“Face of the Franchise”: 21YO Warriors Rookie Sets Bold Goal After First Major Career Honor

Only one season in and Brandin Podziemski is enjoying his ‘I told you so’ moment. Everything he said at his Combine is turning into a self-fulfilling prophecy. After becoming one of the ROTY finalists, the Warriors youngster now joins Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren in the All-Rookie First Team. Is that enough for the Dubs’ newest powerhouse? Not even the slightest. He’s ready to be at the forefront of an entire NBA generation, something he admitted on Willard and Dibs’ podcast.

“I’m never just satisfied with where I’m at and what I’ve done. So as crazy as that may sound, putting 1st Team All-Rookie in the rearview. Winning Most Improved, being an All-Star, trying to be a face of the franchise is what I’m looking forward to,” Podziemski said. He is, after all, the 19th player in the Golden State Warriors to earn the honor.

The long list includes the likes of Tim Hardaway, Chris Webber, and his current teammates Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Splash Brothers would go on to win their Championships and awards and make All-Star appearances, and at least Steph has the credentials to be one of the faces of the league. That’s a good trajectory Brandin Podziemski has set himself for.

While he had boundless potential, no one could predict Podziemski would be that good except himself. “I told every team that interviewed me at the combine [going into last year’s draft] when they do a re-draft, I’d be top-5. Being 1st Team All-Rookie signifies that.” Notably, he’s got the numbers to back it up.

His freshman year is looking a lot like a breakout season where he averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 26.6 minutes per game over 74 appearances (28 starts).

While Wemby snagged the unanimous ROTY vote, it’s a huge deal for Brandin Podziemski to be a finalist. After The Chef and The Klaw, he could be the next 3-point contest winner given he ranked third in 3-point field goal percentage, while also ranking fifth in assists, sixth in rebounds, eighth in minutes, and 10th in both scoring and steals, among all rookies. Someone already sees greatness in Podziemski’s future.

Big plans for Brandin Podziemski’s future

Steve Nash has two MVP wins, eight All-Star appearances, and three First-Team selections. But his connection to Podziemski is Santa Clara University. He was the proudest alumni to see Podziemski succeed. He posted a video sending sincere congratulations to him along with, “Can’t wait to watch the rest of your career.” 

He’s got major plans for that. Individual accolades aren’t the only things on his checklist. After the Dubs fell short in the play-in tournament, he told Willard and Dibs, “I expect myself to never not make the playoffs again in my career.”

The best game of Brandin Podziemski’s rookie season is most likely the away one against the Bucks. The youngster managed to score 23 points with a stunning 10-14 from the field and 3-5 three-pointers. We’ll have to keep an eye on him next season.

Either way, it’s obvious the Warriors have a strong contender for ‘the face’ of the franchise.