No Stephen Curry? Not to worry. The Warriors have got Buddy Hield. Perhaps it’s too early to let the Bahamian forward/guard take Curry’s place. But tonight’s performance calls for high praise and more! Buddy and Lindy Waters III put on a spectacular outing that led the shorthanded Dubs to a dominant win over the Zion Williamson-led Pelicans. And Steph was loving every moment of it!

Particularly a 28-footer from the deep in the fourth quarter. The whole Warriors bench and fans were out of their seats, screaming in excitement at Hield’s remarkable shot. Taking to his Instagram, the 31-year-old shared the clip posted by NBA with just two hearts – a blue and yellow – the Warriors’ colors. Suffice it to say, Buddy Hield was speechless. The post, for its part, had a phrase that is no doubt going to become quite popular in the coming days. “BUDDY SPLASH!” was written across the first slide, and the caption reads, “Steph’s lovin’ what he sees from Buddy!” followed by a splash emoji. Here’s the video, just in case you miss Hield’s story.

But it wasn’t without its troubles. Buddy initially struggled in his new role, putting up just three points on eight shots in 17 first-half minutes, hitting only one of five three-point attempts. The Warriors trailed 51-47 at halftime raising doubts about a comeback. But things took a turn for the better in the second half.

Buddy Hield caught fire, hitting two quick threes in the third and going nearly unstoppable in the fourth. His 19 points in the final period, including four clutch threes, lifted the Warriors to a comfortable win, improving their record to 3-1. His outing was enough to give hope to the fans.

Fans celebrate Buddy Hield’s performance as they suggest Stephen Curry “gained a Splash buddy”

We don’t have to tell you that ever since the Warriors signed the 2020 three-point contest champion, the ‘Splash Buddy’ is a nickname that has been going around. After all, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry were the Splash Brothers. And while that is a partnership we might not see again, Hield is doing a good job. So, it really isn’t a surprise that fans would take that route. “Lost a splash bro but gained a Splash buddy,” wrote one user under the above video. Another fan seemed quite thrilled about the new additions. “I’m loving our new roster.”

“Warriors finally found some bench depth. Scary hoursssss,” wrote this next user, highlighting excitement over Buddy Hield’s convincing performance off the bench, which provided much-needed scoring power in a game without Steph Curry. Furthermore, the comment also suggests that with this newfound depth, GSW could be even more formidable, especially with a strengthened bench unit.

Another fan also had a similar thought. “Buddy is finally getting unleashed in GS…” no doubt referring to the 28 points and seven threes tonight, which included 19 in the fourth quarter alone!

And finally, this fan noted Steph’s happiness, commenting, “Steph realizes he has a real team.” You don’t need us to tell you about the terrible season the Warriors endured last year. From the tension-filled Thompson deal to Draymond Green drama, which saw the ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’ close to tears (!) at the state of his beloved team, it was a real mess.

The excitement around Hield’s performance and the balanced roster signals a promising direction for Golden State. After a challenging previous season, it’s clear that the team is committed to moving forward, and fans are thrilled to see their Warriors playing with renewed spirit. If these early games are any indication, Golden State might just be ready to reclaim their place among the league’s elite.