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Brandin Podziemski's broken nose will keep the Golden State Warriors from being at complete full-strength for the first time this preseason. With Andrew Wiggins set to make his exhibition debut after nagging illness, though, Steve Kerr will nevertheless get another valuable opportunity on Tuesday to build out his crowded playing rotation around Stephen Curry ahead of the regular season.
The four-time champion will indeed play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in Las Vegas despite sporting a bandage on his jammed index finger, Curry told reporters before the game.
“You feel it, but I can play,” he said of the injury, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “I can't re-injure it unless I do something crazy, so I'm fine.”
Steph Curry jammed his right index finger the other night. Missed a game. He had a wrap on it while shooting today. He’s playing tonight. “I can’t reinjure it unless I do something crazy. So I’m fine.” pic.twitter.com/R3bUKyttHC
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 15, 2024
Curry left Friday's preseason win over the Sacramento Kings late in the first half after catching his right index finger in an opponent's jersey, seeking immediate attention from team trainers. Golden State announced shortly thereafter that he wouldn't return to the action due to a jammed finger and that X-rays were negative. Curry even spent the second half conducting his normal post-game training routine in the weight room at Chase Center.
A resting Draymond Green joined Curry on the sidelines for Sunday's blowout win over the Detroit Pistons, but will also take the floor at T-Mobile Arena versus LeBron James, Anthony Davis and company.
The Warriors and Lakers tipoff at 7:00 p.m. (PT).
Stephen Curry, Warriors commit harder to long ball even without Klay Thompson
Klay Thompson isn't the player he was while helping Golden State win its fourth title a couple years ago, let alone the elite two-way force who built the Dubs' dynasty from the ground up with Curry and Green pre-injury. His defection to the Dallas Mavericks is already looming large for the Warriors, but more so off the court than on it given the summer additions of De'Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield, not to mention the coaching staff's desire for this team to rely more than ever on threes.
Golden State is launching 43 triples per 100 possessions in the preseason, fourth-most in the league and a number that would've tied the Boston Celtics for first a year ago, per NBA.com/stats. The Warriors have heated up after a putrid performance from deep in their exhibition opener, too, entering Tuesday's action shooting 40.5%, the best mark in basketball.
What's been so refreshing about Golden State's full-scale embrace of threes is that most of its attempts have come within structured flow of the offense. Even contested triples have largely been quality looks for the Dubs so far, following multiple passes, cuts and screens that at least briefly free up shooters beyond the arc.
“What I like about this team is I think, even though we've lost Klay, we have more shooting depth,” Kerr said following last week's win in Sacramento. “We have more guys who can step in from one night to the next and make threes. It'll be a big part of our team for sure.”
Stephen Curry should lead the league in three-point attempts per game, just like last season. Hield could beat the best shooter alive in terms of three-point rate. Melton and Podziemski should set easy career-highs in long-range volume, and so could Andrew Wiggins. Both Jonathan Kuminga, crucial to his dreams of playing small forward, and Moses Moody have looked more comfortable than ever from three during the preseason. Draymond Green seems fully committed to launching dare threes from opponents, and even Kevon Looney mulled stepping behind the arc at Media Day.
The more things change, the more they stay the same for Golden State—when it comes to the long ball, at least. We'll start to find out soon if that strategy yields close to the type of success the Dubs have enjoyed for the past decade.
