對 Podziemski有所遲疑的每個人都錯了。 Draymond Green 說：「天花板很高。他還在學習、還在摸索。但當你開始關注那些即將接替他的人們時……」嘴綠攻下致勝的三分球。Stephen Curry 在球隊拿下爵士後，正在更換衣服。Curry 的黃金時期可能會延續到四十歲，但他下個月將滿三十六歲了。在他年屆四十歲時，Podziem- ski 才剛達二十五歲。嘴綠說：「看起來不會一樣。完全不同。但當他出現在場上時，你會感到非常舒服。對於一位新秀來說，當他在場上主導進程時，你將能感受到舒適的程度。」第二部分到了五月，勇士隊高層在芝加哥的選秀體能測試會上再次接觸Podziemski。多數頂尖的潛力股在場上不會有太多表現。他在體能檢測中表現得比預期更好，選秀順位上已經有所提升、並得到首輪籤的青睞。有些和他同位置的新秀可能跳過了試訓，但他並沒有。他向以球探總管 Larry Harris 為首的勇士高層說：「我沒什麼好躲藏的。」 Podziemski隨後出場，並在試訓上表現出色。他的身價再次飆升。親身訓練此後開始了。 Podziemski走遍全國，一心想給人留下深刻的印象。他去了休士頓。目前隸屬勇士隊高層的 Chuck Hayes，當時正在火箭隊工作。他記得 Podziemski 在訓練中大殺四方，同時讓球館內知道這件事。「BP，」Hayes 在賽前叫道，「你記得在火箭隊試訓中向 John Lucas 噴垃圾話嗎？」 Podziemski回應：「喔，是的。」 Podziemski 當時和退役控衛兼傳奇發展教練 Lucas 在建築物內爭論「史上最好的左撇子後衛」的問題。這是 Podziemski 獲得諸般尊重之心態的早期窺視。嘴綠說：「他整天只會講不停。這是他平常會做的事。」 Podziemski之後認為他在邁阿密的試訓也很成功。他覺得熱火會在第十八順位時挑上他，但後來該隊選擇了同樣受勇士看好的 Jaime Jaquez Jr. ，勇士則以第十九順位選擇他。 Podziemski認為他適合該隊，但對本身在舊金山的集體試訓之表現不感樂觀。勇士隊當時確信無疑。 Lacob 說：「他在場上表現很棒，真的很棒。顯然的是在場上做得最好的球員。」勇士教練團隨後帶他到影片室，讓他解析兩場比賽錄像。在這過程中，大家通常學不到什麼東西，但他卻與眾不同。他們放慢檢視了他其中一些關鍵的擋拆戰術和防守動作。 Lacob 說：「他能夠講出對手的職員名單。不管姓名、傾向、對手的行動等，其記憶力令人印象深刻。」 Podziemski在由勇士隊分析副總管 Pabail Sidhu 建立的分析模型中嶄露頭角。他們對該模型非常重視。Podziemski場均八點八個籃板的數據在他所屬的聯盟中遙遙領先。這為分析模型注入了活力。當這一切整合在一起時，Podziemski在高層人員一致認可的最終選秀榜上排名前十。 Lacob 說：「大家都認為他明顯適合 Steve Kerr 的體系，但也一致認為他的能力不僅如此。天賦、智商和個性結合起來，是值得一賭的。」當初在選秀前排在前五順位的 Cam Whitmore 有可能在第十九順位時才被挑中，其他具有價值的球員也是如此。但勇士隊沒有退縮。他們選了Podziemski。這是小 Dunleavy 作為總經理的第一次選秀，高層一致都同意了這選擇。第三部分在訓練營開始前，嘴綠扭傷了左腳踝，因此無法出賽一個月。在他復出前的準備階段，勇士隊在第二場比賽前的大清早，於沙加緬度安排了一場對抗賽。Podziemski未獲安排從板凳出發，因此他被安排和嘴綠組成一隊。他們在嘴綠發生失誤後，輸掉了第一場對抗賽。 Podziemski向嘴綠喊話：「在比賽中不能發生失誤！不能在比賽期間丟球！」嘴綠嚇呆了。在一整個賽季期間，該隊的新秀幾乎沒有和他講過一句話。嘴綠說：「我當時想，『好，交給你了，沒問題的』。我們在這裡打了一場友誼賽，一場讓我做好準備的比賽，但他卻對我大喊大叫，這對我來說，戳中了很多問題的源頭。我當時想，『你知道嗎？沒問題的，但要確保你能一直這樣講出來。』」勇士隊在季前熱身賽期間，在洛杉磯多待了一個晚上。他們在洛杉磯大學加州分校校園內展開試訓。一次訓練後，後衛們安排了一場「球館之王」式的一對一對抗賽，只要得分就能留下來。Podziemski的對手組合包括 Curry 和 Chris Paul。 CP3 向 Moses Moody 問道：「我們在UCLA，對吧？讓BP得以擊敗我們。」 Moody 回答「是」的同時，回憶起來不禁咧嘴一笑。這位新秀在控衛的位置上給了兩位史上最偉大的控衛一記重擊，並讓周圍的人都注意到了這一「傷害」。 CP3 搖著頭說道，「他做了老虎（伍茲）的勝利動作。」「我們走吧！」Curry 記得他嘲諷過，「那真的太搞笑了。」第四部分 Podziemski 初嘗 NBA 時的味道是苦澀的。他在夏季聯賽期間苦苦掙扎，主要出在跳投和花球。掙扎越多，雪球就滾得越大。 Podziemski坦承，「夏季聯賽結束後，我曾有一點點的懷疑；但在七月剩餘的日子裡，以及八月和九月，我開始反思、想著在成為隊內關鍵球員的事上，需要努力的地方。」 Podziemski出席了每場由 Curry、CP3 和嘴綠在整個夏天期間舉辦的球團訓練。自從八月一日開始，他每天固定來到訓練基地。儘管外界多都認為他本賽季的時間主要將會在附屬的聖克魯茲勇士渡過，但他在信心滿滿地進入訓練營時仍然堅信，本身有能力打出些許表現來。 Kevon Looney 還記得這位新秀後衛在爭搶籃板的事上拳拳到肉的情景。他起初要Podzie- mski 停止這樣做，到後來才發現這是對方看待比賽及態度的一部分。 Looney說：「我記得在那些小型訓練營時，他在練完之後會抱怨，『喔，我已經厭倦了輸球』。我就說，『你應該為自己能上場感到高興。』他說，『不，我們得想辦法贏球。他們需要給我傳球。』我就說，『呃，這我可不知道。』」 Looney在選秀後不久看到 Podziemski 的一句話，他說他想成為一個場均都能大三元的球員。 Looney聽後笑道，「那可真是太大膽了。但我知道威斯康辛州的大多數後衛都有這等瘋狂的自信，像是 (Jordan) Poole、(Tyler) Herro。他有一種覺得自己將會變得優秀的錯覺。」 Podziemski在密爾瓦基長大，他形容自己生活在一個「爭強好勝」的家庭，父親 John 和母親 Barbara West 不讓他在任何方面佔到便宜，他必須自己去爭取。 Podziemski說：「就是這種競爭力，帶來了自信。在知道了自己能在比賽中付出多少之後，何必還要以緊張、膽怯的心態到來呢？」 Podziemski在賽後待得很晚。他在休息室周圍散步，和路過的每一個人交談。在賽季初的一場比賽後，他試圖安排一次關於NBA 的常識問答，以從 Thompson 手上獲取一些零用錢，之後在 Thompson 猶豫不決的時候，就比較兩人的薪資。Thompson要他停止「偷窺」（ pocket-watching）行為。 Curry 說：「在展現力道的事上，馴服一頭獅子會比趕一隻綿羊來得容易。他最令人討厭的地方恰巧也是他最偉大的地方。他還是很好教的。這是很重要的一點。你可以說所有這些話，但如果對教練的指導接受不來，結果將會適得其反。」 Podziemski跟隨柯瑞進行賽後訓練，並研究他之所以偉大的原因。據嘴綠說，他大概是球隊群組聊天室內中最活躍的成員，他還透過簡訊告訴嘴綠自己要來找他。嘴綠警告他，「如果我是你，就不會這麼做，因為我不會公平競爭。」 Podziemski隨後給球隊傳去了一堆嘴綠的老照片，這些都是他能找到之最好笑的。