SAN FRANCISCO -- Recent injuries to Stephen Curry, D'Angelo Russell and Draymond Green were supposed to doom Golden State for the foreseeable future.
For most of Saturday's game at Chase Center, the remaining roster didn't get the memo, losing to the Charlotte Hornets 93-87 despite putting up a valiant effort.
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After taking a one-point lead in the final minutes, Golden State failed to get offensive rebounds on consecutive missed free throws by the Hornets.
In recent weeks, Warriors coach Steve Kerr has opted to simplify both his offensive and defensive schemes to cater to his young roster. For the moment, the young team earned his trust in a scrappy performance.
Young guns deliver
With injuries mounting, Golden State's young core has been forced into a larger role than expected. On Saturday, they responded.
Golden State Warriors
Eric Paschall scored 12 of his 25 points in the first half, including a poster dunk over Cody Zeller in the second quarter. Ky Bowman, one of Golden State's two two-way players, finished with 16 points, adding seven rebounds and four assists in his first career start, helping the Warriors take a 55-50 halftime lead.
In this simplified offense, the Warriors are running more pick-and-rolls rather than its traditional motion offense. In the win, the strategy worked as Golden State's maturation continues.
Perimeter Defense Steps Up
For much of the season, the Warriors have struggled to find any defensive cohesion. The trend changed on Saturday evening as the Warriors held Charlotte the to just 17 percent from 3-point range.
Entering the matchup, Charlotte was the league's top 3-point shooting team, making 41.9 percent of their shots from beyond the arc.
Miles Bridges -- one of the Hornets leading scorers -- made just one of 10 shots from the field.
Since training camp, Kerr has been trying to find some continuity on the defensive end despite eight new additions. If Saturday was any indication, the defensive output is trending upward.
Glenn Robinson III
The six-year forward's performance has been much maligned over the first month of the season, garnering criticisms of his offensive production.
Against the Hornets, Robinson had his best game of the season, finishing with 16 points and adding eight rebounds.
During the summer, Robinson was signed for his 3-point shooting and defensive potential. With injuries mounting, he'll need to show more of those attributes as the season wears on.