Player grades: Warriors vs. Clippers

With Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins sidelined, the Golden State Warriors were unable to ride into the All-Star break on a winning streak. Playing in their final game before a February 23 contest against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dubs blew a first half lead, and lost 134-124 to the Los Angeles Clippers to enter the break at .500.

Let’s grade the players who got them there. As always, grades are weighted based on expectations. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. League average is 57.9%.

Draymond Green

33 minutes, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 6-for-6 shooting, 1-for-1 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 109.0% TS, -9

Scoring 15 points without missing a shot is pretty rare for any player, but it’s extra rare for Green. His scoring was a bit of a revelation in this game, as he not only scored efficiently, but he did it with some flair!

It was a phenomenal offensive game, which is a big part of the Warriors having such a good scoring contest despite being down their superstar offensive cog and another key starter. Unfortunately, Green’s defense wasn’t up to his standards in this one.

Grade: B

Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists.

Kevon Looney

27 minutes, 11 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 fouls, 5-for-7 shooting, 1-for-2 free throws, 69.8% TS, -11

I’m not sure anyone on the Warriors deserves the All-Star break more than Looney, who hasn’t missed a game since March 20, 2021. He’s played in 190 consecutive Warriors games, including the playoffs. That’s ridiculous for any player, but especially for a center who fell in the draft due to an injury history.

Looney has turned into an ironman. Just as importantly, he’s turned into a damn good center, who held Ivica Zubac to 10 points and just two rebounds in this game.

Grade: A

Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds.

Klay Thompson

28 minutes, 18 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 7-for-14 shooting, 4-for-7 threes, 0-for-1 free throws, 62.3% TS, -9

Even if Klay had an awful game, it would have been great to see him out there. It was his first back-to-back in 1,411 days. His comeback has been nothing short of remarkable.

He also was pretty good in this game, even if he didn’t do too much other than shoot.

Grade: B

Donte DiVincenzo

29 minutes, 10 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 3-for-6 shooting, 2-for-4 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 72.7% TS, -18

DiVincenzo wasn’t remarkable in this game, but he was pretty solid. He had some of the team’s better defensive possessions, and continues to score at a remarkably efficient pace. He’s been lights out shooting the basketball lately.

Grade: B

Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.

Jordan Poole

33 minutes, 28 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 fouls, 10-for-20 shooting, 3-for-10 threes, 5-for-6 free throws, 61.8% TS, -12

This was exactly what the Warriors need from Poole in Curry’s absence. He was brilliant and assertive on offense, but avoided the careless turnovers and poor decisions that have plagued him lately. He set up his teammates with passes both brilliant and simple, and didn’t have a single turnover.

Excellent game from JP.

Grade: A

Post-game bonus: Led the team in scoring.

Jonathan Kuminga

22 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 5-for-12 shooting, 2-for-4 threes, 4-for-6 free throws, 54.6% TS, +2

Kuminga came in early off the bench and provided the Warriors with some much-needed energy. His stat line isn’t the greatest, but time and time again his hustle lifted the Warriors up when they were starting to sink.

If he can keep doing that, it will be a huge asset to the bench.

Grade: B+

JaMychal Green

9 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, -12

It seemed like Green didn’t factor much into the gameplan tonight, and his play didn’t do anything to make us think he should have.

Grade: C

Anthony Lamb

25 minutes, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 fouls, 3-for-5 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 1-for-3 free throws, 63.3% TS, +3

Lamb played in his first game since February 1, as the Warriors have been preserving his available two-way days. He has just seven games left after Tuesday’s loss.

He looked rusty at times in this game, but his shooting and hustle plays really helped the second unit.

Grade: B

Patrick Baldwin Jr.

2 minutes, 0 points, +6

Just a short dose of garbage time for Baldwin, who was recently called up from the G League.

Grade: Incomplete

Ty Jerome

17 minutes, 11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 3-for-5 shooting, 1-for-1 threes, 4-for-5 free throws, 76.4% TS, +2

Jerome has been making a decent case for winning the open roster spot. He does a good job getting past the initial line of defense, his floater is immaculate, and he gets the Warriors into their offensive sets well.

Are the Dubs willing to run with a guard who struggles as much as he does on defense? A lot of what he does on offense sure is helpful when Curry is out.

Grade: A-

Moses Moody

13 minutes, 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3-for-8 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, 43.8% TS, +8

On the whole, Moody didn’t have a particularly good game. But I was very happy with what I saw from him. My biggest complaint with Moody has always been his passivity, but he was super aggressive in this game, on both ends of the court. He was attacking on defense, and he repeatedly headed to the rim on offense ... and even tried to put Mason Plumlee on a poster.

More of that, Moody!

Grade: B

Post-game bonus: Led the team in plus/minus.

Tuesday’s inactives: Steph Curry, Andre Iguodala, Gary Payton II, Ryan Rollins, Andrew Wiggins