Draymond issues passionate defense of Warriors teammate Podziemski originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Draymond Green has an explanation for That of Brandin Pod Ziemia is struggling this season.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday after the The 120-97 victory of warriors over the Atlanta Hawks, Green offered his thoughts on the struggles of the second-year pro.
“What he’s trying to work out is it’s all your fault,” Green said, referring to the media. “…It’s hard, and I’m not saying this from experience myself, I’m saying this from experience watching people, it’s hard to have a great rookie season and come back having a good sophomore year or better. It is difficult.
“That’s why you always heard about the sophomore decline. It’s a very difficult thing to do, and I think for him, he just put so much pressure on himself or the player that he wants to be or that he thinks he should be, and that’s unnecessary, because that, what he specializes in is doing everything. the other things on the floor and when you put pressure on yourself like ‘I have to make this shot,’ but there are some guys who have that pressure and have to because that’s what they do. If you don’t have to have that pressure, and I say this from experience, don’t put pressure on yourself.”
Draymond Green continued Brandin Podziemski’s shooting struggles and the pressure he puts on himself.
“What he’s trying to work out is the fault of all of you.”
“I say this because I hope he will hear it.”
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– Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 21, 2024
While Podziemski excelled in his first season, winning an NBA title All-Rookie Honors, the 21-year-old struggled mightily in offense 13 games into the season. Podziemski is averaging 7.8 points per game while shooting 38 percent from the field and an underwhelming 19.1 percent from 3-point range.
Green was quick to offer his mentorship, explaining how the rest of the Warriors know this Podziemski will turn things around around at last.
“Me and Steph [Curry] talk to him every day, like ‘Who cares, miss seven [shots]nobody cares but you,” Green told reporters. “How are you the only person who thinks about the shots you miss.” No one else thinks about it, but he puts this pressure on himself about what he has to be and every shot means so much.
“It’s a mild Wednesday in November, that shot doesn’t mean that much. But he carries that weight, and I think anybody who carries that kind of weight in anything, it affects you negatively. And I hate that for him, and so that’s something we tried to talk to him about. Like, stop reacting to everything that goes wrong for you. No one cares but you. No one else.
“You almost want to tell him, ‘Shut up, man!’ Because again, none of us think like that … when the speed you bring to the floor, the breaks you get, the steals you get on the weak side of the rotation, the charges you take, those are all great things. So if the one thing you struggle with is your shot, but you do five or six other things great, I think that’s going to trump your shot. And he should appreciate that. If he leans into that, the shots will fall.”
While the Warriors (11-3) are off to a strong start, the team will need Podziemski to find his shot as injuries pile up and the grind of the NBA season takes its toll. For Golden State to stay in the hunt for the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed, its bench will need to start shouldering more of the offensive load.
Expecting Curry to score at will in every game is not realistic. Given the depth of the reserves, which is on pace to win the most bench points in NBA history, it doesn’t fall entirely on the 21-year-old to win.
With such strong mentors backing him, Podziemski should get his shot back at some point this season and break out of this slump.
