Juggernaut Warriors roll to 4-0 in preseason

With three starters sitting, the Warriors easily handled the Detroit Pistons in a 111-93 win

The Golden State Warriors simply cannot be stopped in the 2024 preseason. With Steph Curry and Draymond Green sitting, and Andrew Wiggins still ramping up, the preseason Dubs continued the shoot the lights out with a 111-93 win over the Detroit Pistons that wasn’t as close as the final score.

The Warriors made 46% of their three-pointers and delivered 31 assists in a classic Strength In Numbers victory. Starting a backcourt of Brandin Podziemski and De’Anthony Melton, along with Moses Moody, making his second straight start, the Dubs jumped out to a 14-point lead in the first quarter and went into halftime up 19 points.

Somehow, the absence of Klay Thompson has turned the Warriors into an unstoppable three-point shooting team. The Warriors went 6-for-7 from deep in the first quarter, with summer acquisitions Melton, Buddy Hield, and Lindy Waters III going a combined 5-for-5 to open the game.

It’s still not clear how Steve Kerr’s rotations will shake out, but the Melton-Podziemski combination looked great Sunday night. It could be an indication that the early minutes of the second and fourth quarters, often an offensive wasteland for Golden State in the last two seasons, could have some solid scoring.

Especially if Buddy Hield is on the court. He’s now 13-for-22 from three-point range in four preseason games. Again, it’s just the preseason, which doesn’t matter officially, but Hield is averaging 12.3 points per game in less than 17 minutes per game. He’s shooting 58% from the field and 59% from behind the arc, and he’s +25 overall in his minutes.

Even when Steve Kerr cleared the bench in the 4th quarter, playing a total of 17 guys in the course of the win, the Warriors ended up with six players in double figures. Moody led the way with 14 points in another high-minute effort for a player that’s been scrapping for minutes for the first three seasons of his career. Trayce Jackson-Davis had a game-high 10 rebounds in a game-high 27 minutes, plus three blocks and three assists. One of those blocks led directly to a Podz three at the other end, which effectively ended the competitive portion of the game late in the second quarter.

Team-high in plus/minus went to Waters, who was a sparkling +22 in his 17 minutes. He went 3-for-4 from distance, but the impressive stat was his seven rebounds. For a team that’s going to be decidedly undersized next season, having rebounding guards like the 6-foot-6 Waters, Podziemski and Curry all rebounding above their weight class is going to be hugely important. Also the quick release on his three-point shot evokes a certain bulldog-and-ocean-loving Warriors shooting guard.

In the 4th quarter, the Chase Center crowd got a preview of the Santa Cruz Warriors lineup this season, with rookies Reece Beekman (2 points, 3 assists and a steal) and Quinten Post (one three-pointer along with two fouls and two turnovers) getting playing time. Their other two-way player, Pat Spencer, had two points and an assist, while Jackson Rowe, future Sea Dubs power forward star, went 2-for-2 and was a +8 in a tidy five minutes of action.

The Pistons added some veterans this summer after changing coaches and general managers, but they still basically can’t shoot. Playing their presumed normal starting lineup, only Jaden Ivey made any three-pointers (3-for-5) and the team shot 7-for-29 overall.

Preseason games don’t really matter, but it’s telling that Kerr gave so many minutes to young players. Podz, Moody, TJD and Jonathan Kuminga combined for 95 minutes, four of the top minutes totals along with Melton. Again, it’s the preseason, but Kuminga going 10-for-18 from three-point range is a positive sign, especially when it comes to his ability to get minutes at small forward, something that looks increasingly likely with every exhibition game where Wiggins sits.

The Warriors moved to 4-0 in the preseason after the victory, with the next game coming Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas, the home of LeBron James’ future expansion franchise. But while the preseason doesn’t really matter, it’s important to note that the last time Golden State went undefeated in the preseason, they went on to win the NBA title.

In other words, it’s up to Lindy Waters III, Buddy Hield, and Kyle “Slow-Mo” Anderson (a solid +21 Sunday night) to keep the Warriors juggernaut rolling and set them up for a fifth title in the Curry Era. The championship push continues Tuesday night.