It seems ages ago that the Golden State Warriors made their miraculous Playoff run of 2007. They continued to look promising last season, but the offseason afterwards was full of bizarre occurrences, and things took a turn for the worse in the Bay Area. They lost their best player, Baron Davis, to free agency, and then his successor, Monta Ellis, went down with an injury. It all adds up to this season being nothing short of horrible. As of late, the Warriors have actually played well. Since Ellis returned from his injury, the team has showed more effort, which has translated to more victories. They are currently on a three-game win streak heading into the All-Star break. But can we quantify the Dubs' quality? Here are their individual mid-season grades. The Starters PG Monta Ellis Monta’s grade will be lowered because of his stupid offseason decisions: riding a moped, getting injured while doing it, and then lying to the front office about it. Other than that, he has been fine. He has yet to play at the level he once did, but he is slowly getting there with each game; his just being on the court makes everyone around him play with more effort. His mid-range game and explosiveness aren’t what they used to be, but by the end of the season, he should be back to where he once was. Grade: C- SG Jamal Crawford After hearing that Al Harrington was traded to the New York Knicks for Jamal Crawford, Warrior fans went nuts. Unfortunately for Golden State, the trade has worked more in favor of the Knicks. Crawford needs the ball in his hands to succeed, like the two other veterans on this team. He already got into an argument with a teammate about selfishness, and Jamal can get stubborn at times and force ill-advised shots. He may be the streakiest player on the team. Grade: C+ SF Stephen Jackson At times, he looks like "Captain Jack". At other times, he looks lazy. It’s frustrating to see him not get back on defense and argue with the officials about blown calls, leaving his teammates to play undermanned. Jackson has played selfishly sometimes, but at the same time, has also matured a lot this season. His all-around game is much better today than in any of his previous seasons. He isn’t the ideal leader for a young squad like the Warriors, but he's done an average job. Grade: B- PF Kelenna Azubuike He began the season by struggling but caught fire later on. He is one of the best three-point shooters in the league and a good finisher around the rim. But like most of the team, he is streaky. He'll sometimes force up bad shots instead of passing the ball, but he's been a good rebounder and average defender to make up for it. Grade: B C Andris Biedrins He's the most valuable player of this team, despite the fact that they are on a win streak without him. Biedrins cuts to the basket well, is a great finisher around the basket, and rebounds with the best of the league. He usually has to clean up the mess Maggette, Crawford, and Jackson make as he hustles down rebounds so they can throw up another one. Big men who can’t shoot don’t play too well under Don Nelson because they get nothing in the offense, but he still averages double-figures. An All-Star in the future for sure; that is, once a new coach arrives. Grade: A The Bench G/F Corey Maggette An overpaid, injury-prone ballhog that doesn’t play defense. Maggette played horribly to begin the season, though he's improved since becoming the sixth man. Still looks for his shot over everything else, but he gets to the rim well and gets fouled often. Grade: D F/C Ronny Turiaf He's at the top of the league in blocks despite playing relatively few minutes. Turiaf gets a lot of his swats when Warriors guards can’t keep their man in front of them. He has an inconsistent jumper, rebounds only averagely, and fouls way too much, but he’s a great energy player. Grade: C G C.J. Watson Plays well when he gets time, though he's had a torn ligament in his shooting arm all season. Watson gambles for steals on defense. He has a nice jumper and can find open players at times. Grade: C- G/F Marco Belinelli Warriors fans had been waiting for Marco to finally get some burn, and this has been the season for it. Since he cracked Nelson’s rotation, he has played tremendously. He has even improved on his weakest area, defense. He’s a good passer and shooter. He chucks up random shots at times, but that’s just what he's learned from the “leaders,”I guess. Grade: B- F Anthony Randolph Plays excellently in limited minutes. Randolph rebounds the ball well and is great at running the break. His jumpshot isn’t great, but he is capable of hitting it when needed. He has great hustle and has a nack for blocking shots. Grade: C+ F Anthony Morrow This undrafted rookie scored 37 points in his first start. Morrow is an amazing shooter, and it's a crim he's not in the three-point shootout. If Nelson played him more, he would be a great weapon. Started the season as just a shooter, but has become a great rebounder and more than just a catch-and-shoot player. Grade: C Incomplete Grades F Brandan Wright Wright developed a bit of an offensive post game and became a better rebounder when he got some minutes. Unfortunately, he has been injured for a long time and hasn’t lived up to fan expectations F Rob Kurz He has a nice jumper and is willing to give up his body. Kurz is a decent player that can be a great ninth or tenth man off the bench. G Marcus Williams He should be playing more minutes. Willliams may be the best playmaker on this team. He didn't even touch the floor in a triple-overtime game where three players fouled out and a few were injured. F/C Jermareo Davidson He still has not played enough minutes to be evaluated.
