The Warriors appreciate the depth of their squad

The match sheet looks exactly like that of a pre-season meeting. During a walk on the Pelicans floor, Stephen Curry and his Warriors were able to rotate.

No less than 10 players were mobilized for 20 minutes or more, and only the crazy shooter, author of 42 points, reached the 30 minutes played mark. And all the players used had a positive impact with a score of at least +10, with the exception of Draymond Green (+6).

Notable precision, two important elements of the rotation, Klay Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga, were absent. This match gave a good overview of the squad depth available to Steve Kerr.

“ The rookies were fantastic. This is what we saw throughout camp. These two can really play. They are constantly around the ball, anticipating actions, keeping the game simple and moving it forward. It’s really great to see these two young guys playing “, enthuses the Californian coach speaking of Brandin Podziemski (5 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks).

Used significantly for the first time this season, the two youngsters owe part of their great evening to another newcomer to the squad, all but a rookie, Chris Paul. “ It changes everything to be able to start a match with Steph Curry. And then by sending Chris with a great second five, we can keep the pressure on », Judge Steve Kerr who preferred to inject Moses Moody into his five, rather than the veteran as had been the case at the start of the season.

Encouraging signals

The impact of the former leader of the Suns is obvious to the replacements. “ I’m more excited about the team and how we’re setting up from the start. The way we shoot, the cohesion, the ability to mix the five, the way CP leads our second five and soaks up the spirit of the starters. Our bench not only maintains its lead, it expands it. It gives us a lot of confidence », Appreciates Stephen Curry whose passages on the bench can be better addressed.

Described as a “ pilot ” who gives ” much easier » the life of the Warriors, Chris Paul already seems to be unanimous within his new training. He will remain behind the starters, alongside Dario Saric, Gary Payton, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, the main expected rotations.

“ After the first evening, I thought it would take a while. Draymond had to come back and be in good shape. We had to get the new guys used to our style of play. So these last two matches were very encouraging », Qualifies Steve Kerr, who adds: “ We have a deep squad that is really united. They’re all having fun, they’re supporting each other. This is a good start, but there is still a long way to go. »