提到被簡訊轟炸得不堪其擾的時候，嘴綠說「當時的他就像『砰、砰、砰』一樣」，之後又想起還沒對他進行報復，「我還得對他的車塞滿爆米花。」在十二月下旬以低輸出的表現敗給熱火後，情緒低落的 Podziemski 走上看台，把輸球的最大原因歸咎於自己。任何看過該場比賽的人都會把他出色的表現排在後頭。當晚 Curry 十五投三中、Andrew Wiggins 陷入低迷，防守漏洞隨處可見。但他卻將自己視作是當晚的問題源頭。聞說此事的 Thompson 表示：「天啊，太戲劇化了吧，菜鳥。」第五部分 Kerr對 Podziemski 的防守有最深刻的印象。在訓練營中，他們在爭球時跟蹤防守。Pod- ziemski 當時領先全隊。這是一個早期的跡象。他的籃板數據也得到了體現，這對於一支以小個子球員為主的球隊來說尤其重要。勇士隊是NBA 籃板第三好的球隊，波齊姆斯基場均上陣二十六分鐘，場均搶下五點八個籃板，僅次於嘴綠和魯尼。他比圍巾和 Jonathan Kuminga 這些身型較大的側翼更能無情地搶下籃板。 Kerr說：「這支球隊所缺乏的，去年所缺乏的，他都給了我們。連結、連結者、控球者、切入者。他對場上發生的事情有一種感覺和認識，這讓他在任何陣容中都能發揮作用。他增強了整個陣容的實力。」十一月下旬，勇士隊在領先的情況下差點輸給馬刺隊。他們贏了，但整體表現不佳，Pod- ziemski 也是第一次真正意義上表現不佳。他五投全丟失。Kerr賽後走進休息室，他以為球隊全員都不在，Podziemski也正躲著。 Kerr談到年輕時的自己時，說道：「如果是我，一定會在公寓裡窩上三天，懷疑自己是否還有投籃的能力。但我進去的時候，看到他是最樂觀的人。我喜歡這樣。因為當你打得不好，還能給球隊帶來活力，保持自信和豪邁，這就是一個很好的信號。」勇士隊本賽季迄今為止最有影響力的一場比賽發生在十二月中旬的波特蘭。當時他們的戰績是十一勝十四負，急需擊敗一支糟糕的拓荒者隊。但Curry 一直在苦苦掙扎，他們也很難贏下該場比賽。比賽剩下四秒時，Curry 投丟了一顆罰球。當時比分落後兩份的拓荒者沒有喊暫停。Sha- edon Sharpe 在一次拼搶中將球推向前場，似乎有機會中藍並扳平比分。但Podziemski搶先一步，發起了致勝的一擊。（該場比賽，勇士以 118:114 獲勝）這是 Podziemski 第十一次使對手吃下帶球犯規。這已經成為他標誌性的防守動作。他在本賽季讓對手中了二十七次犯規，領先 NBA。他看過了排行榜，知道上賽季在該方面領先 NBA 的球員（雷霆的 Jaylin Williams），甚至在討論時提到了近代史上一些最偉大的衝撞者。在談到 Podziemski 的防守優勢時，科爾將他與湖人的 Austin Reaves 對比而談。 Kerr說：「就像去年夏天我執教 Austin 時一樣，最讓我印象深刻的就是他在防守上毫無畏懼。而且他非常強壯。這就是他們的共同點。他們的體型非常相似。六尺四寸、身體強壯。我認為這正是當今比賽所需要的。那些在防守上掙扎的都是身體不強壯的球員。如果你的個子偏小，你就必須強壯起來。」 Podziemski本賽季曾迂迴地將自己與 Gary Payton II 和嘴綠相互比較，這表面上看太過雄心勃勃，但小手套和嘴綠似乎明白其中的大致意思。他看到了地板和模式，並像他們兩人一樣有破壞的慾望。但這也有一個缺點——走步。 Kerr說：「他賭得太多了。這很好，但我們真的只需要一個人（嘴綠）這麼做。如果有兩個人都在做，防守就會一團糟。但我隨時都會選擇這樣的人，而不是毫無意識的人。沒有意識的人站在弱側，而那個人卻在傳球。他正好相反他能看到每一個切球他什麼都想幫忙。我們只需要幫他簡化，讓他明白他的工作不是做其他人的工作。」嘴綠補充：「他有時候會迷失。但事實上，我往往也會有迷失的時候。人們可能不記得了，但在很長的一段時間裡，他們都無法讓我防守射手。就像我們打鵜鶘隊時，我曉得如何防住 Anthony Davis 。當他們換上 Ryan Anderson 或 Nikola Mirotic 後，他們會有『我們得把嘴綠換下場』的感覺。」在最近一場對陣爵士隊的比賽中，Podziemski 走得離 Jordan Clarkson 太遠，之後在板凳上從另一位高風險賭徒小手套那裡學到了教訓。小手套說：「他看到嘴綠做了什麼，就嘗試模仿。但我告訴他，當你防守像 Clarkson 這樣的問題球員時，你不能盡情亂跑。因為這是一個揮桿、揮桿、要求高命中率的接球投籃。這都是一種感覺。」在球場的另一端，Podziemski是一個追求低風險的球員。二月至今，他有五十二次助攻和九次失誤；一月間，他有四十一次助攻和十二次失誤。最近的四場比賽，他的助攻數達二十七次，失誤數掛零，打破了新秀的記錄。但他最終的發展空間將取決於他是否有得分的能力。Podziemski的投籃方式僅限於三分球、花式投籃、橫掃勾手和偷襲上籃。他不投中距離，也不在籃框周圍活動。在本賽季的一些比賽中，他的三分球命中率很低，但在過去的十九場比賽中，他已經投進了十二球，將本賽季的三分球命中率提高到了38.5% 。本賽季，他在二十八場比賽中得分上雙，在新秀中排名第六，並四次得到二十分以上。如果這能成為他接近全盛時期的常規基準，他的天花板將繼續提高。 Podziemski說：「我想成為全明星球員。你該知道，Jonathan已經邁出了真正進入這一行列的下一步。看到他今年的成長，感覺非常特別。所以在今年夏天之後，我將把我的比賽提升到另一個水平，做我現在欠缺的事情，並盡可能提高效率，我想我能做到。我絕對不會在達到關鍵球員的目標後卻步，尤其是在第一年結束的時候。我的職業生涯還很長。」短評：其中在UCLA時的對抗賽過程，感覺有點好笑... -- ※ 發信站: 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Sessyoin

02/22 17:05, 9月前 , 1^F

02/22 17:05, 1^F

原文：https://theathletic.com/5273977 Brandin Podziemski profile The fearless mindset of the Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski: ‘He’s got a delusion to him’ Anthony Slater Feb 20, 2024 SAN FRANCISCO — Nearly a year ago on the dot, Mike Dunleavy, the Golden State Warriors’ future general manager, and Kent Lacob, an ascending front office personnel voice, hopped in a car and made the quick 50 mile trip south to Santa Clara’s campus. They were primarily there to see Maxwell Lewis, the possible lottery pick out of Pepperdine. Lewis played fine. He’d eventually get selected 40th in the 2023 NBA Draft. But he wasn’t the best player