He’s no Steph Curry, but Alfonzo McKinnie has been playing like a Warrior Wonder

After some discussion on the board, we are thought it would be nice to try a new angle on these Warrior Wonder polls - and last night was the perfect vehicle for our new framework.

Against the New Jersey Brooklyn Nets, it was once again the Durant and Curry show. They both went off (as they have been doing all season) -with 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists; and 35 points and 7 rebounds, respectively.

We’ve got those guys covered, but how about Alfonzo McKinnie? He’s been having a great run so far this season, and Sunday may have been his best game yet.

Let’s take a look at the top performers, courtesy of resident hero, ServantOfLuna:

Compiled by GSOM user ServantOfLuna

McKinnie’s inclusion on that list is something of a victory in itself. While I wouldn’t say there was a tremendous amount of hand-wringing going on over Patrick McCaw’s bizarre hermit-like behavior, his absence did leave a large “minutes hole” in our bench rotation. Slated to step into a bigger role this season, McCaw’s decision to live as an ascetic recluse rather than play for the Warriors threw a minor wrench into the Warriors’ early season plans.

Enter Alfonzo McKinnie.

He was plus 12 in 17 minutes, with nine points - including a critical three-pointer; and chipped in five rebounds, a steal and a block.

Let’s look at that block, shall we?

Dude is 6’8” with nice speed, even though he carries a bit more bulk than McCaw he can still cover the perimeter just as well. It’s that additional weight in fact, that may make him a more suitable defensive replacement/backup for aging stalwart Andre Iguodala. Just look at the footwork on his one block here.

Another reason why McKinnie has found a place in Kerr’s rotation is his willingness to score. There are a lot of nice things to say about the current iteration of the Warriors bench but it’s no hot take to say that some additional scoring punch would be helpful.

Watch him finish this fastbreak off a Draymond Green bounce pass. Textbook strong take to the rim - no soft layup, no hesitation.

Per 36 minutes so far this season, McKinnie is the team’s leading rebounder (10.6 rebound per 36), our fourth-leading scorer (15.4 point per 36). That’s pretty Wonderful.

Ok, so new format!!

Two polls now, one main award, and then another Gold-blooded bench dude: