Well, the season is over. After teasing us with a throwback performance for the ages on Wednesday, the Golden State Warriors completely and utterly ran out of fuel on Friday, losing to the Phoenix Suns 111-96 in a game that was a constant uphill battle.
And with that, the offseason begins. But not before we get to one final bit of in-season content: the last player grades of the year.
As always, grades are based on my expectations of each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance
for that player. If my grades seem overly lenient, well … that’s probably because they are. Grading the elimination game in a season feels a bit like handing out a grade for a boring requirement course to a senior that’s graduating in three days. Grading harshly is kind of missing the point. So we’ll be a little nice to everyone, because why dwell on the parts that need improvement when there’s no season left to improve?
Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. League-average TS this season was 58.1%.
Gui Santos
30 minutes, 9 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 4-for-8 shooting, 0-for-3 threes, 1-for-2 free throws, 50.7% TS, -8
Santos looked pretty overmatched in this game. There were a lot of poor decisions, and times where he was either doing too much or doing too little. I said this in Wednesday’s grades, but it’s easy to forget just how inexperienced he still is. This is all part of the learning process, and the mental fortitude he has to maintain his energy levels even when making mistakes is admirable. This was a great season for him, it just ended on a low note.
Grade: C
Draymond Green
36 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 5 turnovers, 6 fouls, 2-for-4 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 1-for-2 free throws, 51.2% TS, -13
Green provided the biggest highlight of the game for the Warriors. Unfortunately, it’s a sign of how the game went, that the highlight came during a dead ball situation, with outcome already decided.
After Green left the game in the final minutes as Steve Kerr waived the white flag, he started jawing with Devin Booker from the bench. Somewhere, Klay Thompson was surely smiling. After the teams started tussling a little bit, Scott Foster — the butt of many an NBA joke — tried to calm the waters by ejecting both Green and Booker. Ever the entertainer, Green mocked Foster by doing an over-the-top reenactment of Foster’s ejection, before walking off the court smiling, egging the crowd on.
What a Draymondian way to go. And what a memorable end to an otherwise forgettable season.
Grade: C
Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists.
Kristaps Porziņģis
15 minutes, 11 points, 1 rebound, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 3-for-5 shooting, 2-for-3 threes, 3-for-4 free throws, 81.4% TS, -22
Porziņģis was listed as questionable up until the game started, and it was immediately clear that if it were a regular season game, he wouldn’t have been playing. He simply was not healthy, but he toughed it out to give the team some minutes.
It was a gutsy performance, and it featured a few highlight plays on offense. But he just didn’t have it, and all you can do is tip your cap that he left it on the floor.
Grade: A for toughness
Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.
Brandin Podziemski
39 minutes, 23 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 2 fouls, 9-for-17 shooting, 3-for-5 threes, 2-for-3 free throws, 62.8% TS, -5
It was fitting that Podziemski, who finished the season having played all 84 games, ended the year by leading the team in minutes in the elimination game. It was just that season for him.
Podz started slow, but ended the game as one of the only bright spots on the floor for the Warriors. No one else could get anything going on offense, yet he continued to get buckets. He fought all night, and led both teams in rebounding. Tough until the very end. The Warriors needed some people to step up, and Podziemski did (he also should have had 25 points and only three turnovers, but got called for an erroneous traveling violation on a layup).
Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points and rebounds.
Steph Curry
36 minutes, 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, 4-for-16 shooting, 3-for-10 threes, 6-for-6 free throws, 45.6% TS, -13
Curry went over his minutes restriction on Wednesday, and carried the team. And he paid for it on Friday.
Credit the Suns for a great defensive plan and strong defensive execution. But this one was first and foremost about Curry running out of gas, as the Warriors ran out of gas. It was so clear that Steph wasn’t healthy in this game. He wasn’t moving as quickly or confidently as usual, and he abandoned so much of the off-ball movement that makes him so dangerous. He even was limping on a few possessions.
Again: credit to the Suns. Not trying to take anything away from them. But that wasn’t the Curry we know and love. That was a Curry who played through being 50% to give his team a chance to win.
Grade: Who cares, just rest up for a few months
Gary Payton II
26 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 fouls, 2-for-4 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 50.0% TS, -10
Payton had some tremendous passes in this game, and helped right the ship on a few occasions. He also had a lot of fouls. It was nothing special, but a pretty solid game for him.
Grade: B
De’Anthony Melton
28 minutes, 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 5-for-10 shooting, 2-for-4 threes, 4-for-4 free throws, 68.0% TS, -9
As was the case so many times over the past few months, Curry wasn’t healthy and the Warriors needed a lot from Melton to make up for it. And he provided it. Melton kept the Warriors afloat with a monster game off the bench, scoring all over the court, directing the offense, and fighting like hell on defense and the glass. He gave everything he had to give, and the Warriors sure will miss him if he’s playing elsewhere next season.
Grade: A
Al Horford
26 minutes, 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 3-for-8 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 50.7% TS, -3
Horford couldn’t quite find the magic that he harnessed on Wednesday. But his, too, was a gutsy performance, as he played 26 minutes due to Porziņģis’ ailment. If Horford were being honest, I’m guessing he’d say that he’s not fully healthy, either. It was just that season. But he gave it everything he had, despite the circumstances. If he’s one-and-done with the Warriors, then we’ll always have Wednesday. But don’t be surprised if he’s back next year.
Grade: B+
Pat Spencer
1 minute, 2 points, 1-for-2 shooting, 50.0% TS, +2
A great season comes to a close with just a glimpse of garbage time for Spencer. He proved he’s an NBA player this year, and that’s exciting.
Post-game bonus: Tied for the best plus/minus on the team.
Charles Bassey/Will Richard/Seth Curry
1 minute, 0 points, +2
Just a touch of garbage time with no stats for this trio.
Post-game bonus: Tied for the best plus/minus on the team.
The trio
It was a touching moment, late in the game, when Green, Curry, and Kerr huddled in plain sight. With all their arms around each other, Kerr spoke words to each, then brought them in for a three-way hug, before exiting and letting the two Hall of Famers embrace.
The following days, weeks, and perhaps even months will result in a lot of speculation, rumors, reports, and opinions, as we have no idea what the future holds. Kerr said after the game that he’ll take “a week or two” to think about his future, but stressed that he still loves coaching. Green said he wants to continue his career with the Warriors. Curry stressed that he has a few more seasons left in him.
Hopefully we get a 13th year with this trio. But if not, it’s been an unforgettable journey.
Grade: A+
Friday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody, Quinten Post
