25. Memphis Grizzlies take Brandin Podziemski
Podziemski has pushed his way into the first-round conversation after a strong season at Santa Clara. The 20-year-old barely saw the floor at Illinois as a freshman but played 36.0 minutes per game at his new school where he averaged 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.8 steals. Podziemski shot 43.8 percent from 3-point range and was the WCC Player of the Year.
His playmaking, shooting, and scoring abilities have teams interested in the late first round, but where does he fit on defense? The 6’4 guard has a 6’6 wingspan, but no true position on that end of the floor. He does not have the quickness or athletic ability to defend at the point of attack and lacks the size and strength to match up against bigger players.
Can Podziemski keep up his strong rebounding numbers in the NBA? He does well finding the ball, and Memphis is one of the best teams in the league on the glass.
With Ja Morant suspended for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 regular season, the Grizzlies could be looking for someone ready to enter the rotation quickly. Brandin Podziemski should be able to knock down shots and space the floor for the franchise that finished 23rd in 3-point percentage last season.