NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Brandon Miller rises, new name enters top five

5. Brandin Podziemski

Last week's rank: 6

Brandin Podziemski has exploded onto the scene recently and has become our first unfamiliar face inside the top five in over a month.

Despite the Warriors' recent struggles, Podziemski has been one of their few cornerstone pieces. The 20-year-old rookie out of Santa Barbara has become one of the best rookies in his class, and fans are just now starting to notice.

The Warriors are currently 17-20 and hold the 12th position in the Western Conference. Podziemski's play hasn't contributed to wins, but it has contributed to positives when on the floor. He has become a hard-nosed grind-it-out player that fans have fallen in love with.

At just 6-foot-4, Podziemski has proven to be an elite rebounder on the offensive end as he continuously creates second-chance opportunities for his team. The Warriors could go through a rebuilding phase once the season is over, but Podziemski has proven why he shouldn't be in trade talks.

The young guard has struggled in his last two games, but fans shouldn't be worried. Before Podziemski's last two games, he had been on a double-digit scoring streak of eight games.

Podziemski has continued to get better week by week. With effort and defense, he has proven to be one of the Warrior's top assets and will only get better from here. Fans are eager to see where Podziemski's game is this time next week.