on the floor. Brandin Podziemski, a 6-foot-4 guard who was only beginning to creep onto the draft radar, made every significant play to lead Santa Clara to victory. His 23 points mattered. But it was the 18 rebounds that had Dunleavy’s and Lacob’s antennas up. ADVERTISEMENT “Mike and I walked out of the game like, ‘Um, that guy might be a first-round pick,'” Lacob said. Podziemski competed in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend last Friday. He leads all NBA rookies with 14 games of at least 10 points, five rebounds and five assists, making him a clear candidate to finish on the All-Rookie first team. He turns 21 this week, but has already pushed his way past Klay Thompson into the Warriors’ starting and closing lineups, a vital glue piece of head coach Steve Kerr’s favorite five-man group, which has outscored opponents by 57 points in 107 minutes. The relationship between Podziemski and the Warriors can be traced to that February night. That’s when they first began to take Podziemski seriously as a prospect. In the ensuing 12 months — with a bunch of important inflection points along the way — he has won over every level of the organization, most crucially his veteran teammates. Podziemski’s future surfaced recently in the visiting locker room in Salt Lake City. He’s a prototype role player right now, but has dreams of becoming an All-Star. There are roadblocks ahead and limitations to overcome. But anyone who has doubted Podziemski to this point has continually been proven wrong. “The ceiling is high,” Draymond Green said. “He’s still learning. Still figuring s— out. But when you start looking at people who are going to succeed him…” Green points three lockers down. Stephen Curry is getting dressed after torching the Jazz. Curry’s prime may extend until 40. But he turns 36 next month. When Curry is 40, Podziemski will be 25. “It won’t look the same,” Green said. “Totally different. But you’re very comfortable when he’s out there on the court. That says a lot for a rookie on this team — that you feel the amount of comfort you do when he’s out there running the show.” The Warriors’ front office reconnected with Podziemski at the draft combine in Chicago in May. Most top prospects don’t do much court work. He tested out better than expected athletically and was already rising on boards, getting first-round buzz. Some in his position may have skipped the scrimmages. Podziemski didn’t. “I got nothing to hide,” he told the Warriors brass, led by scouting director Larry Harris. Podziemski then went out and crushed the scrimmage portion. His stock spiked again. In-person workouts cranked up. Podziemski traveled the country, intent on impressing. He went to Houston. Chuck Hayes, currently in the Warriors front office, was working for the Rockets at the time. He remembers Podziemski killing the workout while letting the gym know about it. “BP,” Hayes called out before a recent game. “You remember talking trash to John Lucas in the Rockets workout?” “Oh, yeah,” Podziemski replied. Podziemski and Lucas, the former NBA point guard and legendary development coach, were arguing about who was the greatest lefty guard