Ja Morant Outduels Stephen Curry as Grizzlies Beat Warriors
Jan 12, 2022
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) handles the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (0) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
The Memphis Grizzlies earned their 10th straight win with a 116-108 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night at FedEx Forum. Ja Morant led the way with 29 points and eight assists as Memphis improved to 29-14.
— Grizzlies On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Grizzlies) January 12, 2022
It's the first time in franchise history that the Grizzlies have won 10 consecutive games.
The Warriors fell to 30-10 after their third loss in their last four games. Stephen Curry had his second triple-double of the year with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
In his second game of the season, Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson had 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting in 19 minutes. Golden State was playing without power forward Draymond Green, who sat out to rest his sore calf.
Notable Stats
G Ja Morant, MEM: 29 points, 8 assists
G Stephen Curry, GSW: 27 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists
G Klay Thompson, GSW: 14 points
Grizzlies Prove They Can Compete with Western Conference's Elite
Throughout Monday's game, the Grizzlies stood toe-to-toe with the Warriors and had them on their heels. Memphis showed no intimidation despite playing against a team that entered Tuesday tied for the best record in the NBA.
The Grizzlies were in attack mode right from the start, pushing the pace on offense and playing with great energy and activity on defense. Memphis led by as many as 18 in the first half and took a 59-51 lead into halftime.
Memphis is long and athletic and overplays the passing lanes. This has to be like four games of the same approach. Warriors offense hasn’t made the adjustment
Even when the Warriors opened the second half with one of their trademark scoring runs, the Grizzlies didn't panic. Memphis withstood the avalanche and kept the deficit to just three points heading into the fourth quarter.
In the final frame, the Grizzlies got contributions from multiple players to put themselves in position to win the game. Ziaire Williams scored a career-high 17 points. Tyus Jones added 17 off the bench on 5-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Despite having an off-night offensively, Jaren Jackson Jr. played some very strong interior defense.
Ja Morant lobs it up...Ziaire Williams throws it down for a career-high 17 points!@memgrizz 101@warriors 98
The Grizzlies showed that they are a team that can compete against the elite teams in the West. They now have an 8-2 record against the top six teams in the conference.
Memphis plays with a ferociousness that not many teams can match. There's a youthful exuberance surrounding the team as Morant and company always look like they're having fun playing together.
Warriors Missed Draymond Green on Both Ends
It felt like the Warriors were out of sorts for most of Monday's game as the Grizzlies blitzed them from the start. Without Green, Golden State was missing its organizer on both offense and defense.
The Warriors did a nice job of clawing back from an 18-point first-half deficit. Golden State outscored Memphis 39-28 in the third quarter.
But in the fourth, the Warriors were held to just 18 points compared to 29 by the Grizzlies. Golden State seemed like it couldn't figure out the best way to attack Memphis on either end of the floor, and much of that had to do with Green's absence. The Warriors finished with 16 turnovers and were outrebounded 49-45.
Green has established himself as one of the frontrunners for Defensive Player of the Year this season. It's no small task for the Warriors to replace his production, and they weren't able to do it on Tuesday. Green's absence is coming at an inopportune time for Golden State with a tough stretch of games coming up.
Warriors have lost three of four, all three Ls on road: Dallas, New Orleans (rest night) and now Memphis. They've had trouble scoring lately. Draymond Green's status for rest of road trip unknown. Milwaukee, Chicago road b2b up next. No Klay in one of them. Challenging stretch.
When the Warriors are at full strength, they can be the best team in the league. But if the team doesn't learn how to clean up its mistakes while Green is sidelined, opponents will continue to take advantage of Golden State's disorganization on both ends of the floor.
What's Next?
The Grizzlies will go for their 11th straight win on Thursday at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors will look to bounce back that same day in a road matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Stephen Curry: Warriors with Kevin Durant 'Absolutely' Beat Michael Jordan, '96 Bulls
Jan 11, 2022
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) looks up court during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
As part of a Q&A session for GQ Sports on Monday, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry said the 2016-17 to 2018-19 Dubs could have defeated the 1996 Chicago Bulls in a seven-game series.
Curry answered the question asked on Instagram at the 48-second mark of the following video:
"Absolutely," Curry responded. "Obviously we'll never know, but you put us on paper with them, I like our chances. I'd say Dubs in six too."
The 1995-96 Bulls have long been considered the gold standard of NBA teams, as they went 72-10 during the regular season and 15-3 in the playoffs, beating the Seattle SuperSonics 4-2 in the NBA Finals.
Michael Jordan led the way for that team with 30.4 points per game during the regular season, while Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc and current Warriors head coach Steve Kerr were big-time contributors as well.
The Warriors went on to break the Bulls' record for most wins in an NBA regular season in 2015-16 when they went 73-9. However, they fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
That led to Golden State signing Kevin Durant in free agency, which yielded immediate NBA championships in 2017 and 2018.
