Grades for Steph, every Warriors player at NBA All-Star break
Just like that, the NBA season has reached the halfway point and the Warriors, are, more or less, where they were when the season tipped off in Brooklyn.The Warriors head into the break one game above .500 at 19-18, and in ninth place in the Western Conference. Steph Curry has been nothing short of incredible, playing arguably the best basketball of his career.While Curry has been putting up MVP numbers, the Warriors haven't been able to give Curry the consistent offensive help needed to put them in better position to avoid the play-in tournament.James Wiseman has shown flashes of his star potential but has overall had an up-and-down rookie season. The Warriors have been pleased by Wiseman's early showing, but they would like to get more out of him as they look to make a second-half run up the Western Conference standings.With Curry headed to Atlanta for the All-Star Game, and the rest of the Warriors looking to recharge before their second-half gauntlet begins, here's the report card for Golden State's turbulent first half.
Wiseman hasn't played much since our 20-game check-in due to a wrist injury that cost him a few weeks.
As we hit the All-Star break, Wiseman is averaging 11.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 37.0 from the 3-point line.
While his talent is tantalizing and the Warriors believe he is destined for stardom, Wiseman has been given many hard NBA lessons during an up-and-down rookie season. On a team searching for more supplemental scoring, Wiseman has been unable to give the 2020-21 Warriors the consistent offensive burst they know he is capable of.
The future is bright for Wiseman, but the Warriors need more from him this season.
Grade: B
The Warriors are thrilled with the NBA's reported plan to allow two-way players to suit up in more than 50 games and play in the playoffs. That will allow Juan Toscano-Anderson, who has become a favorite of Steve Kerr, to get more playing time than expected. JTA has been a reliable bench piece for the Warriors who could start to see more time with the second unit to open the second quarter as the Warriors look for answers with their reserves.
Mannion just returned from the G League bubble where he played well and got back into a rhythm. He returns to the Warriors confident he can help them in their playoff push.
Smailagic remains in the G League bubble and has had his struggles, while Chriss has been out almost all season with a broken leg. Both will receive incompletes as will Mannion.
Grade for Toscano-Anderson: C-plus
Grade for Mannion: Incomplete
Grade for Chriss: Incomplete
Grade for Smailagic: Incomplete
Mulder has been in and out of the Warriors' rotation all season. When he's played, he's been serviceable, shooting 40.9 percent from 3-point range.
The Kentucky product was named an NBA Rising Star, even though the game won't take place due to COVID.
Mulder's per-36 numbers are good and he gives the Warriors a much-needed spacing boost when he does play. With Jordan Poole and Mannion back from Orlando, it's hard to say how much Mulder will play going forward.
Grade for Mulder: C-minus
After a solid start to the season, the shine has worn off Wanamker.
While he is good at getting everyone in their proper place and initiating the offense, Wanamaker has struggled without a playmaker next to him with the second unit and has been ineffective offensively, prompting Kerr to recall Poole and Mannion in search of the right combination with his reserves.
Wanamaker hasn't looked like the player he was with the Boston Celtics, and his offensive struggles have killed the Warriors' second unit, which has surrendered a number of leads.
If the struggles continue, Wanamaker will find himself out of the rotation. The only question is, for who?
Grade for Wanamaker: D
With Poole's recall from the G League bubble, the Michigan guard might now have his best opportunity to make and keep a foothold at the NBA level.
In 16 games this season for the Warriors, Poole is averaging 6.8 points on 46.8 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from the 3-point range. With Wanamaker's struggles, the Warriors need Poole to be the offensive threat they believed he could be when they drafted him in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft.
To this point, Poole has been a disappointment. But he played well to close the first half against the Suns and should get a long look in the second half to prove he belongs.
Grade for Poole: D
Lee has been one of the Warriors' most consistent players from the opening tip of the season. He drilled a game-winning three to beat the Chicago Bulls and get the Warriors in the win column after an 0-2 start, and has been a steadying presence on an otherwise shaky second unit.
Lee's shot has ebbed and flowed all season, but he been one of the Warriors' most important players (non-Steph category) this season.
Grade for Lee: B-minus
Bazemore has filled his role perfectly for the Warriors.
He's shooting 43.8 percent from 3-point range, has been a big part of a few huge comeback wins and is a good wing defender. He's also been a good veteran to have around what is a fairly young Warriors squad.
Not much more you can ask from him.
Grade for Bazemore: C-plus
After a solid rookie season, Paschall has once again provided good scoring punch for Steve Kerr off the bench.
The Villanova product is averaging 9.9 points per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field. Paschall has been solid in a small-ball center role, and Kerr might have found something in pairing Wiseman and Paschall together on the second unit, although that remains TBD.
Paschall needs to improve his 3-point shooting, but he is a good north and south iso scorer, and plays an important role for these Warriors.
Grade for Paschall: B-minus
Looney, like Wiseman, missed some time with an injury in February, but has shown his importance when on the court.
A look at Looney's statline won't knock you over, but the veteran big man plays solid defense, is rarely in the wrong place on the floor and is a selfless player who knows how to play alongside Curry.
While he needs to work on finishing around the rim, Looney provides great veteran value to a Warriors team in search of stability.
Grade for Looney: B
It was a rocky start for Oubre in a Warriors uniform. Through the first 20 games, the 25-year-old wing only was scoring 12 points per game while shooting just 37.2 percent from the floor and 22.8 percent from long range.
But it takes time to learn how to play in the Warriors system next to Curry, and Oubre has come into his own of late. In the 16 games in February, Oubre averaged 20.1 points per game while shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 43.0 percent from distance.
You can't discount the horrific start, but Oubre has bounced back over the last month and earned a decent grade for his first-half performance.
Grade for Oubre: C-plus
Just as Oubre was rising back from the depth, Wiggins started to fall off a cliff.
After two terrible games to open the season, Wiggins was consistently good on both ends of the floor throughout the month of January. Through the first 20 games, Wiggins averaged 17.9 points per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from 3-point range and adding 1.5 blocks per game.
His scoring has dipped over the last month, with Wiggins averaging only 16.1 points per game and shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from distance in February.
The Warriors need Wiggins and Oubre to find their strides together if Golden State plans to avoid the play-in tournament. Steve Kerr believes Wiggins is just fatigued and that he will bounce back post All-Star break.
The Warriors better hope he does.
Grade for Wiggins: C-plus
It's very clear how important Draymond Green is to the Warriors.
But they do need him to do more offensively in order to start stacking wins. Green has said he's still learning to get back into a scoring mindset and that will take time.
Green put on an absurd passing display in February, including notching 17 assists against the Hornets, and his defensive presence can't be understated. But he needs to start scoring more for the Warriors to win. That much is clear.
Grade for Green: B
There's not much more you can say about the show Curry has put on this season with little help around him.
He's averaging 29.7 points and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from the 3-point line.
There's little doubt Curry will be in the MVP conversation come year's end, but unless the Warriors start winning games, he won't have enough juice to take home the honor for a third time.
Regardless, Curry has been sensational and has reminded anyone who forgot that he's one of the best players on the planet.
Grade for Curry: A
It's important to remember that Kerr, like everyone else, is learning how to navigate his new team, working to find the right combinations with limited practice time due to COVID-19.
Yes, he's made some puzzling rotation decisions and but he's overall done a solid job of trying to make the imperfect pieces of the puzzle he was given fit.
There's room for improvement, but the fire Steve Kerr talk that Warriors Twitter likes to bandy about can stop now.
Grade for Kerr: B
