Brandin Podziemski established himself as a present and long-term fixture with the Golden State Warriors barely halfway through his NBA debut. Now entrenched as a starter for one of the league’s hottest teams, the No. 19 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft is a shoo-in for All-Rookie honors this season, with a legitimate case for joining the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren on the First Team.

But just because Podziemski’s rookie campaign has been such a revelation hardly means it’s been perfect. Billed as a knockdown three-point shooter coming out of Santa Clara, the southpaw guard is at 36.6% on triples entering Wednesday’s matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks, right in line with league average. Podziemski has shot just 31.9% from deep since the calendar flipped to 2024, though, including a four-game stretch in mid-February when combined to go 12-of-19 on three-pointers.

Asked Tuesday how comfortable he is launching from the NBA line as the stretch run of his rookie season dawns, Podziemski projected typical confidence, noting he’s learned to impact the game offensively whether or not his shot is falling.

“Very comfortable. Obviously my percentages aren’t where I’d like them to be,” he told ClutchPoints. “But I just try to read what the game calls for. If it calls for me to take the shot, I’m gonna shoot it. If not, I’m gonna try to get something better for my teammates. I think that’s kinda where I’ve grown in that area. To start, I was maybe a little bit passive. Now I’m just doing what the game calls for, and I think it’s led to success on the floor because I’m just trying to make the right play.”

Why Brandin Podziemski’s three-point shooting looms so large for Warriors

It’s a major testament to Podziemski’s two-way feel and processing speed he’s already carved out a lasting niche with the Dubs despite failing to live up to pre-draft expectations as a three-point shooter.

He splashed 43.8% of his long balls last year in college, but was clearly still adjusting to the length of the NBA line at Las Vegas Summer League in July. Podziemski’s hit only 33.3% of his “wide open” threes with the Warriors, per NBA.com/stats, the shot type that accounts for nearly three-quarters of his total attempts from deep. A silver lining in his advanced long-range shooting splits? Podziemski has connected on 20-of-44 pull-up three-point attempts, a small sample size that nevertheless hints at the near-elite shotmaking potential he showed at Santa Clara.

Podziemski will play a decade or more of high-level rotation minutes in the league even if his jumper never improves. He’s at least been a credible three-point shooter so far, with opponents reacting accordingly. It’s not like Podziemski’s average accuracy and volume is an active hindrance to Golden State’s offense, defenders shrinking the floor and daring him to shoot like they do Draymond Green, Gary Payton II and even Jonathan Kuminga.

But Podziemski will only scrape his ultimate ceiling if he becomes the type of knockdown shooter who commands hard close-outs and constant attention from defenses. The 21-year-old has creased the paint with semi-regularity in his first NBA go-around despite limited burst and wiggle off the bounce. Just imagine how much more dangerous he’ll be as a driver and playmaker once Podziemski drains more of his catch-and-shoot threes, ups his frequency on pull-up tries and learns to let fly from varied platforms while sprinting around screens.

That pivotal development, unfortunately for the Dubs, surely won’t come to pass before the end of 2023-24. Given his collegiate track record, obvious touch and unimpeachable work ethic, though, it could just be a full offseason’s worth of training until Podziemski cements himself as a court-shifting three-point shooter.