4 Winners and 3 Losers from Warriors Preseason Victory vs. Kings
Winners
1. Buddy Hield
The undoubted player of the game from a Golden State perspective, Buddy Hield shone against his former team with a game-high 22 points on a near perfect 8-of-9 shooting from the floor including 6-of-7 from three-point range.
It wasn't just the fact that shots were falling for the veteran sharpshooter, but perhaps more so about how he flowed beautifully within the Warrior offense and managed to find himself open on so many occassions.
Hield won't shoot the ball at this clip every night, but based on this performance there's no reason why he can't average 20+ minutes and put up 15 points per game on above 40% from beyond the arc.
2. De'Anthony Melton
Steve Kerr opted for a different combination in the starting lineup on Wednesday, replacing De'Anthony Melton with Brandin Podziemski as the two-guard next to Stephen Curry. It didn't seem to bother Melton whatsoever, with the 26-year-old producing his second-straight impressive performance to begin his Golden State career.
The move to the bench gave Melton more ball-handing duties, something he took advantage of in recording 16 points, five rebounds and three assists on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor and 4-of-9 from beyond the arc.
Melton's versatility has been a feature throughout the first two games, and if anything Wednesday's game should actually strengthen his hold on the starting shooting guard position despite the fact he came off the bench in this one.
3. Brandin Podziemski
He may have only had eight points on 3-of-8 shooting against the Kings, but Brandin Podziemski was still a winner in proving he's more than capable of being the team's backup point guard once Curry heads to the bench.
The second-year guard pushed the ball constantly not only in transition but also off Sacramento makes, finishing with eight assists and only one turnover in an encouraging display of his ball-handing and playmaking qualities.
Again, Wednesday's game may have proven that Melton should start and Podziemski should come off the bench, but that doesn't mean the 21-year-old can't play a vitally important role as the Warriors sixth man.
4. Jonathan Kuminga
There may have been some foul issues and defensive concerns, but if Jonathan Kuminga's aim is to prove to Kerr that he can be a starting small forward, then he definetly emerged
The key question is whether Kuminga can shoot the ball well enough to play alongside Draymond Green and one of Trayce Jackson-Davis or Kevon Looney? It's a one-game sample size but the fourth-year forward looked confident on Wednesday, never hesistating in finishing 4-of-7 from beyond the arc on his way to 16 points in 20 minutes.
There's a long way to go before Kuminga starts earning the respect of opposing defenses from the perimeter, but this was an encouraging start to his hopes of being the small forward he's spoken about.
While it was mainly positives for the Warriors, let's have a look at three players who may have been disappointed with Wednesday's outcome from an individual standpoint.