Hey, the Golden State Warriors won a game again. Isn’t that fun! It was a nice showing from the Dubs on Wednesday night, as they kicked off their eight-game homestand by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 120-113
in a game that was a little more convincing than the margin would suggest.
It was a team effort … but not a total team effort, as Steve Kerr trimmed the rotation to 10 players. But we need to grade those 10 players and reward them for their success. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.
Note: true-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Wednesday’s games, league-average TS was 58.2%.
Jimmy Butler III
32 minutes, 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 6-for-15 shooting, 1-for-5 threes, 8-for-9 free throws, 55.4% TS, -4
Butler hasn’t been the most efficient lately, though his ability to get to the line sure helps him out. On the year, he has a superb 64.3% TS, which is the second-highest mark he’s ever posted. But this game was less about his scoring and more about everything else. He kept the Warriors afloat when Steph Curry sat. He made critical defensive stops. And he had arguably the most important play of the game, drawing a foul on Giannis Antetokounmpo that sent the MVP to the bench with foul trouble for the final 2:30 of the first half, and sparked an 11-0 Dubs run.
He’s just such a smart player. And we’re being reminded lately that Butler, Curry, and Draymond Green really lift each other up. When one plays better, they all play better.
Grade: B+
Draymond Green
29 minutes, 14 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 5 fouls, 5-for-12 shooting, 3-for-8 threes, 1-for-2 free throws, 54.3% TS, -10
If you want to know how good of a player Antetokounmpo is, he scored 35 points on 15-for-22 shooting and I spent half the game ogling at how good Green’s defense was. Great offense beats great defense, folks!
But it really was great defense, and if it was easy to get caught up in the theatrics of it all. If I may borrow a phrase, if you don’t like watching Giannis Antetokounmpo try to score on Draymond Green, then you don’t like basketball. I wish the game were still going. Forget the rest of the players: just give me 48 minutes of Giannis at the elbow, with the ball, the court cleared out, and Draymond defending him. That was some damn fun basketball we got to watch.
Anyway, Green played quite well. The seven assists with just one turnover was huge, especially on a night when the Dubs had just 10 turnovers. He had two threes at a critical juncture in the fourth quarter to push the lead to 15 points when the Bucks had started to pose a threat. He’s playing his best basketball of the year, and my goodness do the Warriors need that.
Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists.
Quinten Post
19 minutes, 11 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 foul, 5-for-8 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 68.8% TS, -12
Post had an awesome start to the game. He drained a three on the Warriors’ second possession and then, a few minutes later, took Antetokounmpo off the dribble, pump-faked, and baby-hooked a shot in off the glass. His offense was smooth.
Not a great defensive game against a very athletic and lengthy Milwaukee squad, and the Warriors need him to contribute more on the glass. Better-than-expected offense, worse-than-expected defense … let’s call it average overall.
Grade: B
Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.
Moses Moody
28 minutes, 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 3-for-7 shooting, 3-for-6 threes, 64.3% TS, 0 +/-
Not the most dynamic game for Moody, but a damn fine one. He made the right decision on nearly every possession, on both ends of the court. He played 27 minutes and 31 seconds in an at-times frantic game and didn’t commit a single turnover or foul. He made open threes.
That works. That absolutely works.
Grade: B+
Steph Curry
34 minutes, 31 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 turnover, 12-for-21 shooting, 3-for-9 threes, 4-for-5 free throws, 66.8% TS, +16
This probably isn’t a hot take, but I have a feeling Curry is going to erupt during this extended stay at home. And he sure started things on the right foot on Wednesday night, with a borderline impeccable game.
Curry did some of his best playmaking, setting teammates up and only turning the ball over once. He was a dynamic offensive force, who took over. when it was needed: he had 16 points in the third quarter where the Warriors fully took control, and hit a nail-in-the-coffin jumper with 30 seconds remaining in the game. And he was a menace on the glass and on defense.
Maybe Giannis just brings out the best in Steph. Or maybe he’s about to go on a serious heater…
Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points, tied for the team lead in assists.
Brandin Podziemski
22 minutes, 2 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 foul, 1-for-5 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 20.0% TS, +19
Wednesday was one of the best bench performances of the year for the Warriors, and Podziemski was a huge part of it. Sure, he didn’t score well, but that’s about the only thing he didn’t do well. Podz played a stellar all-around game, and was a huge part of why the Warriors led the assist, rebounding, and turnover battles in this game. After a tough stretch, he’s really found his groove with solid play.
Grade: A-
Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.
Gui Santos
18 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 1-for-3 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 33.3% TS, +12
Between his excellent fourth quarter on Sunday and Gary Payton II’s injury, Santos was given a bigger role in this game, and entered with Podziemski as the first subs into the game. He really made the most of those minutes in the first quarter, then not so much in the second quarter, then again in the second half.
He had a few uncharacteristic mistakes, but it is impressive how often he makes the right read, and decisively at that. He understands the value of the extra pass, and he really understands the value of getting the ball to Curry. His defense remains quite strong, and was a huge part of why the Warriors won this game. I don’t think he’ll be out of the rotation again anytime soon.
Grade: B+
De’Anthony Melton
25 minutes, 22 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 8-for-12 shooting, 5-for-9 threes, 1-for-2 free throws, 85.4% TS, +4
Well friends … I think we can officially declare Melton back. Goodbye rust. Goodbye recovering ACL. He is all the way back.
He’s not gonna drain five threes or score 22 points on most nights, but uhh … well … the Warriors are going to be hard to beat when he does. He didn’t do much else in the box score, but that really doesn’t capture his contributions. He’s just such a smart and trustworthy player. He doesn’t make mistakes, he sets up the offense beautifully, and he plays perfectly within the system.
Curry, Green, and Butler finding their rhythm is the biggest thing for the Warriors. But right behind them is the rhythm of Melton and the next guy on this list…
Grade: A+
Al Horford
19 minutes, 8 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, 3-for-6 shooting, 2-for-4 threes, 66.7% TS, +9
A vintage Al Horford performance. Draining threes. Setting immovable screens. Gobbling up rebounds. Making the right read and the right pass. Bodying up post players. Somehow staying in front of perimeter players. Blocking shots. Always being in the right place and doing the right thing.
Lately Horford has been looking like the Horford the Warriors were hoping they had signed, and it’s hard to put to words just how important that is for Golden State. Elite performance.
Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds.
Will Richard
13 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 1 foul, +1
Richard didn’t make much of an impression in this game, but I remain highly impressed by his ability to avoid mistakes. There aren’t many rookies who are comfortable playing 13 minutes of action without taking a shot, let alone without making a bad pass or doing something ill-advised. He really does play like he’s been in the league for a decade.
Grade: B-
Wednesday’s DNP-CDs: Buddy Hield, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jonathan Kuminga, Pat Spencer
Wednesday’s inactives: LJ Cryer, Seth Curry, Malevy Leons, Gary Payton II
