Brandin Podziemski, a 23-year-old guard for the Warriors, has faced criticism and praise throughout the season for his inconsistent performance. He has been criticized for his bold statements, including a desire to be better than Steph Curry and suggesting that he could be the next player to be the team's next superstar. Despite these off-the-field struggles, Podziemki has been a high-level contributor during the team’s three-game winning streak. His coach, Steve Kerr, described his struggles as a self-inflicted trial and indicated that the criticism was self-induced.