10 under-the-radar NBA draft prospects that every team should target
By Rowan Kent
Under-the-Radar Prospect #7: Brandin Podziemski, Santa Clara
This isn’t a case of deja vu; instead, Santa Clara has struck gold for the second year in a row with a perimeter draft prospect. If he gets drafted, Podziemski would be just the 15th Bronco to play NBA basketball, but after his breakout year, he more than deserves that honor.
Podziemski is one of the biggest success stories of the transfer portal, as he went from toiling in obscurity on the bench for Illinois to erupting in the WCC as a star. He flexed his skilled shooting touch, effective driving, and surprisingly good rebounding in his first season at Santa Clara.
As a 6’5” shooting guard, Podziemski brings great positional size on the wing, an especially important aspect of the modern NBA. With the ability to hit jumpers off of the catch, off of screens, or off of the dribble, Pod’s versatility as a sniper would fit in an NBA offense right now:
Brandin Podziemski’s pullup shooting is something to monitor. At 6’5, he’s a confident and fluid shooter with a quick release that will have to rely on his pullup shooting more on the NBA level to compensate for his lack of ideal burst and quick twitch athleticism pic.twitter.com/VKmxxB5qhJ
— Jam Hines (@jamontheboards) December 17, 2022
Given the premium on shooting, it’s understandable why each and every NBA team would be lucky to have a player like him. Podziemski can spread the floor and open up space for better players to dominate, while also giving just enough shake on his drives to get easy shots inside. While he started the year under the radar, Podziemski has shot himself into first-round consideration.