What Podz told TJD after he was snubbed from NBA All-Rookie snub

What Podz told TJD after he was snubbed from NBA All-Rookie snub originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Brandin Podziemski is a very considerate teammate.

After being named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team on Monday, the Santa Clara product contacted Warriors teammate Trayce Jackson-Davis to motivate him after he was snubbed.

In talking to 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs” on Tuesday, the versatile guard revealed what he recently told the high-flying big man after the rookie teams were announced.

“I mean, he knows it,” Podziemski told Mark Willard and Dan Dibley about Jackson-Davis' snub. “I don't got to say anything to him. And I said yesterday in my press conference that knowing him and knowing what he's about and what he stands for [and] what he wants for himself, he's just going to use it as motivation to be that much better.

“To be honest, I kind of just gave him the flip of the coin a bit and told him, ‘Hey, you know the [2024 NBA] All-Star Game is here next year. I think me and you both can be on the Rising Stars Team together and win. That'd be super cool, especially with it being in San Francisco.’ So, just kind of look at it from a different perspective. But he knows he should've made it. We all know he should've made it.”

Podziemski was honored after averaging 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 26.6 minutes over 74 games during the 2023-24 NBA regular season. Meanwhile, Jackson-Davis wasn’t after averaging 7.9 points, 5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 16.6 minutes over 68 games -- not even a poster on San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama could convince voters.

Nevertheless, the 21-year-old guard raised a good point about the Warriors hosting the 2025 NBA All-Star weekend in San Francisco. If things go according to Podziemski’s plan, the duo can compete in the Rising Stars Game together.

With Draymond Green missing games due to multiple suspensions, Jackson-Davis was a big part of Golden State’s turnaround in which the Warriors finished 46-36 after a season-ending 27-13 stretch.

As Podziemski notes, while the voters might have had unfavorable takes on Jackson-Davis’ body of work, many in the NBA know what the 24-year-old is capable of.

“You ask a lot of people in the NBA,” Podziemski stressed, “they would say he should've made it, too, just based on his impact, how much he helped us win in the second half of the season and doing that in such a short amount of time. Then, [he] ended up starting with the best group we had out there. So, it was pretty impressive, at least, from my perspective.”

Jackson-Davis, like Podziemski, emerged in coach Steve Kerr’s starting five later in the season -- historically, not an easy feat for rookies.

First-team-caliber rookie or not, Golden State and its fans know Jackson-Davis’ worth and how integral he is to the success of the Warriors.

The Indiana product surely has accolades in his future, and Podziemski seemingly will have his back on the journey.

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