Waters seizes the opportunity and catapults the Warriors to win vs. Pelicans

Waters seizes the opportunity and catapults the Warriors to win vs. Pelicans originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – On a night when the Warriors were without their ultimate spark plug in Stephen Curry, Lindy Waters III provided all the polish Golden State needed in its 124-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday.

The fourth-year forward poured in 21 points, grabbed a career-high eight rebounds and matched his best with four assists.

All while logging 30 1/2 minutes, more than any other Warriors player besides Brandon Podziemski.

“I’ve been saying it since day one of (training) camp, this guy is a ball player,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “The game flows when he’s out there. It’s not just because he’s a good shooter. It’s the shots he doesn’t take because of his patience, it’s the cuts he makes to the basket, it’s getting into the game defensively

“I couldn’t get him out there until tonight and he’s going to argue for more playing time.”

Waters made a good case against the Pelicans. He shot 8 of 13 from the floor and made a trio of 3-pointers.

“He got us going,” Golden State teammate Buddy Hield said.

Waters spent his first three seasons playing sparingly for Oklahoma City before the Warriors acquired him in a trade from the Thunder on Day 2 of the 2024 NBA Draft.

He had been somewhat buried on the Warriors’ bench, but broke out in a big way when given the chance on Tuesday.

“It always feels good. I come in and do the job every single day, whether my number is called or not,” Waters said. “I’m the same person. But it feels good to go out there and win, especially how we started. We just kept our eyes off the scoreboard and focused possession by possession.”

Some people believed that Waters’ performance in training camp would have made him a bigger part of the Warriors’ plans. When things didn’t work out that way at first, Waters tried to stay grounded.

“I’m thankful for what I have,” Waters said. “I can’t be greedy and have a bad attitude that comes in whether I get playing time or not. I want to be the same person every day. I will always have a smile on my face and encourage my teammates. Whatever my role is, I will accept it. I just want the team to win.

“Just always be ready. That’s my mentality.”

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast