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David Lee, PF 35 MIN | 5-9 FG | 2-3 FT | 8 REB | 2 AST | 12 PTS | +20
Lee continued to stay aggressive even through his early struggles tonight. He came alive during the 2nd half providing some much needed assistance for the backcourt. Kenneth Faried got the better of Lee early (possessing Varejao-like energy), but Lee ended up with the last laugh. He was also able to snag eight boards and has easily become the most reliable rebounder on the team. |
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Dorell Wright, SF 29 MIN | 5-15 FG | 2-4 FT | 3 REB | 4 AST | 15 PTS | +13
It would be interesting to see if anyone keeps track of the “misses that hit the front of the rim” stat throughout the season. If so, I’d bet Dorell leads by a healthy margin. Dorell started slow and was forced to defer to the hotter Curry early. Luckily he made his presence known in the 3rd quarter, and he played solid defense on Rudy Fernandez throughout. |
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Andris Biedrins, C 22 MIN | 1-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 8 REB | 0 AST | 2 PTS | +7
Even though Andris continues to look like a chicken with his head cut off on the offensive end, I must give credit where credit is due: active hands, aggressive defense, eight rebounds, a steal and a 100% FG percentage all are welcome sights for a team so in need of some frontcourt production. |
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Monta Ellis, SG 34 MIN | 6-14 FG | 2-2 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 14 PTS | +3
Monta had the toughest matchup of the night with the defensive minded Afflalo guarding him the majority of the night. Following his best game as a pro Monta wasn’t nearly as effective, but how could he be? It was fun to see Monta play the supporting role tonight knowing his teammate was on fire. |
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Stephen Curry, PG 36 MIN | 13-17 FG | 4-7 FT | 7 REB | 7 AST | 36 PTS | +15
Not wanting to be outshined by his backcourt mate, Steph played fantastic just one game after Monta dropped 48 in a losing effort against OKC. Offensively, Steph was hitting from anywhere and everywhere. Defensively, he held Ty Lawson to 11 points on 4-12 shooting. The points might have stolen the show, but what is equally impressive is the one turnover for his 36 minutes. |
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Three Things We Saw
- Swat city trick, swat swat city trick. The Warriors played great team defense tonight, highlight by a ridiculous 14 blocks. Udoh led the way with his five, but when seven of ten players have at least one block, you consider that an all all-around impressive team effort.
- Klay Thompson continues his gradual growth into a solid NBA player. Klay is most successful coming off quick screens or spotting up from three, but he’s shown the ability to drive and finish before. I would like to see Klay be more aggressive and get to the line more — he’s attempted a measly four FT’s this season) — but the growth he’s shown is evident.
- The All-Star game reserves were announced tonight, and much to the dismay of Warriors fans Monta Ellis failed to make the Western Conference team. I made my stance known earlier this week on the issue, but it’s really a shame a player of Monta’s caliber hasn’t set foot on the big stage yet. I can’t say the decision wasn’t expected, but there’s no doubt he’s more deserving than some players who did make the roster.
Another obstacle holding Monta (and any borderline all star player on the West coast) is the time change. Most of the East coast and parts of the mid-west are through watching basketball for the evening by the time the West coast teams start play. It’s 10:30 pm in NY when the Warriors are tipping off. The players out west just don’t get the same exposure. The late Sports Center that would carry any highlights from the West coast is on at midnight on the East coast. Most of the voters have gone to sleep by then. Add to the fact that the team is losing, there really isn’t that much reason to pay attention to the Warriors if you live on the East coast.