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Brandin Podziemski has become incredibly important to the Golden State Warriors since being drafted. But his 3-point percentage of 19.1 so far this season is one of several glaring issues with the Warriors’ shooting. The team ruled Podziemski out ahead of Golden State’s game highly-anticipated game against Boston because of a mystery illness.
Podziemski told reporters, including The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, on Monday that the team does not yet know what exactly he experienced, or what the cause of it was.
“We didn’t figure out (what it is),” Podziemski said. “We’re still trying to figure it out right now.”
Podziemski also revealed that he had a meeting with both head coach Steve Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. in which the three discussed his early-season struggles. He shared the message he received from the two members of the Warriors’ strategic brain trust with the media, as well.
“Come out and be myself and the best version of me,” Podziemski said. “Not try to play for everybody else. Understand what I bring to the table.”
The Warriors just want Brandin Podziemski to be himself
Podziemski made the 2023-24 NBA All-Rookie First Team after an impressive debut season. Averaging 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game got him fifth place in the Rookie of the Year race. But this season, Podziemski is struggling to shoot at the rate his team knows he can. He’s nine of his 47 on his 3-point attempts. As a rookie, he made 10 times as many 3-pointers in only five times the attempts. Or more simply put, he shot twice as well.
He got off to an unfortunate start to the 2024-25 season, breaking his nose late in the preseason. And regardless of what the aforementioned mystery illness was, it doesn’t seem like something that has helped the second-year guard settle in. Sophomore slumps are common across all sports but typically do not include medical inconveniences.
Regardless of the causes, the Warriors understand the situation. Kerr told reporters after the Warriors’ Monday night loss to the Los Angeles Clippers that it’s clear Podziemski is in a slump.
“He’s not shooting the ball with much confidence right now,” the coach said. “That’s obvious. It’s part of being in the NBA. Everyone goes through stretches where you don’t quite feel it. The way he shot it at the end of last year, all summer, watching him in camp, he’s a really good shooter. He’ll find it.”
When Klay Thompson put pen to paper last offseason, the Warriors knew their shooting would have to improve elsewhere. Podziemski is taking about 22% more shots per game from behind the 3-point arc than he did in his rookie year. But the rate at which he makes his 3-pointers legitimately being half of what it was last year isn’t just growing pains.
Podziemski was taken 19th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft and burst onto the scene with his polished, decisive play and ability to shoot the ball off the bench for the Warriors. And Kerr and Dunleavy Jr. apparently made clear in their meeting with the young guard that his best path is playing like Brandin Podziemski.
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‘Wants to end up in Boston’… Celtics still favorites to sign breakout star who will snub ‘last resort’
With training camps approaching in one month, the Boston Celtics could add an interesting player to their roster. This addition would provide depth to their center rotation, which remains a significant hole they need to address. Currently, the Boston Celtics’ center rotation includes Xavier Tillman, Luka Garza, and Neemias Queta. All three players either lack experience or consistent production, and none match the quality of their previous rotation featuring Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. The potential addition doesn’t reach the caliber of Porzingis or Horford, and isn’t even close to Kornet’s level. However, there’s development potential given that he’s only 24 years old. Charles Bassey, the former San Antonio Spurs player who competed with the Celtics during last summer’s league, has emerged as the candidate in question. Bassey chooses NBA over European opportunity NBA insider Noa Dazzell reported that Bassey prefers playing for the Celtics next season rather than accepting an overseas offer with Partizan Belgrade in the Serbian League. “He’s not currently planning on going overseas, that seems to be pretty unlikely, and almost like a last resort type of thing. And right now, I think, you know, he feels pretty confident that he’s going to play in the NBA next season,” Dazzell explained. “He currently still views the Celtics as a top destination, and really, really wants to end up in Boston. And that’s not me saying that that’s going to happen, but that’s a top priority for him. He loves the culture. He loves the fact that they’ve been in the playoffs routinely. It’s a culture of winning, the coaches,” she added. Boston has roster spot available for potential signing The Celtics maintain one open roster spot that could accommodate Bassey’s addition. His summer league performance with Boston demonstrated his potential value to the organization. “He really wants to come to the Celtics. We’ll see whether it works out right now. Boston has one remaining roster spot that’s open,” Dazzell noted. Bassey’s summer league production included impressive numbers of 15.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. These statistics explain why other teams like Partizan Belgrade have shown interest in acquiring his services, as well as the fact that he is athletic rim‑runner with elite length and shot‑blocking instincts. His strong summer showing could translate to meaningful NBA contributions if he maintains his health and development trajectory. Injury history creates concern about reliability Bassey has struggled with health issues throughout his NBA career, frequently dealing with injuries that have limited his availability. His most significant setback came with an ACL injury in 2023 that restricted him to only 19 games that season. Last season with the Spurs, he appeared in 36 games while averaging modest numbers of 4.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game. The limited production reflects both his role and ongoing health challenges. His injury history raises questions about long-term reliability, but his youth and potential upside could make him worth the risk for a team who needs depth in the center area like Boston.
