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Warriors guard Buddy Hield and head coach Steve Kerr
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
This is a niche and seemingly arbitrary prediction, but it’s really just about highlighting the Golden State Warriors’ ridiculous depth. In what could be a season-long trend, the Dubs will hang in games with their starters before overwhelming opposing backups with a bench that legitimately goes 12 deep.
Actually, make that 13 if you count Lindy Waters III, which you probably should. That guy can shoot the rock.
For now, the starters (when healthy) are a supersized unit including Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis. The energetic and three-happy reserves are led by Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton, Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney and Kyle Anderson.
Head coach Steve Kerr has been lauding his team’s depth since the preseason, and he played a dozen different players by the beginning of the second quarter in the Warriors’ regular-season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers, which they won 139-104. After a tight first quarter, backup-heavy units shone, posting a plus-37.8 net rating in the second period.
Afterward, Kerr told ESPN’s Kendra Andrews: “This is as deep of a team as I’ve ever coached, and we’ve got to lean into that. I’ve never played 12 before, but we’re going to do it.”
Curry’s ankle injury will cost him a handful of games in November, but that’ll only make the spotlight on Golden State’s bench brighter. Check in on the Warriors any time the game has reached a point where backups are on the floor. Chances are, they’ll be building leads all month.
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