Young guard made for increased pressure following Warriors controversial trade stance
The Golden State Warriors hopes of trading for Lauri Markkanen seemingly met its end on Tuesday, with The Athletic reporting that the 2023 All-Star will renegotiate and extend his contract with the Utah Jazz.
Per the report, "Utah wanted Brandin Podziemski in any theoretical deal", only for the Warriors to be protective of the second-year guard and instead center their offer around Moses Moody and a haul of future picks.
Brandin Podziemski's attitude suggests he can rise to increased pressure that will be placed upon him by Golden State Warriors fans next season
Whether right or wrong, Golden State's unwillingness to include Podziemski in a deal for Markkanen will shine a major focus on the 21-year-old entering next season. Last year's 19th overall pick had a 'honeymoon' phase of sorts in his rookie campaign, completely outperforming expectations that weren't overly high to begin with.
That won't be the case for Podziemski in year two. His play will be constantly scrutinized in relation to what the Warriors could have had in Markkanen, while the team's performance will also play a major role in the same discussion. Again, that's not toally fair by any means, but it's the reality of what will take place.
Fortunately for Podziemski and Golden State fans, he appears made of the right stuff to not handle the pressure and take it in his stride, but to actually thrive with the spotlight further placed upon him. Ever since a freshman season with Illinois in 2021-22, Podziemski has constantly exceeded expectations that saw him shine with Santa Clara, develop into a first-round pick, then become one of the Warriors most valuable players almost immediately.
This will be a whole new level. He and the franchise believe he can develop into an All-Star -- they've said that publicly and also acted in that manner during trade discussions. Not only is their the pressure to now reach that level, but also to do so in a timeframe that aligns with the franchise's greatest ever player in Stephen Curry.
The fact Podziemski hasn't shied away from the trade discussions shows you he can be up to the task. In a recent interview on The Dinner Table, he acknowledged his presence in the Markkanen trade discussions, stating, "if the trade doesn’t go through and I’m still here, to have a good second year and be like, ‘Good thing we didn’t trade him,’ would be cool for me.”
There won't be a lack of opportunity for Podziemski either, with the All-Rookie First Team member slated to start in the back court alongside Curry, and also take the point guard duties when the 2x MVP is off the floor. This moment could prove a defining one for the Warriors in either direction, but we already know Podziemski will do all he can to ensure he repays the faith shown in him by the franchise.