Brandin Podziemski hopes that he will be a part of that core team after impressing in his rookie campaign. While he wasn’t a prominent part of the Warriors rotation this season, he believes that he’s done enough to warrant a spot among the top rookies of the 2023 class.

Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski believes he should be in the 2024 All-Rookie first team

Podziemski was drafted 19th overall in the 2023 Draft, but nobody believed that he would become an instant contributor to a Warriors team that looked to make a deep run in the playoffs.

However, his production throughout his debut NBA campaign would leave even his loudest doubters impressed. The 21-year-old forced his way into Steve Kerr’s rotation, winning an average of 26.6 minutes a game. With that amount of playing time, he managed to put up an impressive stat line of 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 45.4% shooting on the floor and 38.5% from long range.

He talked about why he and Trayce Jackson-Davis, who also became a surprising contributor to the Dubs, deserve to be in the All-Rookie first team.

Per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson:

“It does to me,” Podziemski said to NBC Sports Bay Area when asked if the All-Rookie team matters to him. “I think me and Trayce should both be on the All-Rookie team, whether that’s first or second. I think I should be first team.”

“I don’t know how they look at it – if it’s numbers based, if it’s wins based, if you’re impacting the team,” Podziemski said. “All in all, if you look at the top-five rookies I think I’m in that category, just based on what I bring on a daily basis, who I have around me, what kind of team I’m playing on, my usages.

“Because I feel like If I was in some of the other rookie’s situations … I’m still putting up more numbers too.”

Podziemski is a blessing for a team that desperately needs an influx of confidence. Regardless of how the Golden State Warriors would look like next season, fans would feel comfortable knowing that they have a good group of guys donning their jerseys.