Well that was fun. The Golden State Warriors made NBA history on Monday night, by becoming the first team to start 0-3 and follow it up with an eight-game winning streak. And they certainly did it in emphatic style, as they positively crushed the New Orleans Pelicans, ending their home-stand with a 138-87 victory that was every bit as lopsided as the score would suggest.
Needless to say, the grades are going to be good for this one. As always, my grades are based on my personal expectations for each
player, with a “B” grade representing that player’s average performance.
Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Monday’s games, league-average TS was 57.1%.
Gui Santos
21 minutes, 3 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 3 fouls, 0-for-3 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 3-for-4 free throws, 31.5% TS, +21
You gotta love Gui. Even in a game where the Warriors were pouring in points faster than a bartender pours shots, Santos was content to just help out doing the little things. He attacked the glass and did a swell job of keeping the ball moving. He repeatedly found the open man and ended up with four dimes and zero turnovers. He was a big part of the strong defensive performance.
He just does all the little things, and even though it doesn’t always come with offense, you can happily live with that on this team.
Grade: B+
Yaxel Lendeborg
27 minutes, 23 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 8-for-10 shooting, 4-for-4 threes, 3-for-4 free throws, 97.8% TS, +34
Yeah. I think we have a star on our hands, friends. I don’t think Lendeborg is good, or even really good, or even has the potential to be a star. I think he is a star, point blank. It’s only been 11 games but that’s abundantly clear.
There was some Steph Curry in Yax’s game on Monday, in that he seemed to relish the opportunity to rip a team’s soul out. So often you see rookies get sloppy when playing in a blowout. At best they hog the ball and put on their own show; at worst, they check out because the outcome is determined.
But stars like Curry lock in. They want the win to be as lopsided as possible. They want to crush the other team’s spirit and make it clear that they’re not in the same league (except, you know … in the literal sense). And they want to make sure that they’re the one who does the damage.
Lendeborg, it seems, has that gene. He didn’t try to do to much, even when the Dubs led by 20, or 30, or 40, or 50. There were no reckless heat checks or audacious dunk attempts. Instead, he just locked in like it was a tied game, and went after the Pelicans in every part of the game.
And he dominated them in the process.
Grade: A+
Draymond Green
21 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 1-for-1 shooting, 100.0% TS, +32
Shot check! Green is up to 27 field goal attempts in nine games. There was some offseason chatter that Steve Kerr wanted Green to shoot more (specifically threes), and then it turned out the Warriors offense was good enough that Dray could be super selective, and focus on the three things he does brilliantly on that end of the court: passing the ball, setting screens, and making sure that everything runs through Curry.
Green has really been an offensive asset this year, which is a testament to his patience and playmaking, but also to the players around him. Having four shooters on the court at almost all times certainly helps there as well.
Defensively, Dray played well, though we were robbed of getting to see him defend Zion Williamson, as the Pelicans’ star got the night off. Oh well; they’ll meet again in a week.
Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists.
Brandin Podziemski
26 minutes, 25 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 10-for-19 shooting, 5-for-11 threes, 65.8% TS, +36
Lest you get too caught up in the Yaxel hype, Podziemski is here to remind you that there’s more than one early-20s Warrior with a fun European name who just might be a star. This was Podz at his very best. He was all over the court in a blur of chaos, on both ends of the court. He attacked on offense, while also popping out time and time again, and hiding behind screens, to show off his jumper … which looks a lot better this year (he’s 25-for-62 from deep so far this year).
In a fast and frantic game in which Podziemski seemed to have the ball in his hands a lot, he went a whole game with nary a turnover nor a foul.
It really feels like his offense is far more in control this year. He’s always had creativity and unique explosiveness, but this year he’s harnessed it far better than in year’s past. Can you remember a single shot he’s taken this season that has made you scratch your head or yell at the TV (except in a positive way)? I can’t. He’s just unbelievably in control, and fully coming into his own.
Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in points; best plus/minus on the team.
Steph Curry
21 minutes, 25 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 6-for-10 shooting, 4-for-7 threes, 9-for-9 free throws, 89.5% TS, +32
Here’s a fun question: who’s enjoying the Lendeborg and Podziemski breakouts more, Curry or Kerr? Steph is clearly having the time of his life playing with these invigorating youngsters. And more importantly, you can see the relief in not having to carry the team on his shoulders night in and night out, and possession in and possession out.
