On Monday, the Golden State Warriors did something special. they won the second game of the road trip for the first time this season. After beating the Washington Wizards 127-118 on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Dubs improved to 2-1 on their five-game road trip and will waltz into the White House on a high note.
Then things get a lot tougher against the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday/Friday, but that’s a concern at the end of the week. For now, we celebrate the win and appreciate the players involved. Grades are weighted based on my expectations of each player, with a “B” grade representing average player performance.
Note: True Shooting Percentage (TS) is a measure of shooting efficiency that takes into account three and free throws. The league average for Monday’s games was 57.8%.
Draymond Green
35 minutes, 17 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 5-for-7 shooting, 2-for-3, 5-for-6 free throws, 88.2% TS, -4
This game had just about everything you could want from Draymond. He anchored a defense that showed more toughness than it has most of the year while on the road and put on a clinic with pass plays. Then a fan got in on him in the fourth quarter, apparently trolling Green about his Hall of Fame status.
Let me remind you of two things.
1) Draymond Green is definitely a Hall of Famer.
2) Talking to him is never a smart idea.
He responded with 11 fourth quarter points and completely dominated the frame. A mediocre first half is the only thing holding it back from a perfect score.
Class: A
Post-game bonus. Led the team in assists.
Kevon Looney
27 minutes, 2 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 1-for-3 shooting, 33.7% TS, -2
Not a bad game for Looney, but not a particularly good one. He made his mark in the first quarter when he had a whopping four offensive rebounds to help the offense find its rhythm. Then it kind of disappeared.
Grade: B-
Post-game bonus. Led the team in rebounds.
Andrew Wiggins
32 minutes, 14 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 6-for-15 shooting, 1-for-6 threes, 1-for-1 free throws, 45.3% TS , -12:00
Wiggins’ offense has really struggled since his return to the lineup. Is it rust after missing 15 straight games? Is it weakness after being sick for two weeks? Is it a mechanical problem after an injury?
Who knows. But he shot just 22-for-61 (36.1%) from the field and 5-for-26 (19.2%) in his four back-to-back three-pointers.
However, he had some really strong defensive possessions.
Grade: C+
Post-game bonus. Worst plus/minus in the team.
Steph Curry
38 minutes, 41 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, 12-for-28 shooting, 6-for-15 three-pointers, 11-for-12 free throws, 61.6% TS, +14:
I think it’s safe to say Curry was pretty pissed after committing eight turnovers in the team’s loss on Sunday. He came out with a vengeance in this one, trailing by 17 points in the first quarter alone. He then took some time off and turned on the afterburners in the fourth quarter to help the Warriors pull away in the closing moments.
He showed a bag full in this one, and the assist numbers don’t justify his passing.
Class: A
Post-game bonus. Led the team in scoring.
Jordan Poole
37 minutes, 32 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 3 fouls, 12-for-20 shooting, 7-for-13, 1-for-1, 1 free throw, 78, 3% TS, -2
I don’t need to say anything about JP because his game spoke for him. While Curry dominated the opening quarter and Green dominated the closing, Poole dominated the second quarter, scoring 26 points in the first half.
I will only say this. when Poole is in his bag, there are few players in the league more fun to watch play basketball.
Class: A
Anthony Lamb
25 minutes, 10 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 fouls, 4-for-5 shooting, 2-for-2 threes, 100.0% TS, +36
With starter (and arguably the team’s hottest player right now) Klay Thompson out, along with three bench players in Jonathan Cuminga, Andre Iguodala and JaMichal Green, the Warriors needed someone to step up to the bench. have dynamic performance.
That one was Anthony Lamb.
Grade: A+
Post-game bonus. Led the team in plus/minus.
Donte DiVincenzo
27 minutes, 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 fouls, 5-for-9 shooting, 0-for-4 three-pointers, 1-for-1 free throws, 58.3% TS, +15
DiVincenzo quickly developed into one of the team’s most consistent players. You know what you will get with him every night. the kind of energy that bounces off the bench, athleticism on the glass, tenacity on defense, some stellar assists and some scoring.
What a weapon he has become. One of the best signings in the league this offseason.
Grade: B+
Ty Jerome
14 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 fouls, 0-for-3 shooting, 0.0% TS, +2
I thought Jerome played a lot better than the stats indicated. He doesn’t have much of a role on the team when Curry, Poole and DiVincenzo are healthy, but his minutes in this game were pretty strong. He has done many plays.
Grade: B+
Moses Moody
5 minutes, 0 points, 1 foul, 0-for-1 shots, 0-for-1 threes, 0.0% TS, -2
Good aggression, but I’d like to see him get more minutes.
Grade: B
Monday’s DNPs. Patrick Baldwin Jr
Monday’s inactives. JaMichal Green, Andre Iguodala, Jonathan Kuminga, Ryan Rollins, Klay Thompson, James Wiseman
