One of the draft prospect risers with his excellent draft combine performance, Brandin Podziemski's rise could resemble what Jalen Williams' rise was. I am growing more of a liking to his offensive skillset. He has one signature move from the tape that I have seen: a left foot jab into an immediate three. The second year guard from Santa Clara was known in this college season as one of the nicest surprises, particularly with his improvement from three, where he shot 43.8%, a 20.7% improvement from his freshman season. He was a big fan of the wings where, in that 23-25 foot range, shot 54%. I found him to be excellent from three as a catch-and-shoot and off-the-dribble shooter, where he was in the 85th and 82nd percentile, respectively. The mechanics as a shooter are also excellent, and I think that will be his best trait he has to offer for any team. He was a good rebounder for his position (being a 6'5" combo guard helped him out in that department), and I also really liked his vision. He only averaged 3.7 assists per game, but I think he really excelled with the pocket passes he demonstrated, particularly with his big men. I liked his willingness to get his center involved and develop a rapport, and I think that will be his most useful trait as a playmaker. I am not entirely sold on his defense. I thought he was slow on recovering from pick-and-rolls, and I also did not like how often he put his hand on his opponent's hips, which is something that all NBA players take advantage of to get the foul calls they crave. I did like his contests, even with his shorter arms (only a near 6'6" wingspan) and he has an excellent motor. His activity on the defensive end, just running around, led to plenty of deflections on his part, and I think that is how will become an irritant defensively at the next level. His instincts are not the greatest, but there was flashes of feeling out the opposing team's plays that could be tapped into a little more. I thought his lateral quickness was not the quickest and is more of a defender who uses his body more so than the tools. Again, not sold on his defense, but the motor, hustle and willingness to do dirty work (diving for loose balls, etc.) could make him a team neutral defender. There are certainly flaws, and a lot of his rise on draft boards are based on his combine performance, but it is not a performance to look off. He is a legit player with NBA talent, and if his playmaking and shot creating abilities can be tapped into a little more, he will be a great starter in the league.
Player Comparison: Shades of Luke Kennard and Tyler Herro
Projected Draft Position: Picks 15-30
Best Fits: Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers
