“That Step 3 Was Nasty”: Warriors’ Fans Left In Awe Over 20YO Brandin Podziemski’s Christmas Day Spectacle vs Nuggets

The Golden State Warriors were scrambling for a win when they were hit with Draymond Green‘s indefinite suspension. However, in these tough times, it’s the young core of the Warriors that stepped up. The Warriors have fared significantly better since Steve Kerr decided to give more minutes to the rookie players. Among them, the one that stood out the most to the Dub Nation is rookie Brandin Podziemski.

As the Warriors duke it out with the reigning champions, the Denver Nuggets, in the second marquee matchup of the NBA Christmas Day slate, he once again left the fans stunned with his heroics.

Podziemski’s first-quarter heroics leave NBA fans stunned

In the first quarter, the Warriors were trailing by nine points (17-26) when the 20-year-old hit a step-back three-pointer to close the gap to six points. By the end of the first quarter, the Warriors had narrowed it down to 3 points, thanks to Podziemski’s steal with 30 seconds left in the first quarter. This caught the attention of fans, who took to social media to heap praise on the young star. One fan referred to his first three-pointer of the game and wrote, “That step 3 was nasty.”

Another fan was so in awe of the Santa Clara alum that he couldn’t help but say, “Podziemski the greatest i’ve ever seen.”

Another one wrote, “not even joking., he might be an all star in his 2nd or 3rd season if he keeps improving. the only thing keeping him from averaging 20 is the ammount of shots he gets.”

One fan dubbed him the Golden State’s future cornerstone, stating, “he’s the future of the franchise dunleavy cooked.”

One of them praised his skill set, saying, “The rookie is extraordinary.”

However, his journey to success was not smooth sailing. Just hours before the Christmas clash against the Nuggets, the rookie reflected on his journey to stardom.

Brandin Podziemski’s journey to rising NBA stardom

Two years ago, the 19th overall pick in the NBA draft was battling challenging times while vying for playing minutes at the University of Illinois, then transferring to Santa Clara University. However, within that time, he was selected by the Golden State Warriors as the 19th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. However, this was just the beginning.

From being unable to crack coach Steve Kerr’s rotation to securing a spot in the starting lineup – something that is rare in Golden State’s system – Brandin came a long way. The rookie has now sneaked his way into the star-studded Christmas Day game. Everything that unfolded stands as a testament to his unyielding dedication and relentless hard work.

Read More: “We Belong”: Brandin Podziemski Opens up on Changing the Narrative in Warriors Camp With TJD

Therefore, he eloquently wrote in a tweet, “2 years ago at this time I had 17 DNP and only played garbage time, 1 year ago at this time I wasn’t on any draft boards, 5 months ago all I heard was that I was bust. Started the year out of the rotation and now I’m starting for the best franchise in the NBA! #ificandoityoucan2.”

What are your thoughts on Podziemski’s performance thus far? Let us know in the comments!

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