In Saturday night’s contest against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Golden State Warriors had lost two out of their last three matchups while playing without the franchise’s all-time leading three-point shooter, Stephen Curry. It was a strange game for the Warriors as they shot historically badly in one of the worst performances of Steve Kerr’s coaching career, but the Warriors were able to squeeze out a hard-fought and well-earned victory.
Jimmy Butler led the way with a masterclass performance, recording 24 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds. With Butler stepping up, the Warriors were able to defeat the Pelicans 104-96 and call it a night. The Warriors had a shaky start, missing their first 19 attempts from three, winding down to halftime with a measly 42 points, and having their worst three-point shooting halftime score in the last 350 games under coach Kerr. Based on how things were going, it seemed like it was going to be another ugly loss for them.
Fortunately, players like Gary Payton II and Brandin Podziemski helped the Warriors get back on track with their excellent playmaking and hustle. They contributed to key defensive plays and made shots to give their team a ton of momentum. Jimmy Butler was the star the Warriors needed, but the role players stepped up to give him the help he needed to close the victory.
Zion Williamson and Saddiq Bey, with 25 and 21 points respectively, were the best performers for the Pelicans, but the Warriors held their own in the final seconds, getting the big plays from their “Big Three” of Butler, Payton II, and Podziemski. Of course, they were doing all this with Steph Curry. Following this gritty performance, let’s jump into player ratings.
Jimmy Butler: A+
Game Stats: 24 PTS, 8 REB, 10 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 7-15 FG, 0-2 3PT, 10-14 FT, 37 MIN
Jimmy Butler had to step up, and he did by scoring 24 points. He also had 10 assists and 8 rebounds, and even after suffering a leg contusion during the second quarter, he stayed reliable for Kerr and the players. No doubt, Butler was the most consistent player during a game in which the Warriors needed to steady the ship, and was the calming force to start the game off. The former All-Star led the Warriors in a team effort, and we give him the highest grade of an A+ because he stepped up tonight.
Gary Payton II: A
Game Stats: 19 PTS, 11 REB, 3 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 9-14 FG, 1-2 3PT, 0-0 FT, 25 MIN
Right behind Butler, Gary Payton II was a top performer, posting a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds in this game on 9-14 shooting and, unsurprisingly, being one of the most pivotal players in a hard-fought matchup. Payton was arguably the most energetic player tonight, and his court presence was felt on both ends. For these reasons and also for what he did on the stat sheet, Payton was one of the leading reasons and the most important player on the floor for the Warriors’ win.
Brandin Podziemski: B+
Game Stats: 15 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 5-13 FG, 3-9 3PT, 2-2 FT, 33 MIN
Brandin Podziemski was more than solid by contributing 15 points, six assists, and five rebounds as Golden State’s third scorer. Even if he went cold at times, he scored big buckets, which were sorely needed. Podziemski’s aggressiveness helped the Warriors stay organized on offense, and some of the winning plays he made that don’t show up on the box score were from his activity in the passing lanes and on the glass. A B+ is fair, even if his efficiency wasn’t there.
Moses Moody: B
Game Stats: 11 PTS, 3 REB, 0 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 4-12 FG, 2-7 3PT, 1-1 FT, 27 MIN
Moses Moody was a bit inconsistent on the offensive side, but he showed his potential on both sides of the court. He scored and impacted the game defensively with two steals and two blocks, which was a part of his +8. Moody also hit two threes, but his true impact came on the other end. On defense, he was a nuisance to the Pelicans’ guards and wings, and that was a major underrated part of his game. Behind GP II and Podziemski, Moody was the most impactful role player tonight.
Jonathan Kuminga: C+
Game Stats: 10 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 4-8 FG, 2-5 3PT, 0-0 FT, 19 MIN
After a seven-game absence, Jonathan Kuminga’s presence was felt in the Chase Center from the very first moment he walked in, and he made a positive impact with his performance, too. Scoring 10 points, he made back-to-back threes in the middle of the fourth that completely shifted the momentum in favor of the Warriors. Kuminga was clearly rusty because he only played 19 minutes with eight field-goal attempts, but his late-game impact was a key moment in the game’s outcome. Quite frankly, we loved the performance from Kuminga tonight.
Quinten Post: C+
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 3-6 FG, 1-4 3PT, 1-1 FT, 17 MIN
Quinten Post contributed useful minutes on both sides of the court against the Pelicans. He scored eight points off the bench on 50% shooting that included a made three-pointer. He also helped the offense flow better by making the right passes. Post did not dominate the rebounding contest, but he did not make any costly errors on defense. In 17 minutes, Post did enough to earn him a C+.
Draymond Green: C+
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0-9 FG, 0-7 3PT, 2-2 FT, 31 MIN
It is hard not to notice that Draymond Green had a horrible game on the stat sheet as he scored 0 points on 9 attempts, including seven failed attempts from three, but he still contributed on both ends. He was able to get 9 rebounds and 4 assists, and tried his best to organize the offense. However, Green was still the vocal leader tonight. He kept everyone in check defensively, and even when his shot was completely absent, his presence on the boards can’t be ignored. A C+ is fair considering the Warriors got the win tonight.
Pat Spencer: C+
Game Stats: 4 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 2-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0-0 FT, 15 MIN
Pat Spencer got 15 minutes of playing time, recording four points, two rebounds, and an assist while coming off the bench. He had a mistake-free game and played his role decently well in a limited spurt. He wasn’t very effective, but Spencer certainly tried his best. His performance was exactly what the Warriors needed from a backup guard, especially given the limited minutes in a game that needed other players to step up.
Buddy Hield: C+
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 4 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 3-9 FG, 2-7 3PT, 0-0 FT, 17 MIN
Buddy Hield gets a C+ because even if he went cold at times, but still ended with a respectable eight points on two made threes. Still, by his standards, he didn’t have his best night. Defensively, he played hard, even if the numbers don’t leap out in the box score. A decent performance from Hield, considering he only played 17 minutes.
Will Richard: C-
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 2 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1-4 FG, 1-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, 20 MIN
Richard only scored three points on 1-4 shooting, so he naturally won’t get a high grade. He put up a decent effort with two rebounds and even had a good sense of position on the court, but it just wasn’t falling for him. Out of all the Warriors players, Richard performed the “worst” on Saturday night.