in the building. It was an early peek into the mindset that has earned Podziemski so much respect. “He talk s— all day,” Green said. “That’s all he do.” Podziemski thought he crushed his workout in Miami. He figured the Heat might draft him 18th. They went with Jaime Jaquez Jr., also a Warriors’ favorite. Golden State was up at No. 19. Podziemski thought he fit, but didn’t feel quite as optimistic about how he performed at his group workout in San Francisco. The Warriors were sure. “He was great on the court,” Lacob said. “Like, really good. Clearly the best player in the workout.” The Warriors then brought him into the film room and had him break down two games of tape. They don’t often learn much in these sessions. Podziemski was different. They slowed down some of his pick-and-roll decision-making against Gonzaga and defensive possessions. “He could reference personnel on the other team,” Lacob said. “Names, tendencies, opponent actions. His memory recall was super impressive.” Podziemski popped in the Warriors’ analytics model, put together by their vice president of analytics Pabail Sidhu. They value it with increased frequency. Podziemski’s 8.8 rebounds per game led his conference. That juiced the analytics model. When it was all wrapped together, Podziemski finished top-10 on the front office’s consensus final draft board. “There was a belief that he was clearly a Steve Kerr system fit, but also a consensus belief it was more than that,” Lacob said. “The talent combined with the IQ and the personality was something to bet on.” Cam Whitmore, considered a pre-draft top-five prospect, was still available at 19. So were plenty of other valued players. But the Warriors didn’t flinch. They took Podziemski. It was Dunleavy’s first draft selection as general manager. The room agreed on Podziemski. Green sprained his left ankle just before training camp. He missed about a month. In his ramp-up to return, the Warriors set up a scrimmage in Sacramento the morning of their second game. Podziemski was out of the rotation, so they had him play on Green’s team. They lost the first scrimmage after Green turned it over. “We can’t have a turnover for game!” Podziemski told Green. “You cannot turn the ball over for game.” Green was stunned. They’ve had rookies who barely say a word to him the entire season. “I was like, ‘OK, cool, you got it. No problem,'” Green said. “Here we are playing a pick-up game, a game to get me ready and he’s yelling at me. That to me said a whole lot. I was like, ‘You know what? No problem. But make sure you speak up like that all the time.'” Green and Podziemski high-five during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. (Alonzo Adams / USA Today) The Warriors had an extended stay in Los Angeles during the preseason. They had some workouts on UCLA’s campus. After one practice, the guards set up a King of the Court style one-on-one. Score and stay. Podziemski was up against a group that included Curry and Chris Paul. “We were at UCLA, right?” Paul asked Moses Moody. “When BP beat us in ones. ” “Yes,” Moody responded, grinning at the memory. The rookie was giving it to two of the greatest to ever