Golden State Warriors: Grades for Players Nearing All-Star Break

The All-Star festivities in Orlando are just a short week away.

The team currently sits at 13th place in the Western Conference with a record of 11-15. Despite the losing record, a strong case could be made for Monta Ellis, Klay Thompson and Brandon Rush to showcase their talents at some of the events in Orlando.

Unfortunately, no member of the Golden State Warriors will be represented at the All-Star weekend.

Instead, let’s take a look at the individual players on the Roster and how they have performed leading up to the break.

All stats courtesy of ESPN and basketball reference.

Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry has continued to put up respectable numbers in his third season for the Warriors. Curry has per game averages of 16.4 points, 6.6 assists and 1.9 steals. His numbers are not inflated due to attempts, as he holds a 58.6 true shooting percentage.

What is worrisome is that his free-throw shooting has fallen off dramatically. He is only making 76.9 percent compared to his career average of 89.9. He is only attempting 2.5 free throws per game—not enough to offset the reduced shooting rate.

Curry is also turning over the ball a significant amount. He gives it up 2.9 times per game and has not reduced his turnovers over the course of his three-year career.

Lastly, Curry has disappeared a few times in games where a closer was needed. Last night against the Portland Trailblazers, Monta Ellis sat out the fourth quarter. It was an ugly game all around, and either team could have seized control at any moment. Stephen Curry deferred to Nate Robinson throughout— even allowing him to initiate the final play of the game.

In those situations, Curry needs to prove he is capable of leading a team to victory.

Curry has continued his consistent play but needs to address a few aspects of his game and assert himself as a viable No. 1 option. Expectations are high for Curry—many view him as the team’s future leader.

Final Grade: C+

Monta Ellis

Monta Ellis is the team’s heart and soul.

Ellis is not a natural point guard, having played off the ball for most of his career. Still, he has strived to improve his game and grow as a distributor. His scoring is down this season; he is averaging 22.0 points per game to last season’s 24.1, but his assists are up to a career high of 6.0 per game.

Unfortunately, his turnovers are also at a high of 3.3 per game. 

Monta has matured this season. He is able to recognize a cold shooting night and contribute in other ways, using his penetration to draw defenders and make smart passes. The win against Portland on January 25th is one such example. He attempted only nine shots but dished 12 assists.

Monta may not be the most efficient scorer, but he’s continued playing at a near All-Star level. If he can contribute in ways outside of scoring and reduce his turnovers, the small backcourt of Curry and Ellis may lead the Warriors to the postseason.

Final Grade: B-

Dorell Wright

Dorell Wright has been very quiet this season. He is shooting as well as he ever has—making 37.2 percent of his shots from three-point territory.

He’s also added a wrinkle to his game, using the pump fake to drive the lane. Last season, Wright would often pump fake and get his defender in the air but ultimately settle for another long jumper.

Still, he is only averaging 11 points per game. He has not played well enough to stay on the floor for long stretches. His backup, Brandon Rush, has played just as well, if not better from downtown. 

Dorell Wright is a solid player. He is neither an offensive nor defensive liability and the Warriors could do much worse as the team’s fourth option.

Final Grade: C

David Lee

David Lee has been the Warrior’s best player.

In the last few games, Curry and Ellis have not been able to score consistently. David Lee has stepped up in those stretches. While his postgame might not be pretty, it surely is effective. He might even be playing well enough to match his huge six-year, $80 million contract.

Lee is scoring 19 PPG, collecting 10.1 RPG and shooting 52.3 percent from the field. Those numbers are top 15 in each category amongst all NBA players this season.

On a team sorely lacking a rebounding presence, Lee is the only player consistently cleaning up the glass. Most surprising is his effectiveness while logging heavy minutes. Lee has played nearly 40 minutes a game for the month of February.

On a losing team, I just cannot give any player an A. David Lee is also not helping with the Warriors’ high turnover rate. He averages 2.7 turnovers per game to 2.6 assists per game.

Final Grade: B+

Andris Biedrins

Biedrins has not played well since 2009, and this year has not been any different.

He seems to suffer from a lack of confidence, negatively impacting his performance. In the 2008-2009 season, Biedrins went to the charity stripe 216 times. Since then, he has only attempted a total of 61 free throws across three seasons! 

His lack of confidence in shooting free throws spills into other aspects of his game. He does not look for the ball on offense and is afraid to hoist any shot that may lead to a foul.

While Biedrins is still a competent defender and rebounder, his complete disappearance on the offensive end has limited him. He is only playing 17.5 minutes per game—his lowest since his sophomore season.

Biedrins is paid $9 million a year to play like a backup. I really, really want Biedrins to return to form. With the spikey-haired Biedrins of old, the Warriors would be a serious postseason contender.

Final Grade: F

The Dubstitutes

The bench players this season are a marked improvement over last year’s. The only piece missing is another big body to rebound when Biedrins sits. This can be remedied with either a competent starting center or backup.

Nate Robinson has stepped in well as the backup point guard. He’s a streaky shooter and can shoot into or out of the game. Last night against Portland, he did both. He made his first three shots from behind the arc but went cold in the fourth quarter.

Klay Thompson is proving to be an excellent draft choice.

He is shooting lights out with a true shooting percentage of 59.1 and has a high basketball IQ. He moves well without the ball and is actually leading the league in spot up shooting. According to analysis by Grantland writer Sebastian Priuti, Klay scores 1.434 points per possession when spotting up—among the top two percent in the league.

Brandon Rush is a near clone of Dorell Wright. They both play sticky defense and are deadly from downtown. Unsurprisingly, they play similar minutes. Wright regularly played 40 minutes a game last season. Wright is currently averaging 29 minutes per game and Rush is close behind, playing 25 a game.

Ekpe Udoh is cementing his reputation as a defensive presence and excellent shot-blocker. He averages 3.0 blocked shots per 36 minutes and alters countless other ones. Udoh currently plays as the backup center but struggles against larger opponents—his size is more suited for the power forward position.

Udoh continues to work on his post moves and is not afraid of taking over in crunch time.

Against the Phoenix Suns on February 23rd in the waning moments of the game, Udoh did not pass the ball to Monta Ellis who called for it. Instead, he rolled to his left and dropped in a hook shot—perhaps the most pivotal bucket of the game.

Each and every player brings heart and energy. They’re also a talented defensive bunch, at times outplaying the starters to close the fourth quarter. 

Overall bench grade: B