The Golden State Warriors may have lost on Wednesday night to the Miami Heat, but they got a great performance out of point guard Pat Spencer whose solid showing could spell trouble for Brandin Podziemski going forward.
The Warriors were without Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and Al Horford on Wednesday, leaving them with little chance of them winning against a superior Heat team. Yet Spencer at least gave the Warriors a chance with how he played, with the visitors going into the fourth-quarter with a two-point lead.
Pat Spencer making push for more playing time with Warriors
Spencer played 32 solid minutes for Golden State and made five of 13 shots from the field, but he also had 13 assists and eight rebounds in what was almost one of the most remarkable triple-doubles you'd ever see.
He played point guard for much of the night for the Warriors and proved a good facilitator. Golden State, as a team, did not shoot great in the game, but Spencer was still able to find open teammates in good spots.
He also brought his vintage fiery personality to the game as wasn't afraid to mix it up with other players, with Warrior fans learning that last season when he delivered a head butt in the playoffs against the Houston Rockets.
Spencer usually doesn't get much playing time unless it's in garbage minutes, but Wednesday's performance certainly made a strong case for him to get more opportunity in Steve Kerr's rotation going forward.
When you compare the way he played to Brandin Podziemski, it became clear that in some ways Spencer could be a better facilitator as a backup point guard as opposed to the 22-year-old who had just two assists on the night.
Podziemski made just six of his 19 shots and scored 20 points, but the Warriors were -13 with him on the floor while they were a +10 in Spencer's minutes. This does not mean the Warriors should just give up on the young Podziemski who's been carving out a nice role for himself off the bench, but it's still interesting to consider that without Curry on the floor, Spencer could be a better facilitator if that is what Steve Kerr wants within the offense.
Of course, when Curry isn't on the floor that usually means Jimmy Butler is, and as a result the offense is usually running through him. That means Spencer may not get a ton of chances if everyone is healthy, but the way he played against the Heat should be rewarded with more opportunities down the road especially when the Warriors are resting their stars.