With Stephen Curry and Draymond Green getting rest Tuesday night, it was an opportunity to see what the Warriors' depth could do against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Well, it did something that probably wouldn't have happened a year or two ago: A 111-99 win over the Lakers at Staples Center with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook sharing the court.
Six Warriors finished in double-digit scoring, as Jordan Poole, once again, led the way for the Warriors with 18 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Otto Porter Jr. continued his strong preseason campaign with 16 points. Damion Lee finished with 16 points, starting in place of Curry. Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II chipped in 12 points each, and Nemanja Bjelica added 10.
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This game wasn't the dress rehearsal the Warriors may have wanted to have against the Lakers, who they open up the regular season against in a week, but it still allowed the Warriors to explore different parts of their team that will be important as they move forward.
Here are three takeaways from the second preseason meeting between the Warriors and Lakers:
What happens on a rough shooting night
The Warriors might end the season with the most three-pointers attempted, however, against the Lakers, Golden State struggled from beyond the arc.
Golden State Warriors
They shot 11-of-49 from distance, and not because they were without Curry. The Warriors have one of their deepest shooting teams in recent history with Curry, Jordan Poole, Porter Jr., Bjelica and Lee, to name a few.
So the floor spacing and deep shooting will come naturally.
What was encouraging from the Warriors in Los Angeles was their competitive play style when their shots weren't falling. Golden State outscored the Lakers in the paint 48-36 -- a big feat for a team who struggled to manage Los Angeles' size just four nights ago.
In addition to displaying an ability to get to the rim and finish, the scoring in the paint showed that Golden State isn't getting enamored by three-point shooting or turning down other opportunities to score for long-distance shots, especially if the shots are going down.
First look at Gary Payton II
After missing training camp and the first three preseason games with a hernia repair, Gary Payton II finally suited up for the Warriors at Staples Center.
Competing for the 15th roster spot, Payton made up for lost time rather quickly. In his first stint of the night in the first quarter, he had three nice scoring plays: a putback dunk, a layup, and a backdoor cut that resulted in a dunk.
Payton's defense is seen as his strongest attribute -- he had one block and one steal in Los Angeles -- however, but he's displayed some offensive qualities that fit the Warriors. His three-point shot has a long way to go but has found ways of finishing at the rim that could make him useful for Golden State. He finished the game with 12 points on five-of-seven shooting.
There's still no word that the Warriors will even fill their 15th roster spot ahead of the regular season. With the largest payroll in the league, they could wait until later in the season or the trade deadline to see what they need and who they can get. However, if they do fill the spot in the coming week, Payton's name will be in the mix.
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Mychal Mulder and Avery Bradley are the other two contenders.
The Moses Moody File
After not seeing playing time until the fourth quarter in the first three preseason games, Steve Kerr said that Moses Moody would see early action Tuesday night.
He did, as the 14th overall pick was put in with two minutes remaining in the first quarter, and picked up 10 first-half minutes. His second stint starting just under the four-minute mark in the third quarter. In his 22 total minutes, Moody went 0-for-7 from the field, including 0-for-3 from three. However, none of his shots from distance should be categorized as bad shots. For Kerr, who has given his team the green light to shoot as long as it's good, this should be a good sign that Moody didn't hesitate.
Moody also chipped in one rebound, two assists and one steal.