Warriors Report Card: Player grades for Warriors’ win over OKC Thunder
The Golden State Warriors got back to winning ways Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder on top of some supreme ball movement and a consistent defensive effort from every corner of their roster. After narrowly beating the Thunder last week 106-98, the Warriors breezed past the young OKC squad 103-82 in front of a costume-clad crowd at Chase Center to improve to 5-1 on the season.
Forward Draymond Green completely turned around his offensive game Saturday, leading the Warriors with pace and aggression in transition. He nearly finished with a triple-double in just over 25 minutes of action.
Overall, the Warriors did turn over the ball 15 times on the night, but that number is a tad deceiving as the starting five were responsible for just five of those. The team also dished 30 assists on the night.
Golden State shot the ball fairly well, hitting on 42.4% of their field goals and 40.4% of their three-point looks. They out-shot the Thunder from deep by a 21 to eight margin, holding Oklahoma City to a measly 20.5%.
The Warriors played well up and down the roster, so here are some player grades from their win Saturday.
Steph Curry: B+
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After putting up 36 points in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, guard Steph Curry took more of a backseat in the first half against the Thunder. He had just five points on 2-for-6 shooting after the opening 24 minutes but drew enough attention from the opposing defense where other players could score instead.
Then once the third quarter came along, Curry turned it on big time. He laced five threes in the third quarter, bringing his scoring total to 20 points on the night where it would land. He did not play in the fourth quarter as head coach Steve Kerr gave some of the younger players some burn.
He shot 7-for-16 from the floor and 6-for-13 from three with six assists and five rebounds in the win. A solid night but not a crazy game for Steph.
Draymond Green: A+
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The Warriors’ early offense stopped and started with Green. He hunted the basket from tip, finishing a pair seemingly in a flash. He ran the floor for a jam on a full-court pass from Curry, hit a three and swapped assists with Jordan Poole all in the first quarter.
Green was tidy with his shot selection, hitting 6-of-8 of his field-goal attempts. He got his first double-double of the season with 14 total points and 11 rebounds – he also got eight assists and a block as well.
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Forward Andrew Wiggins turned in an incredibly efficient three-point shooting effort at the Chase Center, hitting his first four of the contest before finally missing one in the third quarter. His inside the arc shooting was not nearly as good, going 1-for-8, but his 14 points were key.
Wiggins gets the B for his struggles converting on the inside and a lack of rebounding, grabbing just two all game. He did his job as a second scorer, though, without taking up too many shots.
Jordan Poole: B
AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
Poole provided some energy Saturday as he zipped around the court trying to make things happen. He contributed 14 points, four assists and three rebounds in 31 minutes – the most of any Warrior – but was not the most efficient from deep. He hit a three in the second quarter to end a 0-for-16 cold streak from three-point range, according to the Warriors broadcast.
Poole had a solid night. There is some room for improvement in his shooting if he is going to be taking 15 shots a night, but still good.
Kevon Looney: A
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Kevon Looney did exactly what is asked of him every night, he filled up the paint and largely stayed out of the way offensively. When he did shoot the ball, though, he put it away. He had seven points on 3-for-4 shooting with seven rebounds and three blocks. That is a stellar night for the sixth-year center out of UCLA.
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33-year-old Nemanja Bjelica had a decent night, grabbing eight boards in 20 minutes of play. He did not add much to the score line, with just six points on 2-for-7 shooting, but got three assists and finished with a plus-minus of plus-19.
Andre Iguodala: B-
AP Photo/Nate Billings
Even in his 17th season, Iguodala can still jump out of the gym. The forward grabbed 10 boards on the night and even attempted a wild off-the-backboard, one-handed slam after a foul was called in the second quarter. He did not score on three shot attempts but did pick up a pair of assists.
Otto Porter: A
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Steve Kerr and the Warriors coaching staff need to figure out a way to get Otto Porter more shots if he is going to keep up with his production from the last two games. On just six attempts, Porter nailed a pair of long twos in the first half before hitting two threes in the fourth quarter. He finished with 10 points in 17 minutes of action.
Moses Moody: B-
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Rookie Moses Moody came into Saturday with just about 10 minutes played in his young career, but more than doubled that against the Thunder. He scored a not-so-efficient six points off the bench, but many of his missed shots came in the fourth quarter alongside other deep-rotation players. He provided a nice energy and outside threat for OKC to worry about, hitting his first three before missing the next four attempts.
Chris Chiozza: B-
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Guard Chris Chiozza surprisingly played a number of minutes next to Steph Curry Saturday. He attempted all five of his shots from beyond the arc, hitting two. He was an active passer and crashed the boards a bit in his 16 minutes, overall a decent job.
Jonathan Kuminga: Incomplete
AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
While rookie Jonathan Kuminga did not quite hit the cut-off to be graded under normal circumstances, but Saturday was his NBA debut so he deserves to be noted. His six minutes were not quite enough to give a grade of any real meaning, so for now he gets an incomplete.
Kuminga secured his first career points, with a three-ball with 2:19 on the clock in the fourth but was forcing shots a bit. He finished 1-for-4 with a steal but turned it over twice and had two personal fouls.
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