I mostly agree with you, but if I'm judging players on performance vs. expectations: Ellis: incomplete. F if you take the offseason into account because I believe he ruined the season for the entire team. They would be competing for a playoff spot if he were there from the start. Crawford: D+. Has good nights but too many nights when he gives you nothing in big minutes, and you can't ignore the complete lack of defense. Jackson: B. The D isn't where we want it, but he was asked to do alot this year without Baron and Monta. Azubuike: B+. Plays within himself and has exceeded my expectations. Watson: B-. He's supposed to be a backup PG and was asked to do a lot this year, and did well for the most part. Maggette: C. Tough one, I would give him a D- for early in the year, but probably a B more recently. Belinelli: B+. Has flaws but he noticeably changes the offense, for the better. Randolph: B+. Youngest player in the NBA and dealing with Nelson's mind games all year, he's raw but has done remarkably well.
Yeah Mags is a tough grade. I'd definitely rank him higher than Legacy did though. He sucked bad at the beginning of the year but hes been nuts lately. He was dealing with a bad hamstring injury earlier plus switching teams, coaching systems, etc. Overall hes averaging 20 ppg, 6 rpg, 1 spg, on 47% FGs, 21% 3 pts, 82% FTs on 8.2 FGAs per game. His D is fairly weak but its actually been ok on PFs IMO. Dude's been putting up crazy numbers on a consistent basis since moving to the bench. Yeah, hes got a lot of weaknesses but we knew that going into it. Hes also very good at what he does and hes the best 6th man in the league IMO. Off the bench his numbers are 21 ppg, 6 reb, 1 spg, on 51% FGs, 22% 3 pts, 83% FTs on 8.2 FGAs a game all in 5 less minutes per game.
Yeah but hes good at what he does. He makes for a great 6th man when the starters on either team start to get a little tired or if the W's are struggling and need instant offense (or someone who will get to the rim). Ball movement sucks, defense is mediocre, jumpshot is suspect (though his mid-range J is ok). That being said, he really pressures the defense, scores efficiently, gets the other team in the bonus, solid rebounder, great athlete, seems to be a good locker room presence. Again, I'd love to ship his ass off but to be honest I do think hes earning his money. We brought him in to put up 20 ppg efficiently and hes been doing that since the beginning of January. We all hate his contract but thats a knock on the W's front office, not Maggette.
So you give Turiaf a C? He's a role player that fills his role perfectly. I'd give him a B/B+. And Randolph a B+? He's had only had 1 game where he played within his limits for the entire time he's been on the floor. And he has no idea what his own true value is (complaining publicly as a 19 year old rookie instead of playing through it). I'd give him a C at best, probably a C-. Magette and Crawford would get C-'s as well only because of these last 5 games or so. I'd agree with Rez for the rest of the grades.
