Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors has been no stranger to controversy this season. After he made comments that he wanted to be even greater than Stephen Curry, he has had something of a target on his back for many in the fanbase.
Whether fair or not, Podziemski did invite the criticism with his confidence and one KNBR radio host gave a pretty harsh take on the young player recently.
Greg Silver, in talking about the San Francisco 49ers acquiring wide receiver Mike Evans, took a subtle jab at Podziemski in saying, “some players earn the right to be delusional. It’s better that it comes from a guy like Mike Evans than a younger player like Brandin Podziemski.”
Brandin Podziemski dubbed ‘delusional’ by radio host
For context, some 49ers fans viewed it as a little outlandish that Evans said he thinks he is the “missing piece” for San Francisco when many believe the 49ers are more than a few pieces away from being real contenders.
Silver's point is basically that Evans, a great NFL player who is likely going to be in the Hall of Fame someday, has earned the right to make quasi-outrageous claims while a young player like Podziemski, who talks a big game but has yet to live up to it, has not yet earned that right.
Using the word "delusional" is a little harsh and maybe Silver would choose a different word if given a second chance, but it does speak to the way many in the Warriors fanbase view Podziemski.
It is a shame that the young player has become such a lightning rod amongst fans because if one looks at the stats he has put up on the year, he is not playing horribly by any stretch.
Podziemski is shooting 44.8% from the field which is roughly consistent with his first two NBA seasons and is shooting 37.2% from three-point range. His average of 12.8 points per game is the highest of his career.
He's been a fine player and right now he is arguably the team's best source of offense with all of the injuries that they have been forced to deal with. Steve Kerr recently defended Podziemski and he went out and had a great game against the Houston Rockets, scoring 26 points.
Perhaps if he just had not made some of the comments that he made last year, he wouldn't be so polarizing amongst the fanbase. He has local connections since he attended Santa Clara University so he is the perfect kind of player for fans to rally around.
Maybe in a few years if he does grow into a better and better player, fans will begin to come around on him. Podziemski does do a lot of things well, he just has to be more consistent.