Golden State Warriors: Grading every player after first month of season

Grading the Golden State Warriors starters

Draymond Green, Starting PF – Grade: B+

Let’s start with the good. Draymond Green has, on most nights, been this team’s best playmaker. He has looked for the open man in transition, lobbed the ball to rookie center James Wiseman frequently in the short roll, and always seems to know where Stephen Curry is. Defensively he has put in some lockdown performances, including stonewalling Anthony Davis for much of the Warriors’ comeback win on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Green has also demonstrated his lack of conditioning early on — understandable, given he missed training camp and the preseason due to COVID-19 and the first four games of the season with a foot injury. That has meant some nights, notably in the high altitude of Denver, he simply hasn’t had the requisite energy. He has been a reluctant scorer, loath to call his own number. Finally, his fiery drive helps to propel him and this team towards excellence, but it also gets him into trouble with the referees. Given where Green was last year, he is playing great, but his All-NBA play from the dynasty era holds him to a higher standard.

Andrew Wiggins, Starting SF – Grade: B

For those expecting an empty-calories offensive player who brought along no defensive effort, Wiggins has been incredibly surprising. He is defending with energy and drawing the nod on players from Kawhi Leonard to LeBron James. His 1.6 blocks-per-36 minutes are by far a career-high. On offense, he is finding his role, shooting 39.7 percent from deep, also a career-high. His usage is down from his Minnesota Timberwolves days, but he is creating offense for a Warriors team that really needs him to.

James Wiseman, Starting C – Grade: B-

We’ll flip it around and start with the negatives. Wiseman cannot seem to secure the ball in traffic, leading to bobbled interior passes and way too many rebounds bouncing off of his hand and into an opponent’s waiting grasp. Defensively he doesn’t seem to know when to hang back and when to step up, and opposing players know they can penetrate and score around him. Outside of the game against the San Antonio Spurs, he is looking to call his own number and not find his teammates, a no-no for a center in Steve Kerr’s offense.

Yet he is also the starting center for a team with a winning record, and in around half of their games, he looks the part. His athleticism is jaw-dropping at times, and none of his teammates have been able to throw a lob up he can’t get to. He runs the floor, works hard, and is always trying to get better. He clearly cares, and when you combine his intelligence and drive to get better with his incredible physical gifts, his future is bright.

Kelly Oubre Jr., Starting SG – Grade: D+

It has been a really tough start to the season for Kelly Oubre. He has been the most negative 3-point shooter in the league, hitting just 20.7 percent of his deep shots. His overall offensive portfolio has been reduced to putback dunks. He is hitting career-lows in 3-point, 2-point and free throw percentage, leading to an abysmal 40.2 percent effective field goal percentage.

Defensively he has more pop, and his harrying of opponents has kept him in Steve Kerr’s starting lineup. He is one of just nine players averaging a block and a steal per game and joins John Wall as the only non-big. If he continues to shoot like an Imperial stormtrooper, however, even his defensive ability may not keep him in the starting lineup.