While the Golden State Warriors have largely avoided any catastrophic injuries this season, they are not totally healthy. Shooting guards De’Anthony Melton and Lindy Waters both have tweaks and bumps, and neither is expected to suit up for Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
On top of that, Stephen Curry is questionable for the game as well, so the Warriors will be depleted in the backcourt. How much remains to be seen.
In the wake of the recent injury news, the Warriors will need Moses Moody, Buddy Hield, and Brandin Podziemski to step up. Both Moddy and Hield are enjoying solid starts, so that shouldn’t be a problem, but Podziemski, who is coming off a promising rookie season, is yet to find his footing.
After averaging 9.2 points per game on 38.5 percent shooting from 3-point range, Podz’s scoring is down to only 8.5 points and he’s shooting a lowly 20 percent from behind the arc. He entered the season with sky-high expectations and was slated to play a sixth-man role, but he has been unreliable and downright disappointing this season.
With Melton and Waters out, and the possibility that Curry will be sidelined, Podziemski will need to improve, and fast. The Warriors are currently second in the Western Conference in large part thanks to their depth, but that success has been despite Podziemski, not because of him.
The Warriors have two full days between their last game and the next one, and with most of Monday to warm up and find their groove, there is a chance Curry and Waters will be good to go, although, after all the investment the Warriors put in their young star, it would be good to see a positive return.
