Top 3 biggest surprises in Golden State this season
The Warriors won their second straight game in a row by double digits, moving them to 6-1. Their success may be surprising to some fans, or haters, but the improved play can be credited to multiple people, not just the usual suspects. First off, the “Young Glove,” Gary Payton II, who was waived earlier this season but made his way back to the team a few days later. The son of the Glove showed flashes of his father’s greatness but Wednesday night against the Hornets he showed what he is really capable of doing if he gets real minutes. Steve Kerr was asked about Gary after the game and he said, “He needs to play more.” As well as reinforcing that he has proven himself and will make the nightly rotation now.
He finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 1 block in only 17 minutes of play. Not to mention his ferocious defense on former number three overall draft pick Lamelo Ball, or whoever brought the ball up the court, as he picked up full court every time. His defense got Klay hyped on Twitter saying, “I can watch Gary Payton II play defense all night long.” Not to mention two crazy dunks, one on the former Warrior, Kelly Oubre, much to Dubs fans’ delight.
The second guy who has really stepped up this season is Jordan Poole. He finished Wednesday’s game with a team-high 31 points. This is exactly the type of game that he needed to get his confidence and shot back to normal. Before this game he was performing well but not up to some fan’s expectations. But for most who don’t know his game too well, this 31-point performance will invite some people to the Poole party early.
With that being said, this season is certainly a step up from last year but Warriors fans would love to see more of this kind of production from Poole on a nightly basis. If he can keep this up, alongside Steph’s crazy efficient games, which we’ve seen a few of this season, then the Warriors will be in great shape come playoffs.
And lastly Damion Lee, he finished the game with 15 points in 16 minutes, a highly productive game for him. But this season itself has been highly productive, as he made the jump from averaging 6.5 points last season to averaging 14.2 points this season. His impact can be felt on the offensive side of the ball, when the Warriors need a timely three, he is always ready and willing to shoot it. He is quite literally the offensive spark plug that comes off the bench that every team needs in today’s league.
All three guys provide their own unique skills for the team when need be. They all have also seen increased minutes in the rotation, leading to better production offensively and defensively, much to the surprise of some hoop fans. Their play this season might have even convinced some skeptical watchers that the Warriors didn’t need to make any more trades, they didn’t need to keep Avery Bradley, and they certainly can rely on these three to get the job done the right way.
(Photo credit: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)