do it at the point guard position and alerting anyone within earshot of the damage. “He did the Tiger (Woods) fist-pump,” Paul said, shaking his head. “‘Let’s f—g go!'” Curry remembers him taunting. “That was hilarious.” Podziemski’s first NBA taste was bitter. He struggled in summer league, mostly with his jumper and floater. The more he stewed, the more it snowballed. “I had a little bit of doubt after summer league,” Podziemski admitted. “ But the rest of that July period and August and September, I just attacked. I focused on what I needed to work on to be a role player on this team.” Podziemski attended every team workout that Curry, Paul and Green organized across the summer. He was in the team facility on Aug. 1 and a mainstay almost every day after. He entered camp confident he could make some noise, even if most figured he’d spend the majority of the season in Santa Cruz with the Warriors G League affiliate. Kevon Looney remembers the new rookie guard bashing into him and clawing over rebounds. He initially told Podziemski to quit stealing them away. Then he realized it was part of his game and attitude. “I remember in those mini-camps, he’d be grumbling after scrimmages like, ‘ Oh, I’m tired of losing,'” Looney said. “I was like, ‘You should just be happy you’re on the court.’ He’s like, ‘Nah, we gotta figure out a way to win. They need to pass me the ball.’ I’m like, ‘Uhh, I don’t know about that.'” Looney saw a quote from Podziemski soon after the draft that said he wanted to be a triple-double guy. “That’s pretty bold,” Looney said and laughed. “But I know most Wisconsin guards have this crazy confidence to them. (Jordan) Poole. Tyler Herro. He’s got a delusion to him that makes him good.” Podziemski grew up in Milwaukee in what he describes as a “competitive” family where his father, John, and his mother, Barbara West, didn’t allow him to win at anything. He needed to earn it. “From that competitiveness comes confidence,” Podziemski said. “Knowing how much you put into the game, why would you come in here nervous or timid?” Podziemski stays extremely late after games. He strolls around the locker room and converses with anyone in his orbit. He tried to set up an NBA-related quiz after a game early in the season to get some spending money off Thompson and then compared their salaries when Thompson was hesitant. Thompson told him to stop “pocket-watching.” “It’s easier to tame a lion than get a sheep to show some oomph,” Curry said. “The most annoying parts about him are the greatest parts about him. He ’s still coachable. That’s a big part of it. You can say all that stuff but if you can’t accept coaching, that’s where it turns into being counterproductive.” Podziemski trails Curry for postgame workouts and studies what makes him great. He might be the most active member of the team’s group chat, according to Green, and told Green he was coming for him via text messages. “I wouldn’t do this if I were you,” Green warned. “I don’t play fair.” Podziemski then sent a bunch of old photos of Green to the team, the funniest he could find. “He was like: ‘Wham. Wham. Wham,'” Green said of the flood of texts and then remembered he hadn’t retaliated. “I still gotta popcorn his car.” After a low-energy loss to the Heat in late December, a distraught Podziemski went to the podium and blamed himself as the biggest reason for the loss. Anyone who watched the game would’ve placed his decent performance far down the list. Curry went 3 of 15 shooting. Andrew Wiggins was in a slump. Defensive breakdowns were everywhere. But there he was pinning himself as the night’s wrongdoer. “Geez,” Thompson said when he heard about it. “Dramatic, rookie.” Kerr has been most impressed with Podziemski defensively. In camp, they track deflections during scrimmages. Podziemski led the team. That was an early sign. His rebounding numbers translated, which was particularly important for a team that leaned small. The Warriors are the third-best rebounding team in the NBA and Podziemski’s 5.8 rebounds per game in 26 minutes per game rank behind only Green and Looney. He gets on the glass more relentlessly than Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga, their bigger wings. “What this team has lacked, what it lacked last year, he gave us,” Kerr said. “The connection. The connector. The ball-mover. The cutter. There’s a feel and a recognition of what’s happening on the floor that makes him playable in any lineup. He enhances every lineup.” The Warriors nearly blew a huge lead to the Spurs in late November. They won, but it was a bad overall performance and Podziemski’s first real stinker. He missed all five of his shots. Kerr entered the locker room postgame expecting the team to be down and Podziemski to be in hiding. “I would have been holed up in my apartment for three days wondering if I’d ever make a shot again,” Kerr said of his younger self. “But I went in there and he was the most upbeat guy. I loved it. Because when you play poorly and still can bring team energy and maintain confidence and swagger, that’s a great sign.” One of the more consequential plays of the Warriors’ season so far came in Portland in mid-December. They entered a wobbly 11-14, needing desperately to beat a bad Trail Blazers team. But Curry struggled and they were having a tough time putting the win away. Curry missed a free throw with four seconds left. The Blazers, down two, didn ’t call timeout. Shaedon Sharpe pushed the ball upcourt in a scramble drill. He had what appeared to be a path to the rim to tie it. But Podziemski stepped in front and took a game-winning charge. Here’s the possession: That was Podziemski’s 11th charge drawn. It has become his signature defensive move. He has drawn 27 this season, which leads the NBA. He tracks the leaderboard, knew who led the NBA in that category last season (Oklahoma City’s Jaylin Williams) and even mentions some of the greatest charge-takers in recent history when discussing it. When discussing Podziemski’s defensive upside, Kerr compared him to Austin Reaves of the Lakers. “Like when I coached Austin this past summer, what stood out to me most is just that there’s zero fear defensively. And he’s strong as s—. That’s what they have in common. They’re very similar (in) size. Six-four and really physically strong. That’s what you