One Loss, Many Numbers: The Warriors Will Be Judged by Who Is Available
The only numbers worth trusting from the opener say this team will be judged by who is available, not by its 0-1 record.
The bench outscored the starters, Curry and Green were each -22, and the best lineup in the numbers can't be put together again. Read as a whole, the figures are an injury report, and Thursday against Memphis is the first sample that means much.
Starters 49, bench 56
The reserves outscored the starters 56-49 in the 127-105 loss to the Lakers. That sounds like depth, but mostly it isn't. LJ Cryer's 9 and Graham Ike's 8 all came in the fourth quarter, after Los Angeles led 102-68, against a closing group of Bronny James, Chris Manon, Jaden Hardy, Kevon Looney and Ziaire Williams. Ike's +12 in 12 minutes and Cryer's +10 in 9 show that the rookie and the second-year guard can compete. They don't show that either one belongs in a rotation for close games yet.
Minus 22 in 21 minutes
Stephen Curry scored 23 on 7-of-15 shooting and made all seven of his free throws, yet Golden State was outscored by 22 in his 21 minutes. Green had the same -22 in the same 21 minutes. That does not prove a 38-year-old has slipped, because Curry was the most efficient creator the Warriors had. It shows that with Podziemski sidelined, nobody around Curry and Green could create offense, and a 19-point second quarter followed.
Plus 16.9 in 65 minutes
The best five-man group in the numbers, Curry, Butler, Green, Kuminga and Podziemski, posted a +16.9 net rating over 65 minutes. It is a memory, not a plan. Kuminga is not on this roster, and Butler's right knee keeps him out, with January 2 as his estimated return. Minutes are going to the players who are here instead. Gui Santos has averaged 29.6 minutes over his last 10 games, up from 20.5 for the season. That is opportunity, not yet evidence.
$219.8M and a seed that means nothing
The payroll is $219.8M, above the first apron and over the $200.4M tax line. Butler, Kristaps Porzingis and Moses Moody, three of the five largest contracts, are all listed out. That is the number that limits the answers. The others are noise: 11th in the West, one game behind the 1-0 Thunder, a pace that projects to 0-82. Memphis went 25-57 last season with a -6.0 net rating. If Podziemski and Bassey return Thursday as estimated, that game is the first fair read on this group.
Will Brandin Podziemski play against the Grizzlies?
Podziemski is listed day-to-day with a back issue and has an estimated return of October 23, the date of the Grizzlies game. He missed the loss to the Lakers.
When is Jimmy Butler expected back for the Warriors?
Butler is listed out with a right knee injury, and his estimated return is January 2, 2027. Until then, the lineup that posted a +16.9 net rating can't be used.