Crawford: D+ : 18.8 pts / 3.1 rebs / 4.8 rebs / 41% FG : He may be a good fit in different team, but he is an outside shooter with plenty of different outside shooters. So, he is not offering much. To make things worse, he is not PG, can't defend, and inconsistent. Ellis: F : 13.2 pts / 3.9 rebs / 2.5 asts / 39 FG% : He ruined 08-09 Warriors season by riding moped and almost jeopardized his career. He has played horribly, but he is getting into the shape. Jackson: B+ : 20.5 pts / 4.9 rebs / 6.3 asts / 41 FG% : His bad shooting selection is not a news, and he will probably always keep his bad habits. But, he did whatever he could do, and even emulated PG's role. Without him, we probably would be one of the worst team in the league. Wright: C : 7.9 pts / 3.7 rebs / 54% FG : In one hand, he is long, athletic, has some skill, and improved throughout the season. In another hand, he definitely needs to be stronger, improve offense skill, and be a better rebounder, since he is a bit better rebounder than Turiaf. Next year will be make or break year for him. Biedrins: A- : 13.0 pts / 11.8 rebs / 1.58 blk / 57% FG : Our lone rebounder, and one of the best rebounder in the league. He improved again and defended the middle better than I expected. Only downside was that his FT got worse than last year. Maggette: C+: 19.7 pts / 5.7 rebs / 1.7 ast / 47% FG: As a starter, he was horrendous. He never passed, and he started the season really bad. But, as a 6th man, he was excellent, averaged over 20 pts, 50% FG, and 5 rebounds in 31.5 minutes. His selfishness turned an into instant offense. Eventually, I would like to see him moved, because he is 10 mils 6th man. But, for now, I can't complain 20 pts from the bench. Azubuike: B : 13.5 pts / 4.8 rebs / 1.4 asts / 47% FG / 46% 3 pts : After a bad start, he turned into one of the best 3 pts shooter in the league. For last 3 months, he shot over 50% 3 pts. It would be nicer if he becomes better defender and better passer though. Bellinelli: B- : 9.6 pts / 1.7 rebs / 2.1 asts / 44% FG / 38% 3 pts : After many fans wrote him off after Morrow emerged, he showed that he belongs in NBA. While he was starting, he averaged around 15 pts, 45% FG, 38% 3 pts, and 3 asts. Also, he improved his defense quite a bit to the point that he can play extended minutes. Watson: B- : 9.2 pts / 2.5 rebs / 2.5 asts / 47% FG / 47% 3 pts: As a SG, he demonstrated that he can shoot and drive very well. He will be yet another d-league player, who will find a job in this league. The downside is that he was suppose to be a back up PG, and time to time, he was the most selfish player on the court. Morrow: B : 8.4 pts / 2.8 rebs / 0.9 asts / 46% FG / 49% 3 pts : Came out from nowhere and shot the light out. The best outside shooter and can drive as well. Randolph: C : 5.8 pts / 4.1 rebs / .9 blk / 43% FG : He is everything we expected. He certainly showed start potential with superb athleticism, aggressiveness, excellent rebounder and ball handling skill unique for his height. But, he was also very raw, and showed immaturity even for 19 years old like firing Armstrong or cheap shot to Kurtz. Lately, he showed restraint and played within his limit. If he can keep improve and control his temper, he can be a star in 3 years. Turiaf: B- : 5.3 pts / 4.0 rebs / 1.9 ast / 2.19 blk / 49% FG: So far, so good. While not exactly statically impressive, Turiaf provided energy, toughness, and shot blocking ability. And, he did very good job spot starting for injured Biedrins. Williams: I : Well, he can't shoot, he can't drive, and he can't defend. So, it's no wonder why he is not getting minutes. It's questionable whether he had fair chance or not. But he didn't help himself either. Nelson: C+ : Fans complain about Nelson's reluctance to play young players, and he certainly isn't a coach to play rookies or encourage young players to play better. However, he developed Biedrins and Monta, and brought Barnes, Watson, Morrow, and Azubuike to the league. And, that's far more than our previous coaches. As for a game itself, no question he could do better, and our rebounding can be better if he let two bigs play together. But, with loss of Davis, Monta and moped, and various injuries, nobody could have brought this team to PO. Rowell: F : Not many GM can turn PO team with favorable financial situation into a lottery team with caproom hell. But, that's what Rowell did in one offseason. Not extending Davis is somewhat justifiable, because not many people expect Davis to opt out. But, Rowell filled Davis' salary's slot with same age, same injury prone, and not a same level player as Daivs by overpaying Maggette. And, he signed Maggette so quickly before exploring other options. Then, Rowell extended Jackson when there is no good reason to extend him. By finishing his job, he traded Harrington for Crawford with one more year. It's hard to imagine what Rowell thought. Maybe, he thought this team can be a contender without Davis for some reason. Or, he just didn't know how critical the shorter contract. If Rowell didn't resign Jackson and not trade Harrington, we might have offered Suns Jackson's two years contract, Harrington's two years contract, and some of our young talents. Instead, we have nothing to offer for Stoudmire, even if he may be the answer for our PF situation. It's just depressing to think how he will guide or misguide Warriors...
