Player grades: Warriors vs. Clippers

Assessing every Golden State player’s performance from the team’s 112-104 loss to LA.

The Golden State Warriors suffered their first loss of the 2024-25 NBA season on Sunday night, losing 112-104 to an LA Clippers team that had a highly-impressive weekend, after beating the Denver Nuggets on the road on Saturday. The defeat is a bummer for the Dubs, but it’s nothing in comparison to the real loss of the day: Steph Curry, to an ankle injury.

We’re all holding our breath. But while we wait, we might as well grade the loss. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each individual player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. League-average TS last season was 58.0%.

Draymond Green

27 minutes, 2 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 0-for-2 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 34.7% TS, +2

Green hasn’t been bad to start the season, per se, but he definitely hasn’t been the impact maker we’ve grown accustomed to. For the year, he has just 13 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists, which is a line we’ve often seen him put up in a single game, not three.

His defense has still been quite good this year, but Sunday was his worst showing on that front, as he really struggled with the length and athleticism of LA. On offense, it definitely seems like he’s having an adjustment period to both the larger starting lineup, and his new teammates.

Grade: C
Post-game bonus: Tied for the best plus/minus on the team.

Jonathan Kuminga

22 minutes, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 4-for-10 shooting, 1-for-6 threes, 3-for-6 free throws, 47.5% TS, 0 +/-

This game was a step in the right direction, but Kuminga is clearly the weak point in the starting lineup right now, though that still says more about the fit than about Kuminga’s actual play.

That lineup worked better on Sunday, in part because Kuminga was comfortable spacing the floor, firing away when he had open threes. He didn’t make them, though, and his ability to stick at small forward — and in the starting lineup — is probably contingent on that changing.

He had a lot of defensive lapses in this game, though he also had a lot of strong defensive plays where he used his athleticism to disrupt transition opportunities and create chaos. It hasn’t been the start to the season that he’s looking for, but there are at least signs.

Grade: C

Trayce Jackson-Davis

16 minutes, 4 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2-for-6 shooting, 33.3% TS, +1

Well, no player in NBA history has had a season of only good games, and Jackson-Davis was reminded of that in this one. He was spectacular in the first two games of the year — and didn’t miss a shot! — but stumbled fairly hard against the Clippers. He couldn’t find any separation on offense, and on defense and the glass he got schooled by Ivica Zubac.

It was a game he’ll want to forget and shake off, though I feel compelled to highlight the impressiveness of his disciplined play. Through three games, he has just two turnovers and four fouls. That’s incredible for a second-year player!

Grade: C-

Andrew Wiggins

29 minutes, 29 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 11-for-15 shooting, 5-for-8 threes, 2-for-3 free throws, 88.8% TS, -3

There weren’t many happy happenings in this game for the Warriors. In fact, you could make a case that there was only one happy happening: the play of Wiggins.

Through three games, Wiggins looks nothing like the player who seemed to be going through the motions a year ago. He’s locked in, engaged, athletic, and aggressive. And he played like an absolute star in this game.

Wiggins’ offense was not only highly effective and highly efficient, but remarkably timely. He poured in the points in the first quarter when the starting lineup was desperate to find a way to work. He poured in the points in the third quarter when the Clippers were threatening to run away with the game. And he made clutch shots in the fourth quarter as the Warriors mounted a comeback sans Curry … including a huge three to cap off a 10-0 run, and make it a one-point game in the fading minutes.

Good things happen when Wiggins is aggressive and assertive, and he was those things on Sunday night. He also played very strong defense on James Harden, who shot just 6-for-19 from the field, and committed five turnovers.

The sky’s the limit for Golden State if All-Star Wiggins is back.

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

Steph Curry

27 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 6 turnovers, 1 foul, 6-for-11 shooting, 4-for-7 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 75.8% TS, +2

It’s hard to care about Curry’s performance, which included a lot of good (his shot was falling, and he was very active defensively) and a lot of bad (LA’s athleticism seemed to pester him into countless turnovers). All that matters is his ankle injury, which he told Steve Kerr is “mild or moderate.” Curry will get an MRI Sunday night, and we’ll hopefully learn more on the Monday off-day.

Fingers crossed, Steph. Get healthy so you can do more of this:

Grade: Please be OK
Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists, tied for the best plus/minus on the team.

