Interaction with fiery teammate a perfect illustration of Warriors' rookie's fearless nature

One year ago many NBA fans wouldn't have even known the name Brandin Podziemski. Now, the 20-year-old is the starting shooting-guard for the Golden State Warriors, and has been in the top handful of most impressive rookies this season.

It's been a startling rise for Podziemski who two seasons ago averaged just 4.3 minutes per game in his freshman season at Illinois. Compare that to his last 10 games with the Warriors where he's averaged over 33 minutes for a team who still holds championship ambitions, and who has gone 8-2 during that stretch. One has to wonder how this has possibly came about?

Brandin Podziemski's commitment to improvement and winning has been the backbone of his rapid rise at the Golden State Warriors

Fortunately, fans were given an insight to Podziemski's ascension in a detailed report from The Athletic's Anthony Slater on Tuesday. Within it, wild stories from teammates that provide a vision into the young guard's almost-manic determination.

The most notable story came from an interaction between Podziemski and veteran teammate Draymond Green, with the youngster yelling at the 33-year-old after he turned the ball over in a scrimmage at the start of the season.

Rookies going at vets may be an unwise move at the best of times, but did Podziemski not realize that just over 12 months earlier, Green had king hit another young teammate in Jordan Poole? We can only assume he did realize yet simply didn't care, such is his appetite for winning.

Another veteran teammate, Kevon Looney, recounted how Podziemski would grumble after scrimmages because he was tired of losing. Remember, this was all happening before the 19th overall pick even stepped foot on an NBA floor.

Looney was quoted as saying, "he's got a delusion that makes him good," which might perfectly sum up Podziemski's attitude. Stephen Curry also stated, “It’s easier to tame a lion than get a sheep to show some oomph."

But can Podziemski actually be tamed? He's coachable no doubt, and by all reports his thirst for knowledge and improvement knows no bounds. It's this that's helped him completely defy all expectations.

What odds would you have gotten for Podziemski to have taken the starting two-guard spot from a franchise legend in Klay Thompson before the All-Star break? You probably would have got good odds just for him to be in the rotation, let alone seizing a starting spot from a five-time All-Star.

It's this meteoric rise that makes it so hard to predict where Podziemski will end up in six months, a year, five years, 10 years etc. How can you possibly place an expectation on someone who's continually showing that all they'll do is smash through the pre-conceived ideas placed upon them?