The 2016-17 Warriors went 67-15 during the regular season and a nearly perfect 16-1 in the playoffs, avenging the previous year's NBA Finals loss to Cleveland.
Curry, Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green formed one of the greatest quartets in NBA history, and KD was named NBA Finals MVP after outdueling LeBron James.
It will never be known if Durant could have turned in a similar performance against MJ, but there is perhaps no more intriguing fantasy matchup in NBA history to think about.
Klay Thompson's Return Comes Just in Time for Warriors
Jan 8, 2022
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, and guard Klay Thompson warm up before an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat in San Francisco, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
With a battered Stephen Curry searching for his stroke and the Golden State Warriors floundering on offense, the end of Klay Thompson's two-year hiatus isn't just a feel-good story anymore.
It's become a tale of salvation.
The Warriors will, of course, rejoice over the mere fact that Thompson is going to take the floor after the five-time All-Star spent nearly 1,000 days rehabbing a pair of brutal, career-altering injuries. As The Athletic's Tim Kawakami noted, "a lot of Warriors people get emotional talking about the anticipation" of Thompson's return.
Tears will be shed during introductions at Chase Center when Thompson is announced as a starter on Sunday, but what the Dubs really need is a return of the raindrops. Golden State's offense has run dry lately, and its pursuit of a championship depends on Thompson bringing back the splash.
The Warriors scored 178 points across their last two games, losses to the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans. That's their lowest two-contest total since December of that forgettable, possibly cursed 2019-20 season in which Curry logged just five games and Thompson didn't play at all.
Curry missed the New Orleans loss due to a thigh bruise suffered against the Mavs, but he was already struggling to a historic extent. The all-time three-point champ shot 3-of-17 against the Miami Heat on Jan. 3 and 5-of-24 in that defeat at Dallas. His 2-of-19 effort from deep in those two games felt like a glitch, but it may as well have been a cry for help.
Stephen Curry is 8-41 (20%) from the floor in his last 2 games.
It's the worst FG pct in a 2-game span in his career including playoffs (min. 20 FGA). pic.twitter.com/kheCEiSktF
Despite improved depth that had observers fawning over Golden State's remade roster, opponents' game plans haven't changed. They still blanket Curry with multiple defenders, clutching and grabbing him off the ball, trying everything within and without the rules to wear him down. Recent results suggest the tactics are working.
The Warriors have slid all the way to 14th in offensive rating on the season and are 25th over the last two weeks. That has everything to do with Curry, 33, fighting to survive against nonstop defensive assaults and a steady diet of difficult looks.
"I haven't [had a worse stretch]," he told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. "Over the course of the last 10 to 15ish (games). Usually there is mechanics I can focus on. But now it's dealing with [swarming] defenses and dealing with the shots I'm going to get."
The Warriors' need for Thompson shows up in areas beyond Curry's swoon. Golden State is second-to-last in turnover rate, a product of an offense that has to burn a lot of calories to generate quality looks. Sure, the Dubs' "Cuisinart" scheme—a constantly whirling mix of screens, slips, cuts and on-the-fly reads—can look like basketball art. But it's also a lot of work. As defenses deny Curry touches, induce fatigue and force the machine to keep spinning, mistakes arise.
Assuming his programming hasn't changed in two years of downtime, Klay can uncomplicate the offense. Who better than the guy who needed 11 dribbles to score 60 points to simplify things? If Thompson has daylight, the ball is going up, and any attempt he takes is almost, by definition, a good one. His worst accuracy rate on catch-and-shoot threes since NBA.com started tracking the data in 2013-14 was 40.5 percent on 6.1 attempts per game in 2018-19.
There's no need for further probing, screening or high-risk passes with a sniper like that ready to end possessions with a lasered-in trey. Throughout his career, Thompson's minutes have consistently coincided with the Warriors posting higher effective field-goal percentages and lower turnover rates.
Gary Payton II has been a revelation, and Curry's relentless off-ball movement is a sight to behold. But if it's Thompson in Payton's spot here, he's drilling this open corner three, saving Curry some effort in the process. Worst case, he'd command enough attention to get Steph an easier look than the one he ultimately converts.
The threat of Thompson's quick-trigger marksmanship makes it harder for opponents to sell out on Curry. Steph's gravity is unparalleled, but Thompson is with him in that rare class of shooters who defenders can never leave unattended. With Klay back, opponents can't put two bodies on a ball-handling Curry without consequence. Forget those janky box-and-one looks entirely.
There's a reason Curry has shot the ball better from deep with Thompson on the floor in seven of their eight seasons together. Klay prevents gimmick coverages from working, allowing his two-time MVP teammate to work against slightly more honest and equitable schemes.
