Former Thunder Erupts in Primetime Tuesday Night Slot

Oklahoma native and former Thunder Lindy Waters III got an opportunity to showcase his value on Tuesday night for the Warriors, and he thoroughly impressed the audience at the Chase Center.

Oct 29, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Lindy Waters III (43) holds onto the ball next to New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

For three full seasons, Lindy Waters III sat at the end of the Oklahoma City Thunder's rotation and waited his turn. In his 104 games for the team from Bricktown, Waters III only garnered one start and declined in points and minutes drastically each year as the team got deeper and continued to progress -- and that didn't involve Waters III.

As an Oklahoma native, he was forced to leave his home state to head to Golden State as he was traded in the offseason for the 52nd draft pick in 2024, which would then be used to acquire Ajay Mitchell. Waters III hadn't found much time for the Warriors in three games, but he was getting some run. Five and seven minutes, respectively, throughout the first two games followed by just a minute in the team's third contest of the season, it's appeared as though he'd be caught in the same situation as he was in OKC.

Without Stephen Curry and a struggling Buddy Hield in the first half on Tuesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, Waters III was given ample time to impart his impact and show head coach Steve Kerr his capabilities.

In 31 minutes, Waters III electrified fans with a 61.5% shooting night to post 21 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a steal, and also adding three treys. Once he got going and Hield made his way back onto the floor, they fed off each other like a second coming of the Splash Bros, with Hield having 19 points in the fourth and ending with 28 points and seven threes on the night.

This is a stepping stone for Waters III, and could very well lead to greater opportunity on this Golden State squad.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.