Golden State Warriors vs. Dallas Mavericks: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors cruised to a 104-89 win over the Dallas Mavericks, Friday at Oracle Arena.
Golden State won each of the first three quarters, steadily building enough of a lead to pretty much have an entire fourth frame of garbage time.
Curry went for 22 points and seven assists. Draymond Green added 18 points and some stellar defense on Dirk Nowitzki.
The big German was tied with Rajon Rondo with a team-leading 14 points, but managed to shoot just 5-of-16 from the field against Green.
Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry: A+
| Stephen Curry | A+ |
| Klay Thompson | C+ |
| Draymond Green | A+ |
| Andrew Bogut | A |
| Harrison Barnes | B+ |
| Rest of Team | B+ |
| Dirk Nowitzki | C- |
| Monta Ellis | D- |
| Tyson Chandler | C |
| Rajon Rondo | C+ |
| Rest of Team | B |
Curry's game looked effortless from the opening tip till he left the game for the final time in the fourth quarter. Try as he might, Rajon Rondo simply couldn't disrupt anything Curry wanted to do.
Golden State's superstar point guard manipulated the defense in every pick-and-roll. When Dallas didn't show hard on the ball screens, Curry would calmly sink the jump shot. When they did jump the screen, he would patiently wait for someone to get open before finding him.
He finished the game with 22 points on 6-of-11 shooting and dished out seven assists.
Klay Thompson's been mired in a slump since the break, and he suffered a fall in the third quarter many writers claimed was a microcosm of his last few weeks.
His 16 points look fine, but the 5-of-14 shooting line suggests he's still struggling to find a rhythm. Given his track record, he'll surely break out of it before the playoffs.
The silver lining with Thompson is no matter how poorly he's shooting, his defense can still have a serious impact on the game.
His length and aggressiveness on the ball was a big part of Monta Ellis' 2-of-14 night.
Draymond Green: A+
Green possesses the unique ability to dominate a game in myriad ways. On any given night, he can be the Warriors' best defender, rebounder, passer or scorer.
Against the Mavericks, he was excellent in each one of those facets, scoring 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting, grabbing nine boards and dishing out four assists while frustrating Dirk Nowitzki on a number of post-up opportunities.
Andrew Bogut: A
Andrew Bogut played his role as the Warriors' anchor on defense to a T. He jammed up the lane every time Rondo ran a pick-and-roll and was nimble enough to show and recover against the likes of Ellis and J.J. Barea.
He finished the game with 13 rebounds and three blocks.
Harrison Barnes: B+
One of the unsung heroes of Golden State's incredible run through the Western Conference, Harrison Barnes was once again instrumental in spacing the floor for Curry and Green.
He's currently fifth in the NBA in three-point percentage, so the mere threat of him in the corner forces defenders to stay home instead of collapsing on drives. He finished 2-of-4 from downtown and scored 12 points.
He was also solid defensively, holding Richard Jefferson to just 1-of-4 shooting.
Rest of Team: B+
The Warriors' depth makes them one of the most dangerous teams in the league. They have four or five different players who can take over stretches of a game against other second units.
Friday, it was Shaun Livingston, who played a decent amount with Curry and Thompson and finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
Marreese Speights joined Livingston in double figures, scoring 12 points. Andre Iguodala chipped in with four rebounds and two assists.
Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki: C-
Nowitzki may have had the significant height advantage over Green, but he was clearly frustrated with the physical approach with which he was defended.
He tried to impose his will on a couple of backdowns, but Green wouldn't give an inch as Nowitzki shot just 5-of-16 from the field on the way to 14 points.
Against an athletic front line like the Warriors', his age showed a bit.
Monta Ellis: D-
Ellis had the worst time of any Maverick, shooting an icy 2-of-14 from the field. He also had a team-high three turnovers.
The only positive was his effort defensively against Thompson. He lacks size in that matchup and could have folded mentally given his shooting performance, but he deserves some credit for fighting on that end.
Tyson Chandler was pretty much neutralized by Bogut, finishing with just nine points and five rebounds in 24 minutes.
Bogut was able to hold him off in just about every rebounding battle they found themselves locked in, and Chandler made almost no impact around the rim defensively.
Rajon Rondo: C+
Rondo may have tied with Nowitzki for the team lead in scoring, but the problem with his fitting in Dallas was so clear.
The Mavericks have a number of players who thrived under a pass-heavy offense in which everyone on the floor was a threat to score or pass.
When Rondo was on the floor, he completely controlled the ball and the offense stagnated. And by the time he did decide to pass it, Golden State's defense had rotated into place.
He was fortunate all of those forced passes were either tipped out of bounds or miraculously got through, as he did finish with zero turnovers and six assists.
Rest of Team: B
There were some brief stretches when Dallas's bench looked like it was capable of hanging tough. Amar'e Stoudemire was particularly effective, scoring 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting and grabbing five rebounds in 18 minutes.
Al-Farouq Aminu provided his typical burst of energy, scoring seven points, swiping five steals and grabbing four rebounds. J.J. Barea pitched in with nine points on 4-of-8 shooting.
Coming Up Next
The Mavericks' next game will be on the road, Sunday at 9:30 p.m. ET against the Los Angeles Lakers. L.A.'s shabby defense will provide Dallas with a good chance to iron out the wrinkles in the offense that have come out since the Rondo trade.
The Warriors, meanwhile, will be at home to take on the Los Angeles Clippers, Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. The battle between Curry and Chris Paul will go a long way toward deciding the outcome of the game.
Andy Bailey covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him @AndrewDBailey.