Perfect analysis. Only things where I could offer slightly different option is with Monta - yes, emotionally I want to give him an F for riding the moped and then handling it like a kid instead of a man, but as far as post-incident, he obviously took rehab seriously, stayed in shape, practiced, and was ready and eager to return. His first night back he put up 20 points and almost won the game. Since he's come back the team has had a new energy. So, I have to give him some credit for the comeback. It coul;d have gone bad, but it hasn't. It's gone well, and, thankfully, it looks like the past is now finally in the past. so, I give him a C. And Jackson, I totally agree with your comments, he's been amazing production-wise, but I can't let his tempertantrums and poor shot selection slide so easily. He's the veteran leader and he needs to be held accountable for his attitude and work ethic as much as he does for his point total and assist-turnover ratio. That's just me. When you're the leader of the youngest team in the league, the way you lead is as important to me as how many points you score. And, Jackson has struggled with that. Although it looks like he might be coming back around now that Monta is back. Jack gets a B- from me. I'd almost go C except that that's going too far considering his all-star-stats.
I can't really quantify the player production into grades, but I will say that: Jamal Crawford - is exactly what I thought he'd be. Terrific ballhandler, okay passer, explosive streak scorer, bad shot selection, ballhogger, underpowered at shooting guard defensively, terrific from the foul line, and occasional clutch performer. Corey Maggette - was a bit worse than I expected. Would have thought his fg% would be higher and he wouldn't brick so many at the foul line in a single game. He does offer instant energy on offense and he really, really knows how to score in so many different ways (except from outside apparently). Had this guy had the qualities in terms of defense, health, consistent outside shooting, and passing, he'd be a Paul Pierce type player. When he's feeling it, he's like a superstar, but he ends up being an Antwan Jamison type blackhole. Monta Ellis - Can't say much about him since he has to get in basketball shape. If he returns to proper form he should be one of the higher % combo guards with the ability to rebound, go to the rack at will, and hit the pull up midrange jumpshot (which he is usually accurate with prior to his injury). Andris Biedrins - Great rebounder, pretty good defense all-around, smart player, has improving offense skills. A keeper. Stephen Jackson - He's tough. He's been playing with a lot of things going against him. Hand injuries...having to play point when he's not a point guard, and having to play power forward when he's not a power forward... I think Jackson has been put in a losing situation because he's best served as a catch and shoot player who can make the extra move to the basket. Without Baron and Ellis, he's been asked to do too much for his role. Rony Turiaf - Good role player. No complaints. He's what a basic big man should be: packing toughness with basic post player skill. Kelenna Azubuike - Pretty good all-around player. Can be extremely atrocious to watch when he's hogging the ball or failing to make his open jumpshots. He's a good backup player or starting role player slightly in the mold of a Corey Maggette type power guard (a guy that looks to go to the hole, is a good rebounder, doesn't play much defense or pass the ball too much). CJ Watson - Solid scoring guard. Comes through when needed. Excellent midrange J and good ability in scoring off the dribble. Nice rebounder. Anthony Morrow - Has Michael Redd qualities. I like his potential Marco Belinelli - Has Brent Barry and Mike Miller qualities. I like his potential. Anthony Randolph - Has Lamar Odom qualities. I like his potential. Brandan Wright - Could be a sort of Chris Bosh type player. I like his potential.
