Bench role confirmed for veteran despite hot start to Warriors career

Buddy Hield has been viewed as the most like-for-like replacement for the departed Klay Thompson, but that won't extend to taking the starting shooting guard spot vacated by the 5x All-Star.

With less than 10 days to go until the Warriors regular season opener, head coach Steve Kerr has confirmed that Hield will come off the bench so as to split his minutes with superstar guard Stephen Curry, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Buddy Hield has been in lighting form for the Warriors in preseason

Hield has made a bright start to his career in a Warrior jersey, having signed a four-year, $37.8 million contract with the franchise in July. The 31-year-old has been a flamethrower over the last three preseason games, shooting a ridiculous 70.6% from three point range which included a game-high 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

There has been a suggestion that Hield's three-point shooting could be utilized alongside Curry in the starting back court, but understandably Kerr would prefer to have one of his elite sharpshooters on the floor at all times.

That leaves a likely race in two for the starting shooting guard role, with De'Anthony Melton and Brandin Podziemski long viewed as the major candidates. Melton is firming for the role amid an impressive preseason to date, while Podziemski is expected to be setting up the likes of Hield as the backup point guard to Curry.

Some fans also view Moses Moody as a potential starting candidate given his preseason form, though any opportunity for the 22-year-old would likely come as the starting small forward in place of Andrew Wiggins.

With six players (including Hield) scoring between 12-14 points, Golden State won their fourth-straight preseason game against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. The Warriors were missing all three of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Wiggins, with the latter likely to return against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in Las Vegas.

Wiggins has missed the entire preseason after an illness during training camp, and there'll now be a major focus on whether the final two preseason games will be enough for the 2022 All-Star to be ready for a starting role by the season opener.

The other major starting lineup question surrounds whether or not the Warriors will play a genuine big next to Green, with Trayce Jackson-Davis having recorded 12 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in a starring performance against the Pistons.