need, I think, in today’s game. The guys who struggle defensively are the guys who aren’t physically strong. If you’re going to be on the small side, you’ve got to be strong,” Kerr said. Podziemski has, in a roundabout way, compared himself to Gary Payton II and Draymond Green this season, overly ambitious on its face but Payton and Green seem to understand the general point. He sees the floor and the patterns and has an appetite for disruption like both of them. But that comes with a downside. He roams. “He gambles way too much,” Kerr said. “That’s great except we really only need one guy (Draymond) doing that. If you have two guys doing that, the defense will be screwed up. But I’ll take that any day over the guy who isn’ t aware. The guy who isn’t aware is standing on the weak side while the guy is laying it in. He’s the opposite. He sees every cutter. He’s trying to help on everything. We just have to help him streamline and help him understand his job isn’t to do everyone else’s job.” Adds Green: “He gets lost sometimes. But the reality is I used to get lost all the time. People may not remember, but they couldn’t play me on shooters for a long time. It’d be like we’re playing the Pelicans, I’d guard Anthony Davis. Then they’d switch Ryan Anderson or Nikola Mirotic and they’d be like: ‘We got to get Draymond out of the game.’” Podziemski strayed too far off Jordan Clarkson during a recent game against the Jazz and learned the lesson on the bench from Payton, another high-risk gambler. “He sees what Draymond does and tries to mimic it,” Payton said. “But I told him when you’re guarding a problem like Clarkson, you can’t roam as much as you’d like. Because it’s a swing, swing, high percentage catch-and-shoot. It’s all a feel.” On the other end of the floor, Podziemski is a low-risk playmaker. In February, he has 52 assists and nine turnovers. In January, he had 41 assists and 12 turnovers. He had a 27-assist, 0-turnover four-game stretch recently that broke rookie records. But his ultimate upside will be determined as a scorer. Podziemski’s shot diet is limited to 3s, floaters, sweeping hooks and sneaky layups. He stays out of the midrange and doesn’t live above the rim. He struggled with his 3 for some of the season but has made 12 of his last 19 to up his season percentage to 38.5 percent. He has scored in double-figures in 28 games this season, sixth-most among rookies, and hit 20 four times. If that can become a regular benchmark as he nears his prime, the ceiling will continue to rise. “I want to be an All-Star,” Podziemski said. “You know, Jonathan has taken that next step of really being in that conversation. To see his growth just this year has been pretty special. So going into the summer after this year elevating my game to another level, doing the things that I’m deficient in now and making them as efficient as possible, I think I can get there. I’m never gonna just settle for being a role player, especially after my first year. I got a long career ahead of me.“ (Photo illustration: Rachel Orr / The Athletic; photo: Brian Babineau / NBAE via Getty Images) ※ 編輯: waderu (180.217.249.210 臺灣), 05/21/2024 16:34:35