Warriors Vs. Wizards Player Grades: Kristaps Porziņģis Dominates

The Golden State Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak on Monday night, getting a much-needed 125-117 win over the Washington Wizards. It was an entertaining game, with the Warriors at times flirting with turning it into a blowout, and at other times risking blowing a lead and suffering another gut-wrenching loss.

But in the end, it was the first win in 11 days for the shorthanded Dubs. So let’s grade the players who got the job done. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that individual.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Monday’s games, league-average TS was 58.0%.

Will Richard

32 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 fouls, 0-for-6 shooting, 0-for-4 threes, 0.0% TS, -2

Well … Steve Kerr ripped into Richard during Sunday’s loss for a turnover, and the rookie responded by playing 32 minutes without a single turnover. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a good game for him. He seemed out of rhythm, and couldn’t by a bucket. Still, not turning the ball over while playing the level of perimeter defense he plays means he was an asset, even in a down game. But hard to get a good grade when you’re a non-factor on one end of the court.

Grade: C-

Gui Santos

28 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 5 fouls, 7-for-10 shooting, 4-for-6 threes, 90.0% TS, +20

There was one big weakness in Santos’ game on Monday: he repeatedly got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. That meant he had to go to the bench early in the second quarter with a third foul, and it meant that one of the best players on the team played a few seconds shy of 28 minutes.

But other than that? Near perfection. While the team struggled to shoot from deep, Santos drained three after three when the Dubs needed it most. He shot 4-for-6 from beyond the arc … his teammates? 5-for-26. His defense was strong, his energy was infectious, and he always had a big play up his sleeve … when he was on the court, at least.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.

Draymond Green

29 minutes, 5 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 2-for-8 shooting, 1-for-5 threes, 31.3% TS, -8

Green did some good stuff in this game and some bad stuff in this game. His defense wasn’t as good as it’s been in recent weeks, and he had some truly careless turnovers. He also had a masterful game boxing out, set strong screens, and had some great playmaking. A lot of key stuff, but it didn’t feel like he was one of their most impactful players.

Grade: B-
Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds and assists, worst plus/minus on the team.

Brandin Podziemski

28 minutes, 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 3-for-11 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, 3-for-4 free throws, 39.2% TS, +8

Podz had a hard time getting his offense going in this one. I wouldn’t say he was forcing things, per se, but things weren’t easy, even though he got a lot of shots off. He also took a violent forearm to the face and seemed a little woozy, so hopefully he’s OK. As usual, he had some nice plays doing the small things, but ultimately the offense wasn’t there.

Grade: C

De’Anthony Melton

30 minutes, 27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 12-for-17 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 3-for-3 free throws, 73.7% TS, +10

A sensational showing by Melton. He didn’t play during the team’s loss on Monday to the New York Knicks, and in the first quarter, he was fittingly the only Warriors player who seemed to have his full legs. He brought much-needed energy until his teammates could catch up, and then he started to take over in the third quarter when the rest of the offense stagnated. He scored in double figures in that frame, which included a tantalizing poster dunk.

Hopefully Steph Curry can get back on the court soon, because I desperately want to see him playing alongside this version of Melton.

Grade: A

Gary Payton II

24 minutes, 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 5 fouls, 7-for-10 shooting, 1-for-3 free throws, 66.3% TS, -6

GPII had an absurd game cutting without the ball. It seemed every time he was on the court, he made a remarkable backdoor cut and finished at the rim. He also played strong defense on Trae Young, and was a huge factor on the glass, as usual. He’s really been finding a groove lately.

Grade: A-

Pat Spencer

22 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3-for-9 shooting, 2-for-4 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 50.6% TS, +2

A so-so game from Pat. Like Podziemski, he had a hard time getting separation and easy looks. But he also kept the offense rolling, with some really nice passes that got the offense into motion. He’s not always flashy, but he’s a good quarterback.

Grade: B

Kristaps Porziņģis

26 minutes, 30 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 8-for-13 shooting, 1-for-5 threes, 13-for-14 free throws, 78.3% TS, +7

This is the type of game that makes it abundantly clear why the Warriors traded for Porziņģis, and why I expect them to re-sign him this offseason. He was nothing short of a star, in every phase of the game. He scored more than a point per minute, and had five stocks while barely playing half the game. Washington’s defense was completely helpless against him, and was forced to foul, foul, and foul some more (you can see how Bam Adebayo did it, can’t you?). When the Warriors needed a bucket, they fed Porziņģis, and he was able to get them one. That’s something that has been sorely missing. He set massive screens, controlled the paint on defense, and looked like the only player that the Wizards had no game plan for. His best game as a Warrior, without a doubt.

Grade: A++
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.

Malevy Leons

16 minutes, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 4-for-5 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 80.0% TS, +2

A really solid game for Leons, who was the only one of the Warriors two-way players to get significant run in this game. He held his own on defense, and showed a lot of fight, hustle, and athleticism in his scoring, which included climbing the ladder for a highlight reel alley-oop.

Grade: A

Nate Williams

3 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 0-for-2 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 0.0% TS, +6

Just a short burst of minutes for Williams in this game. There will be more minutes for him in some other contests, especially given how frequently everyone on this team gets hurt.

Grade: Incomplete

Ömer Yurtseven

2 minutes, 2 points, 1 assist, 1 foul, 2-for-2 free throws, 113.6% TS, +1

And just a brief cameo for Yurtseven as well, in his second game with the team.

Grade: Incomplete

Monday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, LJ Cryer, Seth Curry, Steph Curry, Al Horford, Moses Moody, Quinten Post