Now for the tough talk: At 33, Curry might not even really be in a slump. His cold shooting (which included a shocking number of close-range bricks against Dallas) may owe to total exhaustion. And why shouldn't we expect this sort of breakdown from a player enduring nightly rugby scrums? Curry may be the best-conditioned athlete in the NBA, but even he has a breaking point.
Thompson can be the fixer.
It's no great revelation to say a team and its headline star benefit with the addition of more surrounding talent. But the Warriors' specific circumstances have only deepened their need for Klay's help. They came into the season with plenty of questions beyond Thompson's health. But a handful of player-development success stories and home runs in free agency (plus a reinvigorated Draymond Green) have them in the contender class.
So Thompson's impact takes on new meaning. He's the potential elevator from "very good" to "great," the perfect supplement to an offense that needs another top-line threat and a defense that is already the best in the league.
To compete with the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns (who overtook the Warriors for the top spot in the West on Thursday), Thompson need not perform like the superstar who averaged 26.0 points and shot 24-of-41 from deep in the 2019 Finals before the ACL tear that altered his career. But he'd better come pretty darn close.
Thompson, who's never shied away from taking a big shot, will return to a pressure-packed, do-or-die, save-a-title-chance scenario. Doesn't that feel right?
Curry and the Warriors have never missed Klay this badly. On Sunday, finally, they won't have to miss him at all.
There's a bit of a shake-up at the top of this week's power rankings, mostly because the Golden State Warriors are starting to look mortal...
NBA 2022 All-Star Voting: Who's Too High and Who's Too Low in 1st Returns?
Jan 7, 2022
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) drives against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
It's officially debate season in the NBA. Who will get traded before the deadline? Who's leading the MVP race? Which team is the favorite to win the title? And, of particular importance right now, who should make the All-Star team?
On Thursday, roughly a month-and-a-half prior to the 2022 All-Star break, The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania tweeted out the first batch of fan votes. And, as is annual tradition at this point, plenty of players looked a little out of place.
Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Nets’ Kevin Durant lead the NBA’s first All-Star fan voting returns: pic.twitter.com/3812PFdcGb
With the possible exception of DeMar DeRozan leading the way for Eastern Conference guards, the first couple of names in each section were probably fairly predictable. And even in DeMar's case, fringe MVP candidacy in Chicago was bound to generate plenty of votes.
But beyond the highest vote-getters, a number of names seem either too high or too low. So that's the very game we'll play with each. And for the purposes of this exercise, we'll endeavor to compare each player's rank on the list above to where they should within on a more objective process for selecting All-Stars (not where we think they should rank based on popularity or the number of votes we thought they'd receive).
To do this, we'll appeal to a number of catch-all metrics from around the internet that hope to capture all (or most of) a player's on-court contributions in a single statistic. I won't pretend that this is the only (or even the best) method for narrowing the field down to 24 All-Stars, but if you sort everyone in the league with 300-plus minutes by the average of their ranks in five popular catch-alls (as well as the cumulative versions of each), you get a pretty reliable idea of who this season's best players have been.
If you sort every NBA player w/ 300+ MIN on January 3 by the AVERAGE OF THEIR RANKS in 10 catch-alls (Box Plus/Minus, RAPTOR, Estimated Plus-Minus, LEBRON and Game Score per 36 minutes, as well as the cumulative versions of each), this is the top 30... pic.twitter.com/ZVpJTtUwvb
Again, this isn't definitive. For example, it might be difficult to make a sincere argument that Kevin Love should be in All-Star consideration this season, even though the above pegs him as the East's 15th-best player so far. But it can still provide ranges and act as a decent guide, which is how we'll use it today.
So, with that serving as the backdrop, let's take a look at what the fans are getting right, as well as where they're way off, in the first batch of votes.
Western Conference Frontcourt
1. LeBron James: Too High (but probably in the right range)
LeBron James has been absurd of late. Since November 24 (19 games), he's averaging 31.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 3.1 threes, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks.
But to consider him the best frontcourt player in the Western Conference to this point, you have to ignore everything prior to November 24, when LeBron missed 11 of the Los Angeles Lakers' 19 games and wasn't playing at anywhere near the level he is now.
2. Nikola Jokic: Too Low
Statistically speaking, no one else really has an argument for best player in the league right now.
Beyond posting a seemingly impossible 29.3 points, 16.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists per 75 possessions, Nikola Jokic is on pace to break the single-season record for box plus/minus.
Paul George deserves some credit for carrying the Los Angeles Clippers in the absence of Kawhi Leonard—but not this much.
Take off the numbers from his ridiculously hot start in L.A.'s first seven games, and PG is averaging 23.1 points while shooting 38.9 percent from the field and 28.1 percent from three.
And now that he's out with an elbow injury for the next several weeks, his stock is only going to drop more.
