Golden State Warriors Power Rankings: Rating Every Player Near Season's Half

The Golden State Warriors have come out swinging to start the 2015 year with major wins over the Toronto Raptors and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team played flawlessly versus the Thunder by holding them to 30.6 percent shooting in a 117-91 win on January 5.

The Dubs have survived the lingering injury to center Andrew Bogut, who had been out since December 8 with a right knee injury. The good news has been that no real drop-off in play has occurred, as the Warriors hold a 10-3 record in his absence.

With the disappearance of Bogut, David Lee has returned to play with the second team. He has not played at his former All-Star form yet, but he has slowly progressed back to his normal self.

The team has the genuine look of a title contender this season, and there have not been any major losing streaks or continuous bad play. A few road matchups versus teams like the San Antonio Spurs will be the true litmus test going forward.

The Warriors have the best record in the Association, hold the biggest scoring differential and rank first in defensive efficiency, according to ESPN's Hollinger Statistics. What more could a team ask for at this point in the season?

With that being said, let’s take a look at the current Warriors’ power rankings.

Nos. 14-11

USA TODAY Sports

Leandro Barbosa has fallen in the rankings.

14. Ognjen Kuzmic has not had a major impact on the team, as he has played primarily when the game is out of reach. He has played in six of the past eight games, which will help this project come closer to producing on a consistent basis.

13. Brandon Rush is having a hard time getting on the floor with this successful group. He is averaging less than one point per game, and with his lack of playing time, he is shooting only 20.8 percent from the field.

12. Festus Ezeli was on the right track, getting significant minutes for the injured Andrew Bogut before he was bitten again by the injury bug with a sprained ankle. His game was evolving from his rookie season.

11. Leandro Barbosa has gone from being the “Brazilian Blur” to the “Brazilian Ghost” in the past month. His playing time decreased by half in December, going to single digits, as coach Steve Kerr is favoring Justin Holiday as Klay Thompson’s new backup. Barbosa’s line through January 8 is 5.6 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.

10. Justin Holiday

Justin Holiday has somehow found his way off an NBA D-League roster to a comfortable position as Klay Thompson’s backup. He has climbed the depth chart ladder and surpassed Brandon Rush and Leandro Barbosa to put himself in this position.

He is confident, as he doesn’t hesitate to shoot the three-point shot or drive to the basket. He is also bringing a solid defensive presence to a second team that already includes Andre Iguodala.

Holiday’s current line is 4.4 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.8 assist per game, but expect that to increase in the near future.

9. Shaun Livingston

Shaun Livingston is doing his job as a backup point guard. His major problem is that he is backing up arguably the best point guard in the NBA, Stephen Curry.

Livingston is still using his go-to move, posting up against smaller guards to score. However, he has not been that active on the scoreboard as of late.

He is getting the necessary minutes from Coach Kerr and will eke out more to make sure Curry gets his needed rest. Livingston also brings defense with his 6’7” frame and length.

8. Andre Iguodala

Andre Iguodala has been a true professional this season by moving from a starting role to the bench without any outbursts. Yes, his statistics have fallen, but he is the glue guy who helps keep everyone on the same page.

Iguodala is such a weapon because he can be used strictly for defensive purposes, but he has the skill to play many positions on offense. With the injury to Andrew Bogut, Iguodala has been used at four positions already this season.

Iguodala usually uses his slashing ability to get open looks or to stay coyly behind the arc for a three-point attempt. He is an athletic player who is succeeding in Kerr’s system and switch-style defense.

He sits in the eighth position primarily because he is shooting a career-low 43 percent from the field and 51.9 percent from the charity stripe.

7. David Lee

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

David Lee finishes against the Toronto Raptors.

David Lee has to live with coming off the bench regularly. Yes, he is a spark to the second-team offense, which does not have a consistent creator.

He is a team player, so he is not making a fuss about getting only 18 minutes per game. The former double-double man's statistics have been halved from last season.

Lee is not setting high screens or creating the extra space like Bogut does in his position, but he does have the ability to back down opponents in the post. He can even hit his shots consistently to give his ball-handlers opportunities for the pick-and-pop.

Lee’s defense is not the red flag that is normally associated with his play on that end of the floor. He is currently a plus-43 in plus/minus, per Sporting Charts, but Coach Kerr is not afraid to pull him if the effort is not there.

Expect incremental progress as he adapts and gets healthy with the second unit.

6. Harrison Barnes

Harrison Barnes is proving that last year was a fluke, and he has many tools in his shed.

Movement and the free-flowing Kerr offense have opened up so many more opportunities for Barnes to shine. Per NBA.com/Stats, he runs 3.6 miles for every 48 minutes, which is tied for tops in the league.

Barnes' athleticism has been key, as it has helped him be in the right position at the right time. His follow-up slam (as seen above) in the 117-102 win over the Indiana Pacers on January 7 is a prime example.

All of the hard work doesn’t just resonate on the offensive end; he also is more consistent defensively. Barnes is playing both forward positions and is rebounding at a career-high 6.5 boards per game.

