The 2008-09 Golden State Warriors 20-Point Club

Most NBA teams rely on the same individuals to score points for their team every game. The Golden State Warriors are by no means an exception to this fact.

However, when you have major injuries all season long and your team is used to trying to outscore the opponent, then others have to step up and fill the scoring void. This is a tour of the Warriors that have scored at least 20 points in a game this season.

Stephen Jackson

Jackson is known best around the league for his demeanor. While the often emotional Jackson has accomplished hitting the technical foul limit for the season, resulting in his suspension for a game, he has also lead the Warriors in scoring with 20.9 points per game.

He had his season-high performance against the New York Knicks on February 10th with 35 points on 9-20 from the field. He went 13-13 from the free throw line, while also adding 10 assists and zero turnovers and a win. This was one of only two games this season where Jackson did not turn the ball over at least once.

Corey Maggette

Maggette has become the super-sub for a Warriors team with a plethora of wing players. While he often shows mental lapses on defense, committing the most mind-boggling fouls, he thrives on offense. He has the ability to convince the referees that he gets fouled more than almost anyone else. Since he spends a lot of time playing power forward for Don Nelson, he actually does get fouled a lot because he is quicker than the larger players that guard him.

Corey has hit his season-high twice against two very different teams and only three days apart. He scored 32 points on 12-20 shooting against the Boston Celtics on November 26th, then shot the same against the New York Knicks on November 29th. He also contributed 12 rebounds against the Knicks, however the Warriors lost both games.

Jamal Crawford

While Crawford is most recently known for being the target of Don Nelson's rest-a-veteran policy, he has had many outstanding scoring games this season. He possesses one of the most deadly crossover dribbles in the game, which allows him to take a jump shot from anywhere on the floor. He also has the unique ability to get fouled while taking jumpers. Unfortunately, Crawford has a very streaky jump shot and contributes little in other areas of the game.

Jamal is one of a handful of active players to have multiple 50 point games in his career, and one of them came on December 20th against the Charlotte Bobcats. Crawford went 14-26 from the field and 17-18 from the free throw line in his most aggressive game of the season. He also contributed five assists and a W in the win column.

Monta Ellis

Very little of the talk about Monta Ellis this season has had to do with basketball. Whether it be the moped accident, the threat of a voided contract, or the two week recuperation, Ellis has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons. He is a spectacular finisher and one of the fastest players in the league. An overlooked part of his game in the mid range jump shot, which combined with his ability to drive, makes him lethal on offense.

In the small amount of games he has played this season, Ellis has hit a high mark of 29 points twice against the Dallas Mavericks on March 13th and the Los Angeles Clippers on March 17th. He also added 11 rebounds against the Mavericks, as the Warriors went on to win both games. Since Ellis returned from a two week hiatus, he has shot 58% from the field while failing to reach 20 points only once.

Kelenna Azubuike

Azubuike is everything that the Warriors wanted Mickael Pietrus to be. He is an athletic guard capable of driving, defending, and hitting spot up three pointers. Kelenna is currently second in the league in three point percentage, behind fellow teammate Anthony Morrow. His main downfall is his minimal passing ability, much like Corey Maggette.

Kelenna has his hit season-high 25 point mark in a win over the Phoenix Suns on February 4th as well as in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on March 19th. In the two games combined, Azubuike went 9-12 from distance as well as pulling 13 rebounds.

Andris Biedrins

Andris Biedrins has had a solid season despite missing some time with various injuries to his wrist and ankle. He is the Warriors main source of rebounding at 11.5 rebounds per game. He also has a unique combination of quickness and shot blocking ability, averaging 1.1 steals and 1.5 blocks per game for the season. His shooting percentage has fallen this season because of the absence of Baron Davis.

Biedrins is the Warriors epitome of consistency, including his scoring. He managed to hit his season-high mark of 23 points four times, against the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic. Perhaps the most spectacular of these games was against the Grizzlies, where despite a career free throw percentage of 56%, Biedrins made 9-10 from the stripe.

C.J. Watson

Watson has been the quiet back-up point guard for the Warriors. He is one of the former D-League players that the Warriors have developed and turned into an NBA quality player. C.J. has a similar jumper to Stephen Jackson, and for a stretch seemed to make everything. The main negative about Watson's game is that he gambles for steals too often, leaving the few Warriors big men to try and erase his mistakes.

C.J. was able to score 26 points against the Sacramento Kings in a heart-breaking triple overtime loss, probably one of the most memorable games for the Warriors this season. Unfortunately for Watson, he fouled out of the game before it's conclusion. During the contest, he also added six assists and three steals.

Anthony Morrow

Morrow is the most surprising player on the Warriors roster. He is an undrafted rookie from Georgia Tech, yet he is currently leading the league in three point percentage at 48%. He has one of the most smooth looking jumpers in the league, and has improved slowly on defense all year.

In the first start of his NBA career, and only his fourth game ever, he lit up the Los Angeles Clippers for 37 points on 15-20 shooting, 4-5 from distance, and added 11 rebounds. 37 points is the third highest total by a Warrior in a single game this year (the first and second belonging to Crawford at 50 and 40 points respectively).

Marco Belinelli

Belinelli has to be one of most tossed around players by Don Nelson. He might start five games in a row, then not see playing time for the next five. Part of this is because of Belinelli's streaky shooting. Despite the lack of consistent shooting, Marco has dramatically improved his all-around game this season, especially on the defensive end. He has also shown some potential ball-handling and passing skills.

Marco played consistently well throughout December and early January until an ankle injury sidelined him. His best game came against the Atlanta Hawks on December 19th. He had 27 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals in the game. However, this was not enough to win the game as the Warriors failed to reach 100 points, something that has only happened 10 times this season.

Rob Kurz

Rob Kurz has to be one of Don Nelson's favorite players, managing to stay on the roster as players like DeMarcus Nelson, Marcus Williams, and Richard Hendrix went their separate ways. Kurz has not received much playing time (as seen by the need to use his college photo). When he has played, it's mostly been as a back-up center.

Nonetheless, Kurz was able to join the 20+ point club on December 13th against the Denver Nuggets. He scored 20 points on 7-11 from the field, 3-3 from downtown, and with 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. This was by far his most impressive game of the year.

Anthony Randolph

Anthony Randolph has to be the highlight of a down season for the Warriors. He has shown a rare combination of length, speed, and most importantly desire. His game right now is mostly as an energy rebounder and shot blocker, however he has started to hit a mid-range jumper fairly consistently. Unfortunately like most other Warriors have gone through this season, Randolph is now nursing an injury.

On the offensive end, the highlights from Randolph this year probably start with the game against the Houston Rockets where Randolph dunked over Yao Ming twice. However, his most solid full game performance came on March 1st against the Utah Jazz where Randolph scored 20 points, pulled 8 rebounds and blocked 4 shots in just 26 minutes of action. If you take Randolph's averages over 48 minutes, he would be at 15.3 rebounds and 3.6 blocked shots.

Brandan Wright

Brandan Wright is the newest member to the club. He, like Marco Belinelli, has dramatically improved in his second year. Wright has shown the ability to rebound and block shots, though inconsistent still. Wright really shines offensively, making smooth post moves and showing a soft hook shot. However, he missed two months of action this season due to a separated shoulder.

On March 20th, Wright scored a season-high 25 points in a win against the Philadelphia 76ers. He was a very efficient 10-13 from the field, and 5-5 from the free throw line, while adding 6 rebounds, a block and a steal in 29 minutes of action.

Conclusion

A combination of the Don Nelson philosophy and the amount of injuries this season have allowed all of the players for the Golden State Warriors to show their abilities.

An astounding 12 players have scored at least 20 points in a game for the Warriors this season. While I do not have the statistics behind this feat, I would guess that no other team this season has anything close to that many players that have scored 20 in a game.