The way that Curry is picking his spots is honestly a little reminiscent of when Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant were on the team. Curry knows he can step into his easier roles — playing the distributing point guard, or just using his gravity to space the defense out — and the offense will still function well. And then, when the time comes — if the team’s in trouble, or he wants to put a nail in the coffin, or he just wants to have a little fun — he goes into supersduperduperstar mode.
He’s averaging more than a point per minute with a true-shooting percentage well into the 70s. And it looks sustainable because he’s not having to kill himself out there. I should give him an A+ but i can’t justify a perfect grade for someone I know can — and will — pop off for 50.
Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in points.
De’Anthony Melton
26 minutes, 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 5-for-11 shooting, 4-for-8 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 67.3% TS, +20
Melton had a little bit of a slow start to the season, but new he is absolutely picking it up. He’s firing on all cylinders right now, and just making everything work. He has so much veteran savvy and poise … he plays with a little bit of that old man game where everything is slow, but then he displays these little bursts when they’re needed, to turn a rebound into a transition opportunity, or cut to the hoop, or strip a driving opponent. There’s more than a little bit of Andre Iguodala in his game, that’s for sure.
Like Curry, Melton has really been excelling at picking his spots this year, and that goes for both offense and defense. In this one, he came in with the bench unit and helped turn a solid lead into a blowout, and he never took his foot off the gas.
Grade: A
Al Horford
15 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 2 fouls, 2-for-5 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 50.0% TS, +29
I’m just so happy that Horford is on this team. What a treat he is to watch. He never seems to make a poor play or be out of position, and sometimes he just goes on little flurries, such as what he did at the start of the second quarter to help ensure that this game would stay a blowout. He had five stocks in 15 minutes. He had six assists — as a center — in 15 minutes. It’s just comical how frequently he makes the right play.
I said when the Warriors signed him before last year that he was the perfect player for Kerr, and I think that dramatically undersold it.
Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists.
Georges Niang
19 minutes, 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, 4-for-7 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 64.3% TS, +8
Just another quietly exceptional day at the office for Niang. He shows up, he stirs things up, he drains some threes, he makes some extra passes, he plays some defense, and he celebrates a win. Good life.
Grade: B
Brandon Williams
2 minutes, 4 points, 2-for-3 shooting, 66.7% TS, +4
Williams was only on the court for 99 seconds, but he changed the game in that brief time with the quickness with which he got down the court and attacked the basket. Unfortunately, he aggravated his hamstring in the first quarter, and was ruled out for the rest of the game. Hopefully he won’t be sidelined for too long.
Grade: P for Please get healthy soon
Post-game bonus: Tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.
Charles Bassey
18 minutes, 12 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 6-for-8 shooting, 75.0% TS, +18
With every passing game, Bassey makes it easier and easier to forget that Kristaps Porziņģis was supposed to be a part of this team. He only needed 18 minutes to nab a double-double and have one of the nastiest blocks you’ll see all season. We knew he had skills, but the way he’s able to fully control the paint — in terms of scoring, defending, and rebounding — is shocking.
Grade: A+
LJ Cryer
20 minutes, 10 points, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 4-for-9 shooting, 2-for-6 threes, 55.6% TS, +13
Cryer was forced into duty early on, after Williams’ injury. And he responded quite well. He scores in a different way than Williams does, but he sure can be a lightning rod as well. His jump shot is so slick, and I love the way he works into the defense, and then retreats … it reminds me a little bit of Jameer Nelson, or honestly, even Chris Paul.
This team is deep enough that Cryer is probably only going to get opportunities in situations like this, but it was great seeing him make the most of it.
Grade: B+
Graham Ike
12 minutes, 4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 2-for-4 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 50.0% TS, +4
Cryer got the most minutes of the two-way players in this game due to Williams’ injury, but Ike remains the two-way contract most capable of helping the team on a nightly basis. There aren’t many minutes for him now — he was limited to extended garbage time in this game — but you can see why Kerr is so excited to get him out there, and believes he can help. He does so many good things on the court.
Grade: A-
Post-game bonus: Tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.
Malevy Leons
12 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 0-for-1 shooting, 0.0% TS, +4
Nice to see Leons get some serious run. Like Ike, he played the entire fourth quarter since the Warriors were up by 47 points going into the final frame. He did some nice things out there.
Grade: B
Post-game bonus: Tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.
Monday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, Kristaps Porziņģis, Will Richard
