Pat Spencer Sparks Warriors, Lays Out Blueprint Ahead of Crucial Road Trip
The Golden State Warriors came into this season with high expectations-and for good reason. They added Jimmy Butler III last year, bolstered their bench late in the offseason, and looked poised to make noise in a crowded Western Conference. But as any NBA team knows, plans change quickly when injuries hit.
Now sitting at 11-11 after a 124-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors are heading into a tough three-game East Coast road swing without Stephen Curry. And with Jimmy Butler nursing a sore knee, Golden State is staring down a stretch that could define the early part of their season.
Spencer Steps Up-and Speaks Up
One of the few bright spots in Tuesday night’s loss was backup guard Pat Spencer, who brought energy, playmaking, and a sense of urgency off the bench. Spencer finished with 17 points and six assists, helping the Warriors claw back from a 22-point deficit to briefly take the lead in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t enough to pull off the win, but Spencer’s performance-and his message afterward-offered a clear roadmap for how this team can stay afloat without its stars.
“Definitely can’t turn the ball over,” Spencer said postgame. “You know Jimmy’s the lead at taking care of the rock.
For us, I think we’re going to have to be an elite pace team. With Jimmy, we tend to slow down a bit.
We won’t have the luxury of playing through him in the half court.”
That’s a telling quote-and an honest one. Without Curry orchestrating the offense and Butler controlling tempo, the Warriors can’t lean on their half-court sets the way they’re used to. Instead, Spencer is pointing to transition play and defense as the keys to staying competitive.
“Like we talked about tonight, in the second half we had to generate some easy looks for ourselves,” he continued. “That starts with getting the ball out-one, getting stops.
I felt like we finally got some stops together, got rebounds. Just makes it a little bit easier on your offense when you’re able to get stops, run, and generate some easy looks for yourself.”
It’s a classic Warriors formula-defense leading to offense-but it’s one that becomes even more essential when your best offensive weapons are sidelined.
Kerr Believes in Spencer
Spencer’s performance didn’t go unnoticed. Head coach Steve Kerr, never one to hand out compliments lightly, made it clear that the 29-year-old guard deserves more than just a temporary role.
“He belongs on a guaranteed contract,” Kerr said after the game.
That’s high praise, and it speaks to Spencer’s impact not just on Tuesday night, but throughout the early part of the season. A two-way player, Spencer has appeared in 14 of the team’s first 22 games, consistently providing a spark when called upon.
With Curry out and Butler’s status uncertain, Spencer’s role is only going to grow. His ability to push the pace, make smart reads, and bring defensive intensity could be exactly what this team needs to navigate the next week.
No Curry, No Problem?
The Warriors will now face the 76ers, Cavaliers, and Bulls on the road without their most important player. Curry is still recovering from a quad contusion suffered against Houston on November 26 and won’t travel with the team. The hope is he’ll return for the December 12 home game against the Timberwolves.
In the meantime, it’s next-man-up time in Golden State. Spencer will be a big part of that equation, as will Seth Curry, who made his team debut on Tuesday with a solid 14-point performance. If Butler is limited or unavailable, the Warriors will need both guards-and others-to step into larger roles.
At 11-11, Golden State is clinging to the eighth spot in the Western Conference standings. The margin for error is thin, and the schedule isn’t doing them any favors. But if they can take Spencer’s blueprint to heart-limit turnovers, push the pace, lock in on defense-they just might weather this storm.
The Warriors aren’t at full strength, but they’re not out of the fight. Not yet.