His all-around game gives Coach Kerr another weapon and a floor-spacer to make opponents pay for their mistakes. Barnes is currently putting up a career-high 10.7 points per game.

5. Marreese Speights

Marreese Speights has come down to earth a little bit as of late, but he is still in a higher atmosphere. He has been given most of the assignment to fill in for the monthlong injury to center Andrew Bogut.

He is still a scoring machine, as he is averaging career highs with 12.6 PPG and a 53.3 percent field-goal shooting percentage. However, he will have to fight for his minutes with the return of a healthy roster.

Per Carl Steward of the Bay Area News Group, “Kerr noted that he brought Bogut off the bench because Marreese Speights has earned the right to continue starting for now, and after a Speights had a rough start, he finished with 18 points with the strong fourth quarter.“

Mo Buckets’ confidence should remain high after posting two 20-plus point games on December 30 and January 2 and finishing off an 18-point effort in the 117-102 win versus the Indiana Pacers on January 7.

Coach Kerr should feel comfortable using him at either the 4 or 5 spot going forward.

4. Andrew Bogut

Andrew Bogut has been out for a little over a month, but he still holds down the fourth position in the power rankings.

Bogut saw the silver lining in his return on January 7, per Steward. "I was running in mud a little bit in the first half, but the second half I felt OK," said Bogut. "It just felt good to be out there. Hopefully, I can keep doing it."

Bogut will probably rotate between the first and second unit while he returns to health.

The one thing that was sorely missed was his help at the high post. None of his substitutes can facilitate the way he does, set screens to really create space and play defense with his intensity.

Since he was off for a month, his statistics haven’t drastically changed. His averages are currently 6.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

3. Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson is making the former Kevin Love trade rumor a distant memory with his play this season. He is showing new improvements in his game that is an annual trend.

Thompson is lobbying for an All-Star bid, but it is unlikely, given the current voting. Kobe Bryant looks like he will lock up a spot with the vote. James Harden probably will be picked as a backup, and there is heavy competition for the wild-card spot (coaches can’t vote for their own players).

Thompson is succeeding primarily because he can create off the dribble. His aggressiveness opens up space for him to succeed with the pick-and-roll, drive to the basket or shoot perimeter jumpers.

He is also taking advantage of dribble hand-offs and screens to create opportunities with the free space and motion offense.

His shooting is still paramount, as he put the team on his back with a 40-point effort in the 117-102 win over the Indiana Pacers on January 7.

On the defensive side, he is still frustrating guards with his length and positioning, while he fights through screens and disrupts shots. He is one of the better two-way guards in the Association.

He currently averages 21.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He also gets 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

2. Draymond Green

Draymond Green is the "heartbeat of the team," as Coach Kerr has called him. He is the guy who doesn’t mind getting dirty, likes to back up his trash talk and has the basketball IQ of a genius.

In a close battle with Klay Thompson, Green sneaks into the second spot because of all the intangibles he brings.

Green stole the power forward position from David Lee partly because of Lee’s hamstring injury, and he is not looking in his rear-view mirror. Green embraced the stretch 4 role that Kerr wanted and has outplayed Lee.

Since Green will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, he will be looking at a handsome raise. His current salary of $915,243 is cheap compared to the $8-12 million he will command with his next contract.

He just earned his first career triple-double in the 126-105 win over the Toronto Raptors on January 2.

The undersized power forward is averaging career highs of 12.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Per Marcus Thompson of the San Jose Mercury News, Curry feeds off the attitude Green brings to the table:

"

He has such a spirit about how he approaches every single game,” Curry said. “It’s contagious. He’s vocal. He’s demonstrative. … He just has this contagious attitude that we all love. Even in practice he brings that same mentality. He’ll be yelling at us to get a hand up and air ball a 3 … then the next play he’ll knock one down in your face and talk the exact same way.

"

Green is not defined by his statistics, but for what it is worth, he currently leads the NBA in defensive efficiency, defensive win shares and defensive box plus/minus, per Basketball-Reference.com.

1. Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry is the leader of the best team in the NBA this season. He is a legitimate MVP candidate, is leading the Western Conference in All-Star votes and can take over games at any time.

He is best known for his stroke and quick shot.

An easy example of his dominance was shown in the 126-105 win against the Toronto Raptors on January 2. Curry scored 32 points, doled out 12 assists, secured five boards and had zero turnovers.

Yes, zero turnovers.

Per Steward, Coach Kerr was impressed with Curry’s effort. "I told Steph I've seen him play a lot of great games, but this is right there either at the top or near the top," he said. "Thirty-two points, 12 assists and no turnovers—I don't know how you top that."

Yes, Curry gets the limelight, but he is an unselfish player. He likes to get the rest of his teammates involved with slick passes and enjoys the fruit of their labor with victories.

His defense is still holding strong, as he is better at reading the plays before they happen. He wants to be an elite point guard, and defense is a major factor in accomplishing that goal.

He is also leading the league in steals and value over replacement player (VORP), per Basketball-Reference.com.

Curry’s current line is 22.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 2.2 steals per game.

He will continue to rise in the NBA, as he is a one-of-a-kind talent.

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