Regular-Season Grades for Each Golden State Warriors Player
The 2016-17 version of the NBA's 82-game marathon is down to a handful of steps.
No one has a clearer view of the finish line than the Golden State Warriors—save perhaps for those clubs that already have fishing poles and vacation itineraries in hand.
The Dubs have completed the bulk of their regular-season heavy lifting. Their magic number for the Western Conference's top seed is only three, opening up the possibility for some well-deserved rest before the two-month hike to the Finals.
So, no, it isn't premature to put red pen to paper and issue our season-long assessments. It's too late in the game for any player to alter his individual mark.
Grades are ultimately subjective but reflect a player's performance through traditional and advanced statistical measures and how that compared to expectations.
End of Bench
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15. Damian Jones, C
The rookie year for Damian Jones has included rehab from pectoral surgery, multiple NBA Development League deployments and a total of 66 big-league minutes. The only takeaways to date are confirmations of what we already knew: He has an exciting blend of size and athleticism but requires plenty of polish.
Grade: Incomplete
14. Kevon Looney, PF
There's hope Kevon Looney could play a big role in this franchise's future, with medical issues allowing his lottery talent to slide to the final pick of the 2015 draft's opening round. This season—effectively his rookie year—didn't dash those dreams but did shed light on how much work he needs before becoming a consistent contributor. He's good on the offensive glass but hasn't provided real value elsewhere.
Grade: D+
13. James Michael McAdoo, PF
Head coach Steve Kerr seems to have a comfort with James Michael McAdoo, occasionally plugging the third-year forward into big moments. That's probably because there are few surprises with McAdoo. He's always going to play hard and supply upper-level athleticism and defensive versatility. But his offensive range is basically the restricted area—he's only made 32.4 percent of his jumpers.
Grade: C
12. JaVale McGee, C
Cautious optimism might be the best way to describe the reaction to JaVale McGee's make-good deal with the Dubs. He theoretically addressed their need for frontcourt athleticism but also arrived with questionable decision-making, a frightening injury history and perhaps the league's best blooper real.
He exceeded expectations by grabbing a roster spot, then did it again by forcing his way into the rotation. He's still largely the same player, prone to defensive lapses but also an excellent source of vertical spacing. It's just that his situation has never been better.
"Coming to the Warriors has been the greatest thing that's happened for JaVale," his agent, B.J. Armstrong, said, per Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle. "When you enter this league, you hope for a little luck. Nine years later, he found his place."
Grade: B-
11. Matt Barnes, SF
For an emergency waiver-wire addition, Matt Barnes has comfortably fit as a pesky defender and ball mover in relief of Kevin Durant. But Barnes has only shown why he was available, shooting below 40 percent from the field and 32 percent outside. He's been worth having but may not always be worth playing when this group gets back to full strength.
Grade: C+
Rest of Bench
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10. Patrick McCaw, SG
Other than Jones, no rookie joined a more stacked roster than Patrick McCaw, last summer's 38th selection. That makes it all the more impressive he ranks 21st among NBA freshmen in minutes and threes and is tied for 10th with 1.6 win shares. Both his body and shooting rates have room to grow, but he has established a strong base on which to build his career.
Grade: B-
9. David West, PF/C
As an elite mid-post quarterback, David West's distributing and decision-making have made him a natural fit in his first season with the Warriors. His career-best 6.3 assists per 36 minutes are tied with Nikola Jokic for most among all centers. West was never a great athlete and isn't becoming one at 36 years old, but he's thrived in the areas where he's most needed.
Grade: B+
8. Ian Clark, SG
The Warriors needed reliability from Ian Clark on their revamped reserve unit. The fourth-year guard delivered a career year in every sense. He trails only the Splash Brothers in three-point percentage (39.9) and long-range makes per 36 minutes (2.1). His 17 double-digit scoring efforts are behind the four All-Stars and Andre Iguodala. Clark lacks versatility, but he fills important scoring and spacing roles.
Grade: B-
7. Shaun Livingston, PG
Between Golden State's top-heavy roster and Kerr's forward-thinking approach to time management, Shaun Livingston has been limited to only 17.5 minutes a night. He's posted the best field-goal percentage of his career (54.9) and the lowest turnover percentage he's had over a full season (15.4). But he's also never had a lower player efficiency rating (9.9) or usage percentage (13.1).
Grade: B
6. Andre Iguodala, SF
Should Andre Iguodala be knocked for his slow start to the season or credited for saving his best for last? Given the level he's reached since Kevin Durant went down—11.8 points on 59.5 percent shooting (40.5 from three)—it's looking like the latter.
"He's been fantastic," Kerr said, per Bay Area News Group's Marcus Thompson II. "He looks incredibly athletic, bouncy and fresh. He's a pro. The guy just knows how to take care of his body. I think he's done a great job of stepping up in KD's absence and recognizing what we need from him. He's been brilliant."
Iguodala's late surge won't stop this from being one of his quietest statistical seasons. But he's shooting better than he has since arriving in the Bay, leading the league in assists per turnover (at an absurd 4.58) and is still tasked on a nightly basis with slowing the opposition's best scorer.
Grade: B+
Starting C: Zaza Pachulia
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When Zaza Pachulia is healthy, the starting center spot is his. That could be subject to change at some point in the playoff run, but it's held true for this long.
Even then, he only gets 18 minutes a game of floor time—less than Barnes has averaged since his midseason arrival. That's because Pachulia has his flaws, namely athletic limitations that plague his shot-blocking and point-blank finishing.
