Golden State Warriors: Final 2011 NBA Report Cards for Stephen Curry and Co.
The Warriors improved by 10 wins this year. Sounds good, but when that still only lands you in 12th place in the entire Western Conference, it's really not saying much.
When the Warriors ended their season it felt a lot like when school was out for the summer.
Just glad that it's over.
But just like the bad part of summer (depending on whom you talk to) there was always the report card. While I hope that your report looks better than this one, here is the 2010-2011 Golden State Warriors report card.
1. Dorell Wright
1 of 9
Grade B+
Anytime you can sign your franchise’s all-time leading 3-point shooter for fewer than $12 million for three years it is quite a find. Hard to believe that is was the Warriors that signed him, huh?
The only thing keeping him from an A grade is he seemed to be a bit inconsistent at times and kind of tailed off at the end of the year.
I am looking forward to seeing how he improves next year and if the Warriors can find a defender to insert into the starting lineup sending Wright to the bench, I think he instantly becomes the NBA’s front runner for sixth man of the year.
2. Ekpe Udoh
2 of 9
Grade B
Tearing a ligament in his wrist in the summer, Udoh lost the chance to get a full summer’s work and joined the team in mid-December. It took him a while to get accustomed, but he showed great promise in becoming the Warriors next or only great defender.
All things considered, I think he deserves a B grade, based on all circumstances and potential.
I am really looking forward to see how much he improves and what he will bring to the Warriors next year.
3. David Lee
3 of 9
Grade C+
Anytime a team goes out and spends the most free agent dollars it ever had and they get a player who is currently the third best player on their team, a D grade would seem suffice.
Factor in that he had to play alongside Andris Biedrins and now I want to give him a B.
I’ll split the difference and give him a C+.
A plus because Lee started out great, so there is hope that he can be as good as most of thought he would be. Once he got cut and missed time he never really seemed like he got back on track.
Lee, Udoh and the rest of the core group of players never really seemed to mesh this season, and having a full off-season ahead to work together is just as crucial as getting the right coach and drafting the right player.
4. Reggie Williams
4 of 9
Grade C
As another NBA D-league find by the Warriors, Williams provided needed depth in the Warriors backcourt.
Based on his productivity he could have earned at least a B grade, but his minutes fluctuated to much to produce consistently. I would have liked to see a higher assist total, too—especially considering the high point totals the Warriors put up. 1.5 assists a game? You can almost do that by accident on this team.
He gets a C because he provided a good scoring punch off the bench and because if the Warriors don’t resign him, I won’t lose any sleep over it.
5. Stephen Curry
5 of 9
Grade B-
He didn’t have a terrible year by any means; he just didn’t really seem to improve that much, which is a bit odd since he was a rookie last year.
His scoring efficiency was great, but with inconsistent minutes and a high turnover rate, it’s hard to give him anything higher than a B-.
He seemed to be in Keith Smart’s doghouse for most of the year and his minutes were way too inconsistent. Not his fault (I think), but for him and Monta to work in the same backcourt, he is going to have to improve on his assist-turnover rate and the sky will be the limit for these two.
I think Curry has the most to gain or lose on who the next head coach is going to be. Had the Warriors have hired Mike Brown, then Curry’s minutes could’ve fluctuated even more than this past season due to defensive philosophy.
The Warriors need to hire somebody that can make the Ellis-Curry backcourt work and I’m sure Curry is anxiously awaiting the decision on the new head coach.
6. Andris Biedrins
6 of 9
Grade F
In college I could’ve easily gotten an F in my Econometrics class. Toughest class I ever had to take. I had to get a tutor, go to countless office hours and somehow managed to, let’s just say, not fail the course.
When thinking about what grade to give Biendrins it was pretty easy. On the court like most of my tests, the performance was not so great.
So why does he get an F and I didn’t? Because to me, it looked like he didn’t put any effort at all during the course of the NBA season. Give us something, develop a mean streak, get a go-to move, improve your free throw percentage, something!
He looks like he is just going through the motions and it is more than visible.
Can you even remember one memorable game from him at all this year? We shouldn’t be saying that about a guy who is making $9 million a year and was putting up 20-20 games just a few seasons ago.
If he doesn’t start doing whatever he needs to do to get better, this F is going to look good next year.
7. Monta Ellis
7 of 9
Grade B
Monta Ellis had a fine year.
He finished eighth in the NBA in points per game to go along with 5.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
Actually, if we average out their total shooting percentages, statistically, Ellis had a very comparable season to Derrick Rose.
So why is Derrick Rose an MVP while Monta Ellis wasn’t even chosen to be on the Western All-Star team?
It’s because of their team’s performance.
If we take Ellis and Rose out of there respective lineups and look at the rest of their teams, there shouldn’t be a 26 win difference between the two teams.
Is Rose that much better than Ellis?
I just want the Warriors best student to get motivated by Rose comparisons, because he is the leader of this team and he should be making All Star teams, he just needs to make his teammates better. If that’s possible.
He gets a B on his numbers alone, and while he needs help, if Ellis wants to get his name mentioned with the Derrick Rose’s of the NBA, then he needs to direct the team to wins.
8. Keith Smart
8 of 9
Grade C-
The coach in waiting for what seemed like years, Smart actually improved by 10 wins over his mentor and predecessor, however, it was still only good enough for the 12th best record in the Western conference.
The players liked him, and in the NBA that’s more than half the battle, but the blown leads, the low win total and inconsistent rotations lead to his ultimate demise. That and the Warriors needed a change from Nellie Ball.
He didn’t have a good year, but he wasn’t terrible, I think we can all say we hope he lands on his feet somewhere.
He gets a C- and his pink slip.
9. Front Office
9 of 9
Grade D
It’s to early to tell if the David Lee signing has been a bust, but for the Warriors biggest free agent splash in years, it has had a swan dive effect so far.
You could argue that the Dorell Wright signing was just as valuable as his performance was a pleasant surprise and proved to be a shrewd signing.
The Warriors also left $19 million in expiring contracts to do just that—expire. During NBA trade deadline frenzy, the Warriors stood still and time will only tell if that was a good move.
Factor in the questionable comments made by owner Joe Lacob this year that made more noise than anything else they had did this past year, the Warriors front office earned a D grade.
They actually have an extra credit assignment if you will and can turn that D into a passing grade depending on what they do with the expiring contracts. As they overhaul their entire bench and staff, the Warriors will have their work cut out for them, though, as we don’t know what this summer holds for the NBA, let alone the Warriors.