4. Andrew Wiggins: Too High (but knocking on the top 10's door)
Andrew Wiggins is clearly getting a Golden State Warriors boost here. Playing on a formerly dynastic team with one of the most popular players of all time clearly has its benefits.
It's not that Wiggins' stats are bad or undeserving of All-Star consideration. In fact, his points per game and effective field-goal percentage put him in pretty serious company. And his defense has been a key for the Warriors all season.
There just aren't enough ancillary contributions, particularly as a playmaker and rebounder, to warrant consideration as the West's fourth-best frontcourt player.
5. Draymond Green: Too High (but probably in the right range)
This is one where we can really get into a bit of a disagreement with the criteria. According to the catch-all exercise detailed above, Draymond is eighth among Western Conference frontcourt players, just behind Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Davis and Jonas Valanciunas.
Thing is, two of those players are on sub-.500 teams. AD has already missed 12 games (and counting). And so much of what Draymond does as the quarterback of the Warriors on both offense and defense is difficult for any stat to measure.
By letter of the law, we'll declare him a bit too high. When accounting for his intangibles and the fact that he's behind George and Wiggins, though, he might actually be too low.
6. Anthony Davis: About Right (though he's dropping)
Right now, the catch-all metrics put AD right at No. 6, which is where he is in the voting. And if he were playing, he'd have a chance to solidify that spot or move up.
Unfortunately, we're likely still several games away from his return from an MCL injury. And the more time he misses, the stronger the cases of those around him will become.
7. Karl-Anthony Towns: Too Low (but probably in the right range)
The metrics have Karl-Anthony Towns pegged as the West's fifth-best frontcourt player. And his offensive numbers are, as usual, absurd.
This season, he's averaging 24.2 points, 3.5 assists and 2.4 threes while shooting 42.2 percent from three.
And while the Minnesota Timberwolves do have a losing record, it's hard to fault KAT for it. When he's on the floor with the rest of Minnesota's starters (Jarred Vanderbilt, Anthony Edwards, D'Angelo Russell and Patrick Beverley), the Wolves are a staggering plus-53.5 points per 100 possessions.
8. Carmelo Anthony: Too High
Come on, now. Averaging 13.3 points and shooting 39.0 percent from three is notable for anyone in an age-37 season, but Carmelo Anthony simply can't be in an objective conversation regarding the West's top 10 frontcourt players.
In the catch-all exercise, he ranks 146th overall, regardless of position or conference. Again, great for a 37-year-old, but he's not All-Star-worthy.
9. Rudy Gobert: Too Low
Fans are never going to grasp the impact Rudy Gobert has on the Utah Jazz. Right now, the only players in the league ahead of him in the metrics are Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry.
That doesn't mean he's the fourth-best basketball player in the world, but it's decent evidence of a top-five impact this season.
He's averaging a whopping 17.6 points, 17.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per 75 possessions, with a 72.6 true shooting percentage. The Jazz are plus-13.9 points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor, a point differential roughly equivalent to that of a 70-win team.
10. Deandre Ayton: About Right
Ayton is 11th in our exercise, but this gets back to the Love example deployed earlier. The player ahead of Ayton is Isaiah Hartenstein, who plays 16.4 minutes per game and has spent much of his playing time against reserves.
Lack of total minutes is accounted for by including cumulative versions of the numbers, but it's harder to quantify how much more responsibility Ayton has on a Western Conference juggernaut.
Western Conference Guards
1. Stephen Curry: About Right
Stephen Curry maintaining a spot in the top three of the catch-alls exercise speaks to how important the mere threat of his shooting is.
Over his last 16 appearances, Curry is shooting 36.7 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three. But even during this drought, Golden State is plus-8.0 points per 100 possessions with Curry on the floor and minus-6.7 with him off.
2. Luka Doncic: Too High (but he could be on his way there)
Luka Doncic's basic numbers (25.0 points, 8.8 assists and 8.0 rebounds) are at their typically absurd levels, but he earns the "too high" distinction for a few reasons.
First, he's below the league average in both effective field-goal percentage and true shooting percentage. Second, the Dallas Mavericks have been significantly better with Luka off the floor this season. And third, the next guy on the list has almost certainly been better to this point of the season.
3. Ja Morant: Too Low (but probably in the right range)
Desmond Bane's suggestion that "we should be debating whether [Ja Morant is] the best point guard in the league" may sound a little First Take-y, but he's actually not too far off the mark.
Right now, Curry is the only 1 in the league who tops Morant's box plus/minus, and that gap has narrowed quite a bit over the last couple of weeks.
Over his last five games, Morant is averaging 33.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.8 threes.
4. Klay Thompson: Too High (though you have to respect the Warriors fans)
Klay Thompson hasn't played in an NBA basketