The Golden State Warriors got a much-needed win on Friday night, starting their four-game road trip with a 140-131 victory over the Chicago Bulls. A number in the W column was most important, but it was damn crucial that the team looked good too. Sure, a nine-point win against a team with a losing record doesn't scream “We're back!” But the Dubs withstood incredibly hot shooting nights from Coby White, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine and kept going despite missing four of their rotation pieces still come away with a win.
I'll take this any day.
Now let's evaluate the people who did the work. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a grade of “B” representing that player's average performance.
Note: True Shooting Percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that takes three-pointers and free throws into account. At the start of the games on Friday, the TS was about league average
Dario Sarić
28 minutes, 12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 fouls, 4-for-6 shooting, 2-for-3 three-pointers, 2-for-4 free throws, 77.3% TS, +6
Sarić had a surprising start as a power forward and quickly made the most of it. The Bulls were too small to handle Šarić on the four-point line, as he worked inside for both scoring and rebounding and then went outside for three-point shots. He had an excellent first quarter and held on throughout the game. Even without his vice president, Chris Paul, Super Dario simply kept the offense going.
Grade: A
Post-game bonus: It is tied with the team lead in rebounds.
Kevon Looney
27 minutes, 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 fouls, 4-on-4 shooting, 1-on-2 free throws, 92.2% TS, -7
Looney clearly outperformed his opponent Nikola Vučević. He played good defense against Vooch, if not the best defense against Chicago's sharp guards and wings, and his rebounding was much better than the box score suggests.
Grade: B+
Andrew Wiggins
31 minutes, 17 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 fouls, 8-for-13 shooting, 1-for-5 three-pointers, 65.4% TS, +4
After three straight terrible games in which he only scored 11 points total, Wiggins was shockingly moved back into the starting lineup. I didn't understand the change at all, but that's probably why I'm not a coach because it worked quite well.
Wiggins was sensational the entire game. He was energetic and aggressive. He attacked the glass on offense and defense as if he had read my articles about him. He kept the ball moving and recorded a shocking eight assists with no turnovers…after only amassing 43 assists on 50 turnovers all year.
I was wondering if the notoriously unplayable pairing of Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga actually doesn't work, or if it's simply because Wiggins was really bad. Friday suggested the latter, as the team resorted to the pairing twice – including to end the game – and it worked well each time.
Frankly, when Wiggins plays like this, the Warriors are a completely different team.
Grade: A+
Steph Curry
35 minutes, 27 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 8-for-24 shooting, 6-for-15 three-pointers, 5-for-5 free throws, 51.5% TS , +5
For a while, it looked like the Warriors were going to win this game despite Curry, not because of him. He didn't score in the first quarter and, other than being extremely serious, didn't have much of an impact until midway through the third quarter.
But he took over the fourth quarter with equal amounts of talent and theatrics, seeming to land a sensational shot every time a super-strength Chicago team got close.
If everyone else steps up, the Warriors won't need Curry as much. And when Curry doesn't have to do as much, he's more rested and ready for the moments when they need him.
Grade: B+
Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists.
Klay Thompson
34 minutes, 30 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 9-for-19 shooting, 7-for-15 three-pointers, 5-for-6 free throws, 69, 3% TS, +10
It turns out that the Warriors are a much, much better team when Thompson and Wiggins play like their All-Star personalities. Who could have known?
It was a quiet first half for Klay, but an explosive second. He set the tone for a massive 48-20 third quarter when he hit threes on the first two possessions of the court, cutting a 13-point deficit to a seven-point deficit and giving Chicago one just 97 seconds into the half Forced time out. He finished with 17 points and was the main reason for one of the best quarters of the season.
I was so impressed with his play in that game. His six assists were great, but they don't even tell the full story of how well he prepared his teammates all night long.
Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.
Jonathan Kuminga
24 minutes, 24 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 fouls, 9-for-12 shooting, 4-for-4 three-pointers, 2-for-3 free throws, 90.1% TS, +6
Gotta love both JK's performance and attitude in this film. He's been playing really well lately and then was dropped from the starting XI to replace someone who was struggling terribly. But Kuminga went into the game with the energy of a Red Bull player, and he did so selflessly. He energized the team with his instant offense, but also moved the ball, busted his ass and came out in transition.
And as mentioned, the lineups that had him and Wiggins both on the court worked well, which was great to see.
Kuminga deserved more than 24 minutes, but you can understand why Steve Kerr was hesitant about having too much overlap between Kuminga and Wiggins. But damn, this guy is good.
Grade: A+
Trayce Jackson Davis
17 minutes, 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 4-for-5 shooting, 5-for-7 free throws, 80.4% TS, +13
Amid rumors that the Warriors might be looking for a center who can score at the trade deadline, their second-round pick reminded them that they may already have that. TJD has many skills, but one of his best seems to be his sense of the moment. It's shocking how many of his rocky rolls come when the team is either in desperate need of a basket or on the verge of landing a knockout blow.
Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Led the team in plus/minus and tied for the lead in rebounds.
Cory Joseph
13 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 foul, 1-for-3 shooting, 0-for-1 three-pointers, 33.3% TS, +4
With Paul sidelined, the team will likely give CoJo a few minutes here or there. It's important to remember that this is his job: to provide emergency protocols when the team runs out of options.
He fills this role well.
Grade B
Jerome Robinson
4 minutes, 1 point, 1-on-2 free throws, 56.8% TS, -8
For the first time this year, Robinson — who is on a two-way contract — received some non-garbage minutes. That was great to see, even though he didn't really do much with them.
Grade: C
Post-game bonus: The worst plus/minus on the team.
Brandin Podziemski
27 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 fouls, 2-for-8 shooting, 0-for-4 three-pointers, 1-for-1 free throws, 29.6% TS, +12
For someone who was described by many as just a shooter when he was drafted, I'm shocked at how seamlessly Podziemski influences the game without scoring. The team just seems to function so well when he's on the field, and that can't usually be said about rookies.
It wasn't a notable game for him, but he also makes the team better on these evenings.
Grade B
Friday's DNP CDs: Lester Quiñones
Inactive on Friday: Usman Garuba, Draymond Green, Moses Moody, Chris Paul, Gary Payton II, Gui Santos
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