With less than 2 seconds remaining on the clock, the Golden State Warriors required a three to win the preseason opener. The team’s bench stood in anticipation, looking at Reece Beekman, a rookie, as he made the inbound pass. Lindy Waters III, a 3-year NBA player, came off the screens and dropped a stunning jumper for 3 points. And boom, the Dubs sealed their preseason opener against the LA Clippers with a close 91-90 win. Above all, a new star was born!

Steve Kerr’s men looked off-color throughout the game, struggling to get buckets. Especially, from the arc, the team shot only 11-48. Truly an embarrassment for a side that has Stephen Curry in the starting lineup. The Baby-faced Assassin went 0-4 from the perimeter. Nevertheless, the superstar’s no-show was taken care of by the newest Warrior, Waters. The 27-year-old completed the game with 15 points with 5-7 3-pt FG. Indeed, a great find for the Warriors.

Speaking of finding the rising star, the Bay Area side seemed hell-bent on roping in Lindy Waters III from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Before we address the drama, let’s take a glance at his stay in Oklahoma.

After going undrafted in 2020, he came into the Thunder’s fold in 2021 as a prospect. For the next three seasons, the team kept him in and out of the rotation, and he recorded a career average of 5.3 ppg with 37.7% FG from the arc. On the other hand, Lindy anticipated his trade out of the Thunder in the 2024 off-season, as he said, “I kind of understood the situation leading up for months so I wasn’t really surprised,” at the Warriors introductory press meet. But it wasn’t an easy task roping him in for the Dubs.

Initially, the Warriors sent their 52nd pick (with which they drafted 7-foot Quinten Post) to the Thunder to get Waters. But the Warriors again rerouted the pick from the Blazers to reacquire Post. It was indeed a clutch drama at the end of Day 2 of the 2024 NBA Draft. Much like Lindy’s clutch bucket to win the preseason opener.

How will Lindy Waters III fit in the Warriors rotation?

Steve Kerr utilized all his available players tonight except for Andrew Wiggins, who missed out due to an illness. Even though Klay Thompson has left the side, the team still has a lot of options to fix their rotation. Especially after the inclusion of Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson, and De’Anthony Melton, Kerr has a tough job keeping his experienced roster satisfied.

On the other hand, Kerr also has to keep the Warriors youth movement in his mind. The rise of Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Lestor Quinones has put the head coach on the spot to churn out the best playing rotation for the side. Above all, the team has found another talent, who cannot definitely be sidelined. Especially after his brilliant play against the Clippers today. It’s Lindy Waters III.

Moreover, speaking of Stephen Curry’s influence, he said, “Spreading the floor, shooting the ball, playing fast, you know it’s just like the style of basketball that we grew up playing… I didn’t understand what I was watching I just saw Steph & Klay burning those Nets, so they influenced most of my game.” 

It’s a boon and a bane at the same time for Kerr to add someone like Lindy to the roster. Do you think he will find a way into the rotation? Let us know in the comments.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.