the Golden State Warriors have a three-game winning streak! Despite the continued absences of Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins (amongst others), the Dubs are finding their groove, and Wednesday have succeeded a victory from behind above Utah Jazz.
Let’s gauge performance by weighing our expectations of each player. A “B” grade is the average performance I expect from someone.
Note: True Shot Percentage (TS) is a measure of efficiency that takes into account three-point shots and free throws. Going into Wednesday’s games, the league average was 57.7%.
Draymond Green
30 minutes, 6 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 2 for 7 shots, 2 for 6 3, 42.9% TS, +6
I think a lot of the fan base still underestimates how good Green is at this point in his career. So instead of talking about him, I’m going to let Ty Jerome do my job for me.
Despite being stoned, Draymond Green has put up two all-time defensive performances on back-to-back nights.
Yesterday Steve Kerr said he was ‘the smartest defensive player I’ve ever seen’.
Tonight, Ty Jerome gave the eulogy. pic.twitter.com/e68SiXGHaz
— Danny Emerman (@DannyEmerman) December 29, 2022
Yeah. Special.
Rating: A
Post-match bonus: Tied for team leader in assists.
Kevon Looney
26 minutes, 6 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 3-on-3 shooting, 100.0% TS, 0 over/under
Kevon Looney’s double-digit rebounding games per season:
2015-16: 0
2016-17: 0
2017-18: 1
2018-19: 6
2019-20: 0 (missed most of the season due to injury)
2020-21: 8
2021-22: 19
2022-23: 9 (in just 36 games)
Right now, Looney is doing a little — sometimes a lot — of everything.
Rating: A
Post-match bonus: Led the team in rebounds, tied for team leader in assists.
Antoine Lamb
26 minutes, 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 for 8 shooting, 1 for 5 threes, 3 for 3 free throws, 53.7% TS, -1
Lamb got his third start of the season and was doing well. I wouldn’t call him an asset or a liability in this game, he just sort of was.
Category B
Do diVincenzo
39 minutes, 19 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 5-for-11, 5-for-9 3, 4-for-4 free throws, 74.5% TS, +5
Seeing DiVincenzo get the starting minutes and find his footing with the Dubs has been the biggest silver lining to the team’s recent health issues.
What didn’t DDV do in this game? He scored at a high clip, and with great efficiency. He took care of the ball. His defense was solid. His energy was excellent.
Dubs fans miss Gary Payton II, and rightly so. But don’t let that blind you into forgetting how good DiVincenzo is.
Rating: A
Jordan Poole
36 mins, 26 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 6 turnovers, 4 fouls, 7 for 22 shots, 2 for 10 threes, 10 for 12 free throws, 47.7% TS, -1
Here’s a crazy stat: Poole has missed more free throws this year than he did last year. He always pulls off magic tricks on offense when the Warriors are compromised at this end of the field, and despite the low efficiency he landed some of the game’s biggest shots. But he also continues to struggle as a playmaker as more of the offensive load falls on his shoulders.
One assist for six turnovers is quite difficult. And yet, I don’t think the Warriors would have had a chance in this game without JP.
Grade: C+
Post-match bonus: Led the team in points.
Jonathan Kuminga
21 mins, 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 6 fouls, 3 for 9 shots, 0 for 1 threes, 3 for 5 free throws, 40.2% TS, +1
Kuminga had obvious problems in this match, including a foul in just 21 minutes (the efficiency was also poor). Still, I left the game with renewed confidence in his defensive potential.
Not a great game for him, but definitely one where he showed just how good he can be.
Grade: C+
Patrick Baldwin Jr.
13 minutes, 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 foul, shooting 4 for 7, 3 for 5 threes, 78.6% TS, +13
Will Baldwin be in the rotation once the Warriors are healthy? Highly unlikely. But his stellar performance in that game showed why the Warriors are high on him and why he could surpass Moses Moody on the depth chart at some point: he makes things happen.
He was aggressive, but intelligent, and sought his shot productively. By far the best performance of his career and hopefully a preview of what lies ahead.
Rating: A+
Post-match bonus: Led the team more/less.
James Wiseman
7 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 foul, 2-for-4 shooting, 50.0% TS, -2
Wiseman didn’t get a chance in this one he had on Christmas or Tuesday against the Charlotte Hornets. Still, his defense, showmanship and overall pitch presence are better night and day than they were at the start of the season.
Category B
Ty Jerome
30 mins, 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 5 fouls, 7 for 14 shots, 2 for 7 3, 1 for 1 free throws, 58.9% TS, +7
I was pretty hard on Jérôme in camp and at the start of the season, but he’s really starting to pull himself together. Suddenly, it is difficult to see the Warriors not guarantee his contract.
Jerome was such a spark plug in this game, with energy and timely shots. He made the attack hum, did the little things and was integral to the victory.
Rating: A
Moses Moody
13 minutes, 4 points, 1 assist, 1 interception, 2 fouls, 1 for 2 shots, 1 for 2 threes, 1 for 2 free throws, 69.4% TS, -3
As I mentioned with Baldwin, the Warriors could turn to their rookie wing instead of their sophomore at some point, due to Moody’s passivity. He’s not bad, but he also doesn’t really find ways to make a lasting impact.
Category B-
Wednesday’s DNPs: ryan rollin
Wednesday Assets: Steph Curry, JaMychal Green, Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins
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