2025-26 Season
LINDY WATERS III
2025-26 Season
LINDY WATERS III
PBP Credit: Every play is analyzed from play-by-play data. Scorers get difficulty-adjusted credit, assisters get creation value based on the shot opportunity they created, and turnovers are classified by type. Shot difficulty is derived from 1M+ shots across 4 seasons. Full methodology
TEAM COMPARISON
of 13 teammates (10+ games, 10+ min)
Similar Players
Same position, closest production profile this season.
SKILL DNA
Percentile rank vs 234 Forwards with 10+ games
THE SEASON SO FAR
Lindy Waters III spent the opening stretch of the 2025-26 season fighting for NBA survival, bouncing wildly between brief flashes of perimeter utility and total rotational invisibility. When his minutes went poorly, the drop-off was incredibly steep. Look at his 11/10 vs CHI outing; despite hitting a three-pointer, his impact score plummeted to -3.3 because horrific defensive lapses on back-door cuts gifted Chicago easy layups. Yet, when Waters stopped forcing the issue, he provided the exact two-way spark his team needed. During a 12/19 vs ATL matchup, he logged 17 minutes and posted a stellar +4.5 impact score. He scored just 8 points, but his value skyrocketed because he relentlessly relocated for open looks on broken plays and generated crucial extra possessions (+2.1 hustle). He replicated that winning formula on 01/02 vs IND, where flawless execution as a 3-and-D specialist yielded a massive +5.1 impact score despite modest box-score production.
This brutal mid-season stretch was defined by erratic shot selection and glaring defensive liabilities that kept Lindy Waters III anchored to the end of the bench. Even when he found a rare offensive rhythm on Mar 17 vs SAC, scoring 11 points and grabbing four rebounds in 23 minutes, his presence actively hurt the team. Opponents ruthlessly hunted him on defensive switches, generating easy straight-line drives that dragged his overall impact to a dismal -4.4. His utility evaporated entirely when he started forcing bad looks, culminating in an abysmal Mar 25 vs MEM appearance. He bricked five of his six three-point attempts, and that off-balance perimeter chucking triggered multiple opponent transition opportunities to yield a brutal -8.3 impact score. He occasionally managed to salvage a rotation shift through sheer activity, like on Mar 03 vs PHI. Despite hitting just 2-of-7 from deep for eight points, Waters generated a +2.2 impact because his frantic off-ball movement stretched the floor and created space for his teammates.
IMPACT TIMELINE
Game-by-game performance vs average. Green = above average, red = below.
Struggling. III has posted negative impact in 95% of games this season. The production rarely outweighs the cost.
Streaky shooter — only cracks 45% from the field in 40% of games. Efficiency is all over the place night-to-night.
Flat trajectory all season — first-half impact -8.2, second-half -7.9. No major shifts, which fits with the overall steadiness.
In a rough stretch — 9 straight games with negative impact. Longest cold streak this season: 16 games.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Based on 63 games with tracking data. Shows who guarded this player on offense and who he guarded on defense, with their shooting stats in those matchups.
ON OFFENSE: WHO GUARDED HIM
His shooting stats against each primary defender this season
ON DEFENSE: WHO HE GUARDED
How opponents shot when he was the primary defender. Lower FG% = better defense.
SEASON STATS
GAME LOG
40 games played
Don't miss tomorrow's analysis
GET YOUR TEAM'S BREAKDOWN
Free daily analysis with Net Impact player ratings. Delivered every morning after your team plays.
Create Free AccountAlready have one? Log in