The Warriors are sticking with the same starting five they rolled out Monday, with Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard, Yaxel Lendeborg and Draymond Green set to open Thursday’s game.
Richard is back in the lineup for a second straight start because Gui Santos, who usually handles the small forward spot, is out with knee tendinitis. Richard is listed as a guard at 6-foot-3, but his work defending on the wing has been solid this season.
Miami is going with its usual group as well. The Heat will start Davion Mitchell, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, the same five they’ve used in every game this season.
The Curry-Thompson matchup carries its own track record. The two have faced off six times, and each side has won three.
Curry has been the bigger scorer in those meetings, averaging 29.8 points, 6.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from deep. Thompson has averaged 15.3 points, 2.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds on 41.7 percent shooting and 44.4 percent from three.
Thompson was with the Mavericks in all six of those games, so Thursday will be the first time he plays the Warriors as a member of the Heat.
Miami enters the night with a defense that has struggled, ranking 27th in defensive rating, per Cleaning the Glass. Still, the Heat do have some real stoppers in the mix. Mitchell has built a reputation as one of the league’s best on-ball guard defenders, while Adebayo and Antetokounmpo are names that usually come up in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.
After Wednesday’s overtime win over the Clippers, when Thompson hit the game-winning three, he was asked about Lendeborg and didn’t hide his admiration.
“Yeah, he’s playing great," Thompson said. "He looks like he’s a great athlete, NBA size, and I know he had a great college career, and Steve [Kerr] is a great coach.
I think he’s got a great staff, and they can get the most out of guys. So, not too surprised.
And he’s got a good leader, Draymond. So, I know they probably go back and forth with the MSU-Michigan rivalry, but Draymond’s a great, great leader for young players, and so is Steph, so I’m not too surprised.”
Lendeborg has been producing right away, averaging 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 50.0 percent overall and 40.0 percent from three.
In Other News...
Warriors Just Got A Real Kristaps Porzingis Pathway
Kristaps Porzingis has suddenly become a name worth tracking for teams looking to reshape their roster, and the Warriors are right in the middle of that conversation. Reports suggest he may be open to a buyout in the $3-4 million range, which could make it easier for Golden State to line up a trade partner and create a workable path if the front office decides to pursue it.
For the Warriors, the appeal goes beyond just adding a big name to the mix. A deal involving Porzingis could also leave them with a trade exception, giving the team more flexibility in future roster moves. Sources expect something to happen before December 15, so this is one of those situations that could move quickly once the right framework comes together. [Read more 🡒]
Klay Thompson Just Framed His Post-Warriors Chapter Very Differently
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For Warriors fans, the broader picture is a little jarring: Thompson is no longer carrying the same spotlight, Andrew Wiggins is working through a reduced role with the Heat, and Tim Hardaway Jr. has seen his minutes shrink in favor of rookie Ryan Conwell. It all adds another layer to a night that was already about nostalgia and transition, with Thompsons post-Warriors path looking less like a farewell tour and more like a reset he seems comfortable embracing. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Rumor Could Reshape Steph Currys Final Title Chase
The Warriors are again being mentioned in the kind of star-hunting conversation that follows them whenever the roster looks a little thin and the championship window feels a little more delicate. With injuries taking a toll on key players, Golden State is said to be viewing itself as a possible landing spot for major names next summer, and that has pushed Nikola Jokic into the center of the speculation.
Jokics situation in Denver is worth watching because extension talks have been delayed, leaving open the possibility of free agency down the line. For the Warriors, the appeal is obvious: a player of that caliber would instantly change the ceiling around Stephen Curry and give the franchise a very different path back into title contention, even as the front office weighs how realistic it is to land a star of that magnitude. [Read more 🡒]