Illegal tackle causes Colts RB to suffer 'severe leg injury'
The Indianapolis Colts had a scary moment on Sunday when a running back went down during an 11-on-11 team period. Per James Boyd of The Athletic, practice had to be stopped for 10 minutes while trainers attended to running back Salvon Ahmed, who suffered a "severe leg injury" after he was brought down via an illegal tackle by safety Trey Washington. "The injury occurred when Ahmed broke a long run during an 11-on-11 period," Boyd wrote. "He was tackled from behind by undrafted rookie safety Trey Washington, but when Washington grabbed Ahmed, who kept his legs churning, Washington used a hip-drop tackle to bring Ahmed down and landed on his lower right leg. Ahmed immediately grabbed his lower right leg and screamed in agony. "Steichen said the players in the developmental periods (essentially third-stringers and players lower than them on the depth chart) were instructed to tackle during 11-on-11. However, Steichen emphasized, Washington’s hip-drop tackle was obviously the wrong way to bring Ahmed down." Steichen said the coaching staff doesn't encourage hip-drop tackles, and claimed Washington is "down in the dumps" after his tackle led to Ahmed's injury. The unfortunate incident highlights how difficult it can be for NFL defenders to make a tackle. The league made the hip-drop tackle illegal to try and curb injuries, as offensive players thought it was a dirty hit. In Washington's case, the undrafted rookie free agent from Ole Miss wasn't trying to make a dirty hit but trying to make a football move in a competitive environment to keep his job. Before the injury, Ahmed was trying to make a case for the practice squad, where he spent time on during 2024.
Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love’s ‘Fiery’ Response to Wife’s Take on Franchise’s Timeless Tradition
Green Bay Packers star quarterback Jordan Love and his wife, Ronika Stone Love, are truly in, well, love. The couple just got married in June, and with the Packers deep into their preparation for the upcoming 2025 NFL season, Ronika shows full support for her husband. In a social media post on Instagram, Ronika shared a series of photos from last Saturday’s Packers Family Night at Lambeau Field. The first photo on the post shows a happy Ronika in the arms of the former Utah State Aggies star signal-caller. “My version of a Lambeau Leap,” Ronika wrote as a caption. Last season, Love played in 15 games, throwing for a total of 3,389 passing yards to go along with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. That year was considered a down one for Love, but many expect him to come up with a bigger performance in 2025, as Green Bay looks to surpass its 11-win total in 2024. Fans react to Jordan Love’s wife’s Green Bay Packers Lambeau Leap Apart from Love, many others reacted to Ronika’s heartwarming post. Here are some of them: “Two Green Bay 10’s right there,” said a fan. Another one said: “Hair looks amazing” From a commenter: “Awhhhh y’all are so cute!! And I’m obsessed with the hair it’s giving SZA!! ” “Love the Loves!,” a social media user posted. Via a different commenter: “your outfit is adorable” Said another: “I love the fit! Both of yall ”
Michael Soroka embraces 'new life' ahead of Cubs' debut vs. Reds
Michael Soroka is scheduled to make his Chicago Cubs debut when the right-hander takes the mound against the visiting Cincinnati Reds in the opener of the teams' three-game series on Monday night. Soroka (3-8, 4.87 ERA) was acquired from the Washington Nationals on Wednesday for the No. 13 and 14 prospects in the Chicago farm system in shortstop Ronny Cruz and outfielder Christian Franklin. "It's new life," Soroka said. "Kind of like a new start to the season for me. You get some long days in July. You're looking forward to this [MLB] trade deadline and seeing what happens. Obviously, joining a team like this, it's a new breath of adrenaline and life. So looking to take that through the end of the season and, hopefully, help this team compete for a World Series." Soroka spent his first four major league seasons with the Atlanta Braves, developing a friendship with current Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson. Soroka missed the 2021 and 2022 seasons after twice rupturing his Achilles tendon but got to witness Atlanta's run to the World Series up close in 2021. "Although it was exciting to be along with the team and a lot of guys that I played with those previous couple years, it's still something that's burning me to this day that I really didn't do a ton that year," he said. "I didn't throw a pitch, so looking to rewrite that and have new memories this time." Soroka will go from pitching in front of one of the poorest defenses in the majors to one of the best. "It's exciting," he said. "A goal this year was coming in and being relentless inside the strike zone. It helps a ton when the defense is as good as it is. I obviously got to watch Dansby for a long time with the Braves, and this is a team, from the outside looking in, you see that as well." Soroka is 1-2 in three career starts against the Reds with a 3.94 ERA. He will face a Cincinnati team that spent the previous two days in Bristol, Tenn., trying to squeeze in the first MLB game played in Tennessee. The weather finally was good enough for the Reds to face the Atlanta Braves on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Cincinnati lost 4-2 in the rubber match of the three-game series after the first two games were played in Ohio. Nick Lodolo (8-6, 3.09 ERA) is set to take the mound for the Reds in the series opener on Monday. He is coming off a solid July in which he went 3-1 in five starts with a 1.89 ERA. The left-hander most recently received a no-decision after holding the Los Angeles Dodgers to two runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings last Tuesday, striking out a season-high 11 batters in his team's 5-4 loss. He handed over a 4-2 lead to the bullpen, but Los Angeles scored two runs in the seventh and one run in the ninth. The start was the career-high 22nd of the season for Lodolo. "It means a lot," he said of his starts. "That was my goal I set out for in the offseason. ... I don't want to just barely beat [his career high in starts], I want to blow past it. I feel good and in a position to do that." Lodolo is 2-2 in seven career starts against the Cubs with a 4.46 ERA.
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