3 observations from the Draymond-less Warriors beating the Jazz

SAN FRANCISCO – Maybe it should have been animated conversation from Steve Kerr early in the first half to light a fire under the Golden State Warriorsbut all’s well that ends well as the Dubs took down the Utah Jazz in a comfortable 134-117 victory.

“That was just the beginning, I thought our defense was pretty good after that,” Kerr said after the game when asked about what his frustrations were about during that quick timeout. GKerr cited their defensive mistakes when Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen pulled away despite the Warriors having a special emphasis on stopping them.

“We just lost focus, so I wanted to gently remind them that we need to focus more.”

The Warriors really focused more. After trailing 35-26 late in the first quarter, they outscored Utah 80-49 in the second and third quarters, with the defense stepping up and the offense finding its flow. Stephen Curry he finished with 31 points, his seventh 30-point game of the season, shaking off a slow start from him and the team that started the game.

“We wanted to start off better than we did, but we responded after that quick timeout,” Curry said. “Coach (Kerr) lit a fire under us, and I’m glad we responded as a unit. We know we can play better, but it’s nice to have some offensive rhythm tonight.”

Golden State made 104 shots, marking the first time they’ve surpassed 100 field goal attempts this season, draining 49% of those attempts. It was a strong night against a team the Warriors should definitely handle comfortably. Regardless, here are three observations about Golden State’s win.

GP2 entered the Draymond Green the role of facilitator

With Green out, Steve Kerr turned into a veteran Gary Peyton II to do his best Draymond Green’s impression when the team came out with a slight sprain of the foot.

The 6-foot-2 guard who really plays more like a super-small forward tallied nine points, six rebounds and a team-high eight assists as Golden State used him as a facilitator looking for guys to work on their off-ball actions. Working on Curry especially helped Peyton succeed, as the gravity drawn by the greatest dart of all time freed the versatile Swiss army knife.

“Me and GP have such great chemistry,” Curry said. “He’s a very unique player in terms of how the opposing team chooses to compete against him. Our pick-and-roll options, off-ball options, we just know where each other is. And when he shoots the ball when he gets those looks, it always helps. Nobody can do what Draymond does, but GP does it all by himself with his athleticism, DHO (DHO). make the defense pay off that way.”

Steph Curry asked about Gary Payton II stepping up to fill some of the backup duties without Draymond Green:

“No one can do what Draymond does, but GP does it all by himself with his athleticism to get downhill, DHO, set good screens and make defenses that way.” pic.twitter.com/KV8UMukcdK

— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) November 25, 2025

Peyton is a textbook example of how to always get minutes on the Warriors. If you know how to play with Curry and your skill complements the attention he demands from opponents, you will always see action on the hardwood. Kerr has said multiple times this season that Payton looks his best against Curry. It’s a combination that makes sense.

And that’s significant, not only because Green could miss more time, but also because Kerr is looking for the right combinations. He’s been beating that drum all season. That’s significant for his quarterback rotation and who gets the right amount of playing time.

Brandin Podziemski sat out the entire 2nd quarter

Speaking of playing time and the rotation, Brandin Podziemski had another rough night. The third-year guard sat the entire second quarter, when Golden State went on a 21-0 run to take control of the game. Kerr was visibly frustrated with Podziemski after he allowed a wide open George 3-pointer while roaming in no man’s land in their zone defense around the 1:57 mark of the first quarter.

And while he eventually came back midway through the third quarter and played better defensively, it wasn’t like his offense was a silver lining. He finished with 6 points on 1-of-4 shooting, along with five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

It was just a rough start for the former No. 19 pick out of Santa Clara in a year with high (perhaps unfair) expectations for him. His on/off numbers aren’t terrible by any means – the team allows 11.7 fewer points per 100 possessions when he plays, which is second on the team. Podziemski also leads the league in scoring, with seven so far this season.

But it’s his offense that’s really struggling to make a jump this season. Golden State scores 3.3 fewer points per 100 possessions when Podziemski is on the floor, which is a league-low 33rd percentile. He was hesitant for most of this season. A lot of bounced catch-and-shoot threes. Lots of dribbling into trouble and getting stuck between the perimeter and the paint. He just doesn’t play in rhythm.

And with a team like Golden State with guard depth aplenty, his spot in the rotation isn’t concrete. Kerr’s willingness to sit him for an entire quarter is proof of that. At his peak, he offers a unique niche of playmaking, shooting and smart defending. Right now, though, he’s not, making him expendable in the rotation.

Buddy Hield is back on track and has some great life advice

Buddy Hield, who has also had a rough season so far, has found his footing, which is important even against a team like the Jazz. Hield finished with 20 points on four 3-pointers and 8-of-13 shooting. He looked much more comfortable finding his rhythm, especially in transition. His best friend Jimmy Butler found him a few times on the pass rush, allowing him to get open looks. After the game, Hield talked about sticking to the process amid a difficult start to the season for him.

“It feels great. It’s great to see a few go down. It’s been a tough season, you know, up and down trying to figure it out,” Hield said after the game. “Hopefully I can build this one and build the next one, and take it one at a time.”

When Hield was later asked about his discovery process, he waxed philosophical about his mindset.

“It’s just life where we all go through ups and downs, and nothing is easy. I’m sure you all go through your daily struggles, and my struggles are trying to figure it out on the basketball court. That’s the fun part of it, when you figure it out, you look back on it and say, ‘Shit, it was nothing.’ There is always light at the end of the tunnel. Stay in the fight, keep fighting, keep doing what got me here, and everything will fall into place.”

That philosophy can be applied to Golden State and Hilda. Everything will fall into place offensively if Hield can get going. Those concerns Kerr expressed about rhythm will disappear if Hield can maintain his momentum.

Bonus – Golden State debuts in “The Town” jerseys.

For their City Edition jerseys this season, Golden State brought back their famous Town jerseys, honoring the city of Oakland, with a twist. Instead of the old gray and yellow jerseys, these are cream with brown and gold accents. It’s a color combination the Warriors haven’t used before. Kerr compared them to the San Diego Padres’ uniforms earlier this season.

And while I’m a traditionalist in the sense that I believe jerseys shouldn’t stray too far from their primary colors, these looked nice tonight, especially with the vintage-looking field that came with them.

Golden State won’t be wearing those Town jerseys in their big matchup with the Houston Rockets.