The Golden State Warriors improved to a 3-1 record on Tuesday as they defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 124-106, despite the absence of Stephen Curry due to an ankle sprain and Andrew Wiggins, due to a back injury. In the win, the Warriors relied on the hot second-half shooting from Buddy Hield and production from role players, including unheralded forward Lindy Waters III.
After the game, Hield acknowledged the forward’s contributions to their victory, via 95.7 The Game on X, formerly Twitter.
Meanwhile, Lindy Waters himself expressed supreme confidence about his ability to put the ball in the hole, which translated to 21 points and eight rebounds for the Warriors.
“I got a strap on me,” he said. “I just wake up and I can shoot it no matter if I’m playing or not.”
Warriors def. Pelicans
So far, the Warriors’ pivot to depth after failing to trade for Lauri Markkanen and Paul George in the offseason has worked well for them, especially after the Pelicans game.
They’ve had to rely on a collective effort to make up for Klay Thompson’s departure, as Steve Kerr has virtually given every player the green light to shoot the ball within the flow of their offense.
For example, Waters hasn’t played much in the Warriors’ prior three games, but the absence of Wiggins has given him the minutes to show his offensive game. His 21-point effort might have given Kerr another wrinkle to add to his free-flowing offense-heavy scheme.
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Moreover, after a slow start, Brandin Podziemski poured in 19 points on 8-18 shooting on 34 minutes of play, and fans hope he shows why the Warriors chose not to put him in the prospective deal for Markkanen.
The team should take this opportunity to stack up wins, since the season only gets harder as it progresses, and shooting slumps might hit them sooner or later.
Moreover, besides Curry, their sizzling offense might not be sustainable for an entire regular season, and they’ll need to win all the tiebreakers they can, especially if they have to fight for a play-in spot again this year.
Still, Warriors fans have a lot of things to be optimistic about, and they hope the results of this season prove that their championship window remains open.