There are two ways to look at the 101-98 victory of the Golden State Warriors over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, which gave Dubs a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
The first point is that the Warriors played a terrible attack and were lucky enough to escape with a victory against the Grizzlies, missing Ja Morant. The second point is that the Warriors played a great defense and achieved a tough victory.
The truth is certainly in the middle. It was a dramatic match with some terrible performances and it was too close for comfort, but Golden State deserves an excellent performance in defense.
But overall it wasn’t a very good performance. So let’s take out some healthy doses of red pen and evaluate the players, weighing our expectations for each.
Note: The league’s average true shooting rate (TS) was 56.6% this season.
Draymond Green
33 minutes, 2 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 5 fouls 1 against 2 shots, 50.0% TS, +6
For the fourth time in a row, the Warriors beat Memphis. This is pretty amazing considering the size difference between the two teams, especially now that Stephen Adams is back.
Green was a big part of it, and it certainly was on Monday night.
And despite all the Warriors’ struggles, their defense was truly sensational. They kept Memphis up to 41.7% shooting, including 25.7% off, and never allowed the Grizzlies into the hole. Green was the person most responsible for this.
But he really didn’t do much of that.
Rating: B
Post-game bonus: Lead the wrestling team.
Jonathan Cumming
5 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 block, -5
I will be curious to see who will start for match 5 on Wednesday, after Cumming got the start, but played only five minutes. His stats were good given the limited minutes, but he was a little too careless and out of control for this match.
Rating: C
Andrew Wiggins
39 minutes, 17 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 2 reversals, 7-for-13 shots, 1-for-5 threes, 2-for-3 free throws, 59.4% TS, + 12
If you have to name a player in the game, it’s Wiggins. It’s really not very close either, and I don’t want to think about where the Warriors would be in this game – or series – without Wiggs.
His defense was phenomenal, but he didn’t commit a single foul. He devoted himself entirely to glass and played a huge role – I would say the biggest role – in the Warriors’ victory in this battle.
He didn’t make his threes, but his attack was very strong. Just another exceptional game from Wiggins, which was remarkable in this series.
Rating: A
Post-game bonus: Leads the team to plus / minus.
Steph Curry
38 minutes, 32 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 3 rebounds, 3 fouls, 10-for-25 shots, 4-for-14 threes, 8-for-9 free throws, 55.3% TS, + 6
Curry really struggled to find his offensive rhythm in this game and I think it’s safe to say that he will be quite happy when this series is over (assuming the Warriors win) and he can face a different defense . Memphis really defends him better than any team in the NBA.
Although his shot didn’t fall, Curry still had a big game after a big game in the fourth quarter when the Dubs overcame a 12-point deficit to win the game.
He made eight free throws in the last 45.7 seconds, tied the game, took the lead, kept the lead and tied the game. And he threw the ball well all night … to have eight assists when the team shoots so weak is quite impressive.
Rating: B-
Post-game bonus: Lead the team in points and assists.
Clay Thompson
38 minutes, 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 3 reversals, 6-for-20 shots, 0-for-7 three-pointers, 2-for-2 free throws, 33.5% TS, – 3
Lively rebound effort and strong protection from Clay. Everything else? Uh … yes.
We hope the Dubs get things done on Wednesday so Clay can rest and get back on track before the conference finals.
Rating: D +
Otto Porter Jr.
26 minutes, 12 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 reversal, 3 fouls, shooting 4 for 7, 4 against 6 three-pointers, 85.7% TS, +4
Porter felt a little late for stretching during the regular season. Now? It’s hard to imagine where the Warriors would be without him.
He shoots 4-for-6 from a distance of three points. His teammates shot 5-for-31 together.
As he has done in the last few games, he has done little of everything, playing quality defense in multiple positions, keeping the ball moving well, introducing the Warriors to their sets, hitting and boxing. When the Warriors waved, Porter seemed to have an answer.
Rating: A
Caven Looney
15 minutes, 8 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turn, 1 foul, 3-for-5 shots, 2-for-2 free throws, 68.0% TS, -3
The Warriors will take 8 points and 9 rebounds in 15 minutes from Luni (or almost everyone), eight days a week. He stays ready and really made an impact in this game when his number was called.
Rating: A
Damien Lee
13 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, shooting 1 for 6, threes 0 for 2, 16.7% TS, -7
I have no problem with Mike Brown turning to Lee in this game. Since the Warriors’ attack was terrifying, it made sense to put in a shot and a shooter to see what he could do. Unfortunately, it didn’t work, and Lee didn’t provide much of anything else. But the thought process was quite stable.
Rating: D
Post-game bonus: The team’s worst plus / minus.
Jordan Poole
32 minutes, 14 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 reversals, 3 fouls, shooting 4-for-12, 0-for-3 threes, 6-for-6 free throws, 47.8% TS, +5
Poole did a good job of finding alternative ways to influence the game in this one. When he couldn’t get clean shots, he found ways to make games for teammates. When he couldn’t hit, he attacked and reached the free throw line. He demonstrated a diverse skill pack that allowed him to help the Warriors win, even on days like Monday when he wasn’t playing very well.
He also had some key games down.
Rating: C +
DNPs on Monday: Nemanja Belica, Moses Moody, Juan Toscano-Anderson
Inactive on Monday: Andre Iguodala, James Wiseman
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