The Warriors just got a massive sigh of relief, for real. Golden State guard Brandon Williams, who tweaked his left hamstring in Monday night’s win against the New Orleans Pelicans, had an MRI that found no tears or structural damage. That means no surgery, according to a source close to Williams. This is huge, especially after Steve Kerr was calling it a “big concern” right after the game.
Williams: The Sparkplug They Can’t Lose
Williams might have dodged a long-term absence, and thank goodness because the guy has been a genuine sparkplug off the bench for them. He played only two minutes Monday before having to exit, but you know how important he is. Kerr straight up said, “He’s a huge part of our team, and he’s giving us such a lift.” Williams brings this amazing blend of off-the-dribble creation and rim pressure that the Warriors’ non-Stephen Curry units have desperately needed for a few seasons now. Yeah, his jumper’s been a bit shaky, shooting 41% from the floor and 30% from three across 10 games, but he’s still dropping 10.4 points in just 16.1 minutes per game. The 2026 free-agent signee is even 13th in the whole NBA for free-throw attempts per-36 minutes, clocking in at 8.0. Imagine what he does when that jumper gets cooking.
The Injury Bug Is Hitting Harder Than Ever
But here’s the kicker: even with Williams’ good news, Golden State is battling a full-on epidemic of depth injuries right now. This team can hardly afford it, especially since they’re already missing a boatload of minutes with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody still rehabbing those knee injuries. It’s getting wild. Second-year wing Will Richard might be out for “upwards of a month” if he decides to get surgery for a torn UCL in his left thumb. And 33-year-old Gary Payton II was scratched from Monday’s game because of left knee inflammation. It’s like one thing after another. Gui Santos, the forward, has been dealing with knee tendinitis for “much of this season,” and while an MRI showed no structural damage, it’s a constant balance of rest and workload. He aggravated it first back on October 24 against Phoenix. Even when he’s out there, like Monday against the Pelicans where he put up three points, seven rebounds, and four assists in 21 minutes, you know he’s not 100%. LJ Cryer, a two-way guard, got tossed into long stretches Monday in Williams’ place, and he held his own with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting in 20 minutes against a “sleepwalking” Pelicans team. But that’s not exactly a long-term solution.
Kerr said it best before the Pelicans game: “We’re going to need him [Santos], for sure. So, we gotta find enough healthy bodies here over the next couple weeks, if Will’s going to be out.” Williams avoiding surgery is huge, but the team’s still got a seriously thin bench right now. They need to get bodies healthy, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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