2023 Prospect Spotlight: Brandin Podziemski

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A sleeper pick, he may not be worth a top-15 selection, but could be a useful rotation player all the same.

Brandin Podziemski, 20, 6-5 So. SG, Santa Clara

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A transfer who hardly played his freshman season for Illinois, Podziemski blew up in the WCC for mid-major Santa Clara. He profiles as an all-offense, no-defense guy whose success will likely be determined by whether he can kinda sorta hold his own on defense or whether he’ll just be totally eviscerated.

There are definite shortcomings here, although you won’t find them in the stats — Podziemski’s rates of steals, blocks and rebounds actually compare quite well with players of far greater pedigree. The tape doesn’t lie, however: Blow-bys were common, and Podziemski will be giving up inches to virtually any wing he checks (I think his listing at 6-5 will be proven generous). The shred of good news is that he does have some late closing ability to rise up and contest or block shots from behind.

Offensively, however, Podziemski can shine as a secondary creator. The lefty is a deadly 3-point shooter (43.8 percent this past season); that may be a slight outlier based on his 77.1 percent free-throw mark, but the eye test is that he is a money shooter reminiscent of Luke Kennard. Podziemski also is a good passer off the dribble who can function in secondary pick-and-rolls.

A guy like this won’t make it without at least one magic trick up his sleeve, and Podziemski has it: an unworldly floater game, perhaps the best of any draft prospect since Trae Young. He launches them from different angles and approaches, needing little room to unleash glorious parabolas that softly splash through the net on angel’s wings; if he outperforms, this part of his game will likely be a huge piece.

The Athletic

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Branden Podziemski (Santa Clara, PG/SG, Sophomore)

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While Podziemski has shed the sleeper label, some teams hoped that he wouldn't scrimmage and increase his chances of moving up boards. There are others who want more proof that the Santa Clara sophomore can light up a floor full of second-round prospects. An ultra efficient 60.2 true shooting percentage should help validate the 19.9 points per game that were generated off advanced creation, touch and shot-making. His 8.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game can also alleviate concerns over his frame and defense.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

Dude looks like a cross between Jack Harlow and Aaron Taylor Johnson.

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[Jamaaliver]

Not sure he's a star or if he can play with Trae long term, but he seems like a solid rotation player from pretty early on and could be a valuable trade chip sooner than later.

Stock Up, Stock Down After NBA Draft Combine

Brandin Podziemski (PG/SG, Sophomore)

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Stock report: Increasing first-round suitors

The highest-ranked/projected prospect to scrimmage on B/R's big board (No. 18) and mock draft (No. 20), Brandin Podziemski made even more fans in Chicago with his participation, game mentality and athletic testing.

Executives and scouts both took notice to the mature approach he took during games, when he played in control, made the right decisons and defended.

On Wednesday, he put a clear emphasis on trying to showcase his playmaking and ability to play point guard, and he did successfully, finishing with eight assists (zero turnovers) off a mix of basic reads and higher-IQ passes.

The 19.9-point-per-game weapon at Santa Clara opted not to shot-hunt, but still managed to bury a pair of threes and sink his signature, high-arching floater during Game 1.

While rebounding rarely make the scouting report for a guard, Podziemski, the WCC's leader at 8.8 per game, showed a clear knack for tracking down misses, using his 39" max vertical and aggression to go up and snatch boards above traffic.

Scouts and executives only had positive feedback throughout the week, and interest appears to be snowballing. Just reading the gym, it sounds like Podziemski will be in play for teams starting in the late teens and early 20s.

[King Ken]

This is my guy at 15.

[King Ken]

Dude looks like a cross between Jack Harlow and Aaron Taylor Johnson.

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I know he's far away from this as Brunson as a prospect was far away from what he is now but man, I get Brunson vibes

[Jamaaliver]

I know he's far away from this as Brunson as a prospect was far away from what he is now but man, I get Brunson vibes

It's that footwork.

Hard to believe the kid couldn't get any burn as a freshman at U of Illinois.

[Jamaaliver]

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The Brandin Podziemski question

Brandin Podziemski | 6-5 guard | Santa Clara | No. 45

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A draft darling who excited public evaluators throughout the season, Podziemski was a tale of extremes at the combine. On one hand, he tested better than expected with a 39-inch vertical leap that got some attention. On the other hand, he measured with just an 8-0 1/2 standing reach that gave evaluators real pause about his potential to defend. In the first combine game, he produced a near masterpiece, scoring 10 points, dishing out seven assists and grabbing eight rebounds. In the second game, he was completely invisible. Where does this leave him?

Podziemski is polarizing, which is unsurprising given his journey. His counting stats of 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists are outstanding. He’s a great shooter and hit 43.8 percent of his 3s this past season. On the surface, those are high-end numbers, but if you dig deeper, his numbers tanked against quality competition. In his six Tier A games, per KenPom, Podziemski had just a 53.8 true shooting percentage and saw his rebounding rate and assist rate drop by about 25 percent. In the five games he played against top-50 KenPom defenses, he averaged just 13.2 points and 5.2 rebounds.

As you can probably guess, I’m lower on Podziemski than the average evaluator. I really struggle to see how he’s going to defend effectively without much in the way of quickness or height.

The Athletic

Brandin Podziemski, 20, 6-5 So. SG, Santa Clara

Watch on YouTube

A transfer who hardly played his freshman season for Illinois, Podziemski blew up in the WCC for mid-major Santa Clara. He profiles as an all-offense, no-defense guy whose success will likely be determined by whether he can kinda sorta hold his own on defense or whether he’ll just be totally eviscerated.

There are definite shortcomings here, although you won’t find them in the stats — Podziemski’s rates of steals, blocks and rebounds actually compare quite well with players of far greater pedigree. The tape doesn’t lie, however: Blow-bys were common, and Podziemski will be giving up inches to virtually any wing he checks (I think his listing at 6-5 will be proven generous). The shred of good news is that he does have some late closing ability to rise up and contest or block shots from behind.

Offensively, however, Podziemski can shine as a secondary creator. The lefty is a deadly 3-point shooter (43.8 percent this past season); that may be a slight outlier based on his 77.1 percent free-throw mark, but the eye test is that he is a money shooter reminiscent of Luke Kennard. Podziemski also is a good passer off the dribble who can function in secondary pick-and-rolls.

A guy like this won’t make it without at least one magic trick up his sleeve, and Podziemski has it: an unworldly floater game, perhaps the best of any draft prospect since Trae Young. He launches them from different angles and approaches, needing little room to unleash glorious parabolas that softly splash through the net on angel’s wings; if he outperforms, this part of his game will likely be a huge piece.

The Athletic

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