But none of that is news to the Warriors. They wagered his strengths would outweigh his weaknesses, and their minimal gamble provided a substantial payout.
Pachulia is 6'11" and 270 pounds of toughness, smarts and hustle.
He never strays outside his lane, hence the career-best 53.1 percent shooting. His ability to read the floor has helped match his personal best in assists (3.7) and post his second-highest average in rebounds (11.6) per 36 minutes. His commitment to grunt work is best seen in his team-leading 3.5 screen assists per game (tied for 14th overall).
He holds the No. 3 spot among centers in ESPN.com's real plus-minus. That has a lot to do with the talent around him, but it also highlights his willingness to accept a part-time, specialized role that emphasizes his skill set.
Grade: B
Starting PF: Draymond Green
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This season has been the ultimate Draymond Green experience.
If he doesn't earn Defensive Player of the Year—on the heels of consecutive silver-medal finishes—it won't be for a lack of elite credentials.
He's on pace to join Kawhi Leonard and Gerald Wallace as the only forwards to lead the league in steals since 2000. Green guards all five positions and knocks 6.4 points off his opponents' field-goal percentage. He ranks second in both defensive win shares (5.3) and defensive real plus-minus (5.32). Golden State's second-ranked defensive efficiency (101.1) is a credit to him more than anyone.
"He wants the award, he's probably due to get the award, he's closing out games, he's doing this now without Durant…and it's getting pretty clear that Draymond Green is headed for his first DPOY," Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News wrote.
Green's offensive value is harder to gauge. The Warriors have reached a historic level of offensive efficiency, and he's their top distributor by almost an assist per game (7.2, Stephen Curry is second at 6.5).
But his 30.7 three-point percentage is the second-worst of his career, and his 41.8 field-goal percentage has dipped to a three-year low. He's also posting the second-highest turnover percentage of his career (19.8).
And his personality remains volatile, whether he's barking at coaches, teammates or officials (14 technical fouls, tied for fourth overall). The Warriors won't ask him to dial it down, but they can't afford for his temper to flare up at the wrong time again.
Grade: A-
Starting SF: Kevin Durant
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Kevin Durant's first four months with the Warriors begged the question, "What could possibly stop him?"
An MCL sprain and bone bruise in his left knee suffered Feb. 28 provided that answer.
Prior to the setback, the former MVP and four-time scoring champ was having arguably his best season to date. He either established or matched his personal bests in field-goal percentage (53.7), rebounds (8.2), blocks (1.6), offensive rating (125) and true shooting percentage (65.1).
"We knew exactly what we were getting when we got him," Curry said in November, per CSN Bay Area's Monte Poole. "He's playing as advertised."
But Durant lost more than a month to this injury. There's hope he'll return before the season finale—league sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein the target date is April 8—although it's anyone's guess whether he'll need more time to find his rhythm.
Durant aced his on-court grade. He proved a lights-out scorer on or off the ball, a willing passer, an active rebounder and a versatile, disruptive defender.
Still, his final assessment must reflect the time lost. A fluke play might have forced him to the sideline, but he was unable to contribute nonetheless.
Grade: B+
Starting SG: Klay Thompson
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The odds were stacked against Klay Thompson having his best year.
He had just delivered consecutive All-Star campaigns, posted some of the finest three-point shooting seasons this side of Steph and been seemingly bumped down the offensive pecking order by Durant.
Except Thompson never got the memo (like he told everyone he wouldn't). He's pushed his scoring average (22.3) and field-goal percentage (47.1) to new heights. He's posted his lowest defensive field-goal percentage since NBA.com first provided the stat in 2013-14 (minus-4.0). He's even keyed an 11-game winning streak by signing a toaster (prove that isn't the reason!).
"Those within the organization recognize that he is the team's most explosive scorer," Letourneau wrote. "Perhaps no player in the league is more difficult to defend than Thompson at peak efficiency."
Thompson has Golden State's season-high single-game point total (60). He only needed 33 shots over 29 minutes to get it. He leads the team in three-point percentage (41.8) and sits second behind his backcourt mate in total triples (255).
His stat line appears to have room for expansion outside of the scoring and sniping categories. But his roles are clearly defined and tremendously executed.
Grade: A-
Starting PG: Stephen Curry
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Stephen Curry's spell-binding, evolutionary skills make it easy to—borrowing his mantra here—lock in on what takes place when he steps inside the lines.
He delivered the league's first 300-triple season last year (402) and already supplied another. He's one of only four players averaging at least 25 points, six assists and four rebounds, a distinction shared with leading MVP candidates Russell Westbrook, James Harden and LeBron James. Speaking of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, Curry collected it the only other times he's averaged more points (25.2) or tallied a better PER (24.3).
Oh, and in the club's current 11-game streak, he's looked an awful lot like his award-winning self, averaging 27.0 points on 50 percent shooting (46.5 from three), 7.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals.
"He's an arrogant basketball player, which is what you need to be a superstar," Kerr told reporters recently. "He goes out there and he's looking to light it up every night.''
But Curry's value is best captured in what takes place when he isn't on the floor.
Golden State's net efficiency rating plummets from plus-16.6 with him to plus-1.6 without him. The former would lead the league by far, while the latter would match the Washington Wizards for ninth. The offensive rating tumbles from 117.7 (again, a comfortable NBA-best) to 102.6 (27th).
No, this isn't unanimous MVP Curry. He probably isn't even the team's most talented player anymore. But his value is as high as ever, which makes this grade the easiest to give.
Grade: A
Unless otherwise noted, statistics accurate through Monday, April 3, and used courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @ZachBuckleyNBA.
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