The silver lining of a season that appears doomed to end by mid-April is that it can at least offer reasons for optimism for the next one. And that is exactly what Gui Santos and Kristaps Porzingis have been providing for the past couple of weeks: hope.
Over their eight games together this season, the pair boasts a 110.5 offensive rating and a staggering 97.3 defensive rating. For now, we’re left to imagine, but pairing them with a healthy Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry could be lethal. We’ll have to wait and see whether that proves true.
The duo combined for 55 points in the Warriors' 131-126 win over the Washington Wizards — their third victory in a row — a first since Jimmy Butler went down on Jan. 19 against Miami. In a game where the tanking Wizards had no business hanging around that long, the two international players were the catalysts in the fourth, combining for 24 points in the closing frame to propel Golden State to an important win.
Strong individual efforts fueled the win
Despite finishing with a team-high 28 points, Porzingis still feels like his jumper isn't all the way back yet, as his wrist has been bothering him: "I got lucky, crazy. No honestly it's not feeling good. You're gonna see when I get it right, there's gonna be a difference for sure," said the big man postgame.
He delivered his best shooting night from deep of the season against the Wizards, knocking down five of his 11 attempts from beyond the arc in his 10th game with the Warriors. Porzingis has now appeared in just under 50% of the possible games, playing 10 and sitting out 12 — something he credited Rick Celebrini for. “Rick is amazing. Rick is the GOAT,” Porzingis said in a post-practice press conference. While that proportion of games played wouldn't be deemed as an encouraging sign for most players, it is for someone that has topped 60 games in just three of his first 10 seasons.
Brandin Podziemski posted another 20-point double-double, his second over the last three games, while topping 20 points in three straight games for the first time this season. He added seven assists to his performance and now leads the Warriors both in total points (242) and rebounds (89) in the month of March while sharing the second place in assists (59) with Santos.
Gary Payton II had his streak of consecutive made field goals ended at 16, good for the second-longest by a Warrior since 1997-98, trailing only Trayce Jackson-Davis’ mark of 20 in 2024. One streak that remains alive, though, is his run of double-figure scoring games, as GPII chipped in 15 points in the win over the Wizards to extend it to 10 in a row.
Draymond Green recorded his fifth 10-assist game of the season while adding four rebounds, a steal, two blocks and six points on just four field-goal attempts. Interestingly, the Warriors improved to 9-4 in games when the veteran launched four or fewer shots this season.
Butler’s influence is showing in Gui Santos’ development
If there’s one upside to all the injuries the Warriors have suffered, it’s that they’ve given Gui Santos more opportunities not only to create his own shot, but also to initiate the offense. While turnovers have been a recurring issue for Santos with Curry sidelined, he committed just one against Washington on Friday and admitted that he’s trying to model that aspect of his game after Jimmy Butler.
"I learned a lot from Jimmy. He's a guy who would stop on two feet everytime he drives to the paint and after that he decides what he can do. He can go score, pass the ball, do whatever he wants to do. So watching him allowed me to try to do that right now and when you start doing that you realize how much that helps you," said Santos postgame.
Santos followed up his career night against the Nets on Wednesday with another productive outing, finishing with 27 points, four rebounds and four assists. His development will be key for the Warriors once Curry returns, whenever that may be. His ability to create his own shot and facilitate the offense could do wonders when teams will double-team Curry on nearly every possession. Combine that newfound weapon with a healthy Butler, Porzingis and Moses Moody, and the Warriors have all the tools to make some noise at some point next year.
Injury updates and what comes next
Yes, the Warriors have won three straight games, but let’s not overlook the fact those victories came against three teams more interested in losing than winning. Beating Dallas, Brooklyn and Washington is good for confidence, but the Warriors will face a much tougher test on Sunday when they travel to Denver.
Curry will not make the trip as he continues his ramp-up from a runner’s knee injury and will be re-evaluated next week, while Al Horford's calf strain is expected to sideline him for at least one more week. Both Seth Curry (adductor) and Quinten Post (foot) are considered day-to-day and could be back against the Nuggets.
With fewer than 10 games left and the schedule only getting tougher, the Warriors still have ground to make up to steal that coveted No. 8 spot. They currently trail Portland by half a game and the Clippers — who they'll face on the regular-season finale— by two.
More importantly, the odds of seeing Curry again this season are shrinking by the game. Steve Kerr admitted postgame that it has become a real conversation. He also said that if Curry is going to return, it would have to be before the Play-In Tournament starts, as the Warriors are unwilling to bring him back just for those games — and understandably so. The risk simply is not worth the reward. Risking an even more serious injury that could affect next season makes little sense given the Warriors’ current situation.