Transcripts: Podziemski, Jackson-Davis and Coach Vereen discuss the US Olympics Select Team and Summer League

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• Podziemski wins summer league showdown with SAC; Steph paces USA Olympic Men's exhibition win over Canada

Brandin Podziemski, postgame 2024-07-10

Interviewer: Have you guys, you know, discussed how you're gonna handle the trophy? Like, does everybody get a night with it, you pass it around?

Brandin: No, we haven't, but I think we're just gonna give it to Ryan and AV [Coach Anthony Vereen], GM, and coach. They deserve it. They put a great team together, a bunch of guys that can, you know, dribble, pass, and shoot, and want to win for each other. So I think it goes to them.

Interviewer: How did the level of competition out there compare to what you may have expected?

Brandin: Oh, well, it was definitely less than what I was just at the last couple of days with USA. But I love playing in these games just because it's a lot of guys trying to get contracts, so they bring their best, and that's all you can ask for from a competitive standpoint. So it was good to go against some guys, Keon, Kobe, guys I've gone against before. So it's been fun.

Interviewer: Brandin, take me back 12 months ago. You were one of those guys trying to kind of establish yourself. How has your life changed in the last 12 months?

Brandin: It hasn't. I just do the same stuff. Just work out, hang out with my friends, play video games. It's pretty much the same. I plan to do so for the coming years. But I think I understand where they're coming from and what they're trying to accomplish. So for me, being a veteran on the summer league team, just helping the guys that are trying to find their way, coming in, just giving that sense of relief that it's not about makes and misses and stuff like that. Just trying to do my part with what I can, but my life hasn't changed much.

Interviewer: Brandin, as far as the US Select team, just kind of take me back to that week and what you learned and what your biggest takeaways are….

Brandin: Yeah, I think it was a super fortunate opportunity that me and Trayce got to be a part of, playing against the 12 best players in America. Can't get anything better than that. So just being a part of that, being competitive, trying to bring the best out of them so they can win the gold in August. Something I try to do. And just being around those guys, you can just, you can feel the greatness when you're amongst them on the court. And like I said, it was a blessing opportunity for me.

Interviewer: Real quick follow-up, does it give you more motivation in four years, eight years to be an Olympian and be on that stage yourself and be on that team?

Brandin: Of course it does. I'm from America, I want to represent my country. So if I get that call in 2027 to go qualify, I will. And same with the Olympics in 2028. So yeah, I think it was a good stepping stone for some of our young guys to get a taste of what it's like and then hopefully play in the next Olympics. I know Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Halliburton played on the Select team in 2020 and are now on the Olympic team. So it's a good foot in the door for sure.

Interviewer: Brandin, in the big picture, this game doesn't mean much, but you and Trayce were out there to close it out. How nice was it just to get that kind of intensity at this point in the offseason?

Brandin: Yeah, it was for sure fun. Being out there when the game matters most is what you want. You don't really care about coming off the bench or starting or whatever. So being out there, being a leader, being trusted with the ball in your hands when it's that late in the game is something I want. And I've been fortunate enough for this game and probably the next couple I play to do the same.

Interviewer: Brandin, I've seen reports saying that one of the things that Coach Kerr and the staff want you to do to expand your game next season is to maybe take more and make more threes. Were there a couple of instances tonight that maybe during the regular season this past season you wouldn't have taken those threes, but tonight you thought maybe it's time to try to expand the game a bit?

Brandin: Yeah, I took more. I didn't make more. But yeah, I just tried to shoot the ones that are in rhythm and in the flow of the offense. Obviously, I take the occasional step back or two. I think my shot selection was okay tonight. I think it could be better. Obviously, from an efficiency standpoint, it wasn't the best, but it's okay. It was a good game one for us. And, you know, I played really bad last summer league and look how I turned out in the season. So I think I'll be fine.

Interviewer: I think there was one play in the first quarter where you came off the screen and kind of got your defender on your back, kept him there, made a kick out, I think, to Ethan [Thompson]. That play looks like something that you might be working on. What can that move unlock for you?