“Cocky,” This is how Steve Kerr described his reserve guard’s confidence in a positive light. It was evident the Warriors began scouting for their next stars when the team roped in Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis. Especially with BP, the rookie showed signs of leadership with brimming confidence early in his career. While his impact on the offensive end was enormous, the rising star seemed to have lost his rhythm this season. In looking for his groove back, Podz reflected on his mental health journey amid trade rumors.

Indeed, it’s not a straightforward task to stay on top of the game all the time. That’s a law of nature. Even mighty LeBron James has had his slump. The Dubs sophomore had a decent rookie season, starting 28 games with shooting FG of 45.4% and 38.5% from the deep, but had a nasty crash. The numbers went so low. Currently, 17 games into the season, he has shot with a worrying FG of 37.0% and 19.7% from the deep.

Before realizing it was a mental block, Brandin Podziemski had it tough. In his latest interview with the NY Times, he added, “I think I’ve let the mental piece of it get to me a little bit… Early on, when I was struggling, the first five, 10 games, I thought it was more physical. Like maybe I wasn’t putting enough into it.” However, it wasn’t until he chatted with the team’s mental coach, Dr. Graig Chow, that the star put himself on the track to recovery.

Now, with much more clarity, Podz revealed his inner demon. The 21-year-old said, “I think my biggest struggle is like always wanting more and always wanting to achieve more.” However, the star realized he had a long way to go in his career. He added, “A young guy that’s confident and wants to succeed so bad, you tend to want more than maybe what you’re capable of.”

While Podz fights his inner demons, will he evade the trade rumors?

Steve Kerr dropped his say on the Brandin Podziemski trade rumors

The Golden State Warriors went off to a flying start to the season, flexing its 12-man deep roster. However, the team began to face issues when the injuries kicked in. When Stephen Curry and De’Anthony Melton missed games on a rotational basis early on, the team still managed to rack up wins. However, the real issue chimed in when Jonathan Kuminga joined the list.

Brandin Podziemski’s uneven performance came to light. Especially, the rising star’s shooting performance from the deep left everyone disappointed. On Wednesday, the team recorded its longest losing streak of three straight losses. Amid this situation, BP’s name often emerged in the NBA world’s trade rumors.

Nevertheless, everything vanished into thin air when Steve Kerr expressed how important Podz was to the Warriors roster hilariously. Kerr said, “It’s a frequent sight. I mean, he literally sticks his nose in there on every play. That’s why we love him. He’s so tough and physical, takes charges, he’s always battling for rebound, so he frequently gets hit in there,” in a presser.

While the coach himself has revealed the reason to love the up-and-coming guard, the star might stick around the fold for the years to come. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.