Kevon Looney

20 minutes, 10 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 4-for-9 shooting, 2-for-4 free throws, 46.5% TS, -6

While Wiggins was the far and away brightest light on the Warriors on Sunday, Looney was second. TJD may be the starter, but it’s clear that Kerr will fluctuate minutes between the two centers based on matchups and who is playing best. Looney was doing a much better job against Zubac, and was an absolute beast on the glass. He remains one of the best rebounders in the league, and has already grabbed 27 boards in just 48 minutes this year.

Remember the rumors that the Dubs might not pick up his player option for this season? Thank goodness they didn’t make that mistake!

Grade: A-

Lindy Waters III

1 minute, 0 points, 0 +/-

Waters had gotten some decent garbage-time run in the first two games of the season, but sadly there was only a minute of it for him in this game, so he didn’t get to show off.

Grade: Incomplete

Kyle Anderson

4 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 1 turnover, -9

The Warriors may have a 12-man rotation, but that doesn’t mean all 12 players are going to play heavy minutes each night. On Sunday, Anderson was barely in the rotation, which is somewhat fitting given how fast the Clippers played and that his nickname is “Slo Mo.” Kerr might have leaned on Anderson’s defense were Kawhi Leonard playing this game, but in Leonard’s absence, it was a clunky fit for Anderson, who didn’t play much, or well.

But that doesn’t tell the whole story. The Warriors rotation is likely going to be a story all year long, and for it to succeed, it is imperative that people buy in. Anderson is doing exactly that, which sets the tone for the younger players.

Grade: C (on-court play only)

Buddy Hield

28 minutes, 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 3 fouls, 3-for-14 shooting, 1-for-9 threes, 1-for-1 free throws, 27.7% TS, -7

Hield is going to have some clunkers. That’s simply the case for all shooters, especially streaky ones — which Hield is. He still can provide a lot of value even on his off-nights, though, because his ball movement and gravity help open up the offense. There’s a reason Kerr gave Hield more minutes than anyone except Wiggins, even though the shot wasn’t falling.

Still and all, it was an ugly game for Hield. He forced things too much, often taking off-balance shots or making ill-advised passes (though you can understand the intend, given the struggles of the offense). He played a high-risk, high-reward style of hoops, and unfortunately it was the risk that materialized, not the reward.

He did have a four-point play though, so that was cool.

Grade: D+

Gary Payton II

14 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 foul, 2-for-5 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 51.0% TS, -3

Payton is on the team largely to provide bursts of defense, but in this game it was more about his bursts of offense. As soon as he got on the floor, he jumpstarted the offense with his cuts. After that, it was a fairly mild-mannered game for him.

Grade: B-

De’Anthony Melton

17 minutes, 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 block, 2 fouls, 3-for-5 shooting, 2-for-4 threes, 80.0% TS, -10

The start to Melton’s Warriors tenure hasn’t been very smooth, though he did a lot of encouraging things in this game. He’s definitely going to have to take on a bigger role in the coming games though, assuming Curry has to miss a chunk of time with his injury. We’ll all miss Curry, but it will be fun seeing Melton in an expanded role, where his shooting and defense can shine.

Grade: B
Post-game bonus: Worst plus/minus on the team.

Moses Moody

12 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 1-for-3 shooting, 1-for-2 threes, 0-for-2 free throws, 38.7% TS, -5

Moody didn’t play well in this game, but then again, not very many Warriors did. It is what it is.

Grade: C-

Brandin Podziemski

25 minutes, 4 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 2-for-8 shooting, 0-for-5 threes, 25.0% TS, -2

Not a particularly good game for Podziemski, either, though I remain astonished at how much the energy level of the team increases as soon as he steps on the court. When he checks in, the Warriors immediately start to play like they all chugged a Red Bull. It’s a contagious hustle that he brings to the court.

Unfortunately, a few times on Sunday that energy led to Podz being a little over-exuberant. And his three-point struggles aren’t helping matters, as he’s now 1-for-14 from distance to start the year. He’s another player who will likely see an uptick in minutes with Curry likely sidelined.

Grade: C

Sunday’s DNPs: Gui Santos

Sunday’s inactives: Reece Beekman, Quinten Post, Pat Spencer