Steph Curry, Draymond Green rated in Warriors win over Grizzlies

The Golden State Warriors continued their strong start to the season on Friday night, beating the Memphis Grizzlies 123-118 to improve to 10-2 and take over first place in West Group C of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup tournament this season.

It was a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score, but Memphis erased most of a 24-point Warriors lead once the score was settled, which they were encouraged to do since the NBA Cup uses point differential as a tiebreaker. It was also a balanced game for the Dubs, with six different players scoring in double figures and no one scoring 20 points.

Now let’s rate the players. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance of that player.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a measure of scoring efficiency that takes into account threes and free throws. Before Friday’s games, the league average TS was 57.4%.

Draymond Green

30 minutes, 13 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 5-for-11 shooting, 3-for-7 threes, 59.1% TS, +6

Just a vintage Draymond game, with his newfound three-point stroke sprinkled in.

He flirted with a triple-double, took care of the basketball, quarterbacked the offense and defense, and was a disruptive defender.

He also got his first sending off of the year, and I’ll almost give him credit for it happening during a game that was already decided.

Grade: A-
Bonus after the game: Led the team in assists, tied for the team lead in rebounds.

Lindy Waters III

11 minutes, 8 points, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 3-for-4 shooting, 2-for-3 threes, 100.0% TS, +3

In a very Steve Kerr move, Waters, who had otherwise been out of the rotation, was inserted into the starting lineup to both replace De’Anthony Melton and keep the bench rotations intact.

He got off to a rough start, beating a three-pointer for the game’s first point, but then recovered and excelled, scoring the Warriors’ first five points and having a hyper-efficient night. Unfortunately, he also landed awkwardly while blocking a shot in the second quarter, injuring his knee. He did not return.

Grade: A-

Trayce Jackson-Davis

18 minutes, 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 3-for-5 shooting, 3-for-4 free throws, 66.6% TS, -1

A lot to like from TJD in this game, including the fact that he bounced back from a tough free throw on Tuesday to play a strong game at the charity stripe. He’s really stepped up his aggression on both ends of the court lately, and it’s paying off, even if there are growing pains along the way.

Grade: B+

Andrew Wiggins

21 minutes, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 fouls, 5-for-15 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 40.9% TS, +4

Not a very good night for Wiggins, who otherwise had a sensational start to the year. He just didn’t seem quite as engaged on both ends of the court in this game, even though he had a really nice stretch in the first quarter. There just wasn’t much aggression in attack or defense and he had a hard time shooting the ball.

Grade: C

Steph Curry

26 minutes, 13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 4-for-9 shooting, 3-for-7 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 65.8% TS, +9

If you’re still one of those absurd people who think Curry is just a shooter, well…this game was for you. Curry only took nine shots all night, but it felt like he completely controlled the game. He set up his teammates, used his gravity to his advantage and played strong defense while hitting the glass repeatedly.

It’s not often that Curry will only have 13 points, but it’s hard to fault his play at all in this one.

Grade: A-
Bonus after the game: Tied for team lead in rebounds, best plus/minus on team.

Jonathan Kuminga

18 minutes, 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 5 fouls, 3-for-13 shooting, 0-for-4 threes, 2-for-4 free throws, 27.1% TS, +2

A pretty tough fight for Kuminga. He did some good things early, but the shots weren’t falling, and then he started settling for some bad shots. There were too many attempts from beyond the arc, and not enough displays of his explosive attack at the rim. In defense, he was content to reach far too often.

Grade: D+

Kevon Looney

13 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 2-for-3 shooting, 2-for-4 free throws, 63.0% TS, +4

The presence of 7’4 Zach Edey was made easier for the Warriors to handle thanks to Looney, who continues to play bigger than he is while consistently making the right pass on offense.

Grade: A-

Kyle Andersen

19 minutes, 8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 3-for-7 shooting, 2-for-3 threes, 57.1% TS, +6

It was great to see Anderson back on the field after he was a late scratch with neck spasms on Tuesday. And it was really nice to see him knock down some threes.

A perfectly balanced game for Anderson, who did his best Draymond impression. It’s kind of overwhelming how many players the team has at the moment who just seem to always make the right decision and do a little bit of everything.

Grade: A-

Buddy Hield

30 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 turnovers, 4 fouls, 7-for-15 shooting, 4-for-8 threes, 60.0% TS, -2

I’m not quite sure how to play Hield’s game. On the one hand, he gave the team an immediate burst of attack, which was much needed, and he did so effectively. On the other hand, he played a bit out of control most of the night, as evidenced by the five turnovers and four fouls.

Still, he got heavy playing time for a reason. The Dubs needed an injection of attack and that’s exactly what he gave them.

Grade: B
Bonus after the game: Led the team in points.

Gary Payton II

11 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 1-for-2 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 50.0% TS, -6

It’s a testament to the different looks the Warriors can throw at teams that Payton was the first sub off the bench … replacing Jackson-Davis. He fits better in this matchup when Ja Morant plays, as Payton can give him some passes on the rim. That is, it wasn’t really a game where his presence was felt.

Grade: C
Bonus after the game: Worst plus/minus on the team.

Moses Moody

16 minutes, 14 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 4-for-8 shooting, 3-for-5 threes, 3-for-5 free throws, 68.6% TS, +2

Moody hadn’t felt like much of a factor the past few games, but he played really well in this contest. He’s a player who doesn’t need to score to be effective, yet he racked up the points in this game, finishing as the team’s second-leading scorer in just 16 minutes of action. It was his usual steady and solid performance.

Grade: A-

Brandin Podziemski

28 minutes, 11 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2 fouls, 3-for-6 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, 4-for-4 free throws, 70.9% TS, -2

After a few matches where he really struggled, Podziemski broke out in this match with a great performance. He was all over the court, deflecting seemingly every pass, scooping up every loose ball and getting a hand on every rebound.

And he had one of the best passes you’ll see this year.

Good things seem to happen when Podz is on the field.

Grade: A

Friday’s DNPs: Pat Spencer
Friday’s inactive: Reece Beekman, De’Anthony Melton, Quinten Post