Lindy Waters III and Gui Santos start the year on the outside looking in.
It’s unclear if the Golden State Warriors can transcend goodness, or even mediocrity this season. That is, as they say, why they play the games, and with the 2024-25 NBA season kicking off this week, we’re about to learn just how good this team can be. But while we don’t know yet know if the Dubs will be great, we’ve known for a while that they have a bit of a roster crunch due to the depth of their good players.
They simply have too many good players to fit into a 48-minute game. Which means some players are going to be on the outside looking in to start the season.
We know who two of those players will be: offseason acquisition Lindy Waters III, and 20222 second-round pick Gui Santos. Coach Steve Kerr revealed on Monday — two days before the team’s season opener — that Waters and Santos will start the year not in the rotation.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr has told Lindy Waters III and Gui Santos that they will not be in the rotation to start the season. Adds both have the ability to help the team
— Monte Poole (@MontePooleNBCS) October 21, 2024
That leaves 12 players jockeying for rotation spots: Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Kyle Anderson, Draymond Green, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Kevon Looney.
Kerr has been fairly open that he’d like to get the rotation down to 10 players, which means another two players will likely be dealt some unfortunate news in the next day or two.
Payton seems like the most obvious choice. The Warriors already had a crowded backcourt before deciding to use a large starting lineup, as it looks like Wiggins will slide into the two-guard spot in the opening five. It’s hard to see GPII jumping over prized offseason acquisitions Melton and Hield, or someone as valued as Podziemski, who the team reportedly refused to include in potential Lauri Markkanen trade packages. And given Kerr’s openly-stated desire to shoot more threes this year, Payton is a harder fit due to his lack of a reliable three-point shot.
But after GPII? It’s hard to find another player to remove from the rotation. Anderson might be most likely, as he hasn’t played a ton this preseason, and doesn’t necessarily have a carrying skill that the Warriors aren’t getting somewhere else. Looney could also be an option if Kerr is comfortable playing Green at the five with some regularity. Fans have grown accustomed to Moody getting passed over, though he’s been the most impressive player on the team this preseason, and just inked a three-year extension.
One thing’s for sure: opportunities are going to arise for all these players (including Waters and Santos). Injuries will keep the rotation in a state of semi-constant flux, and players will play themselves in and out of roles. There might even be a trade at some point, which would further facilitate things.
I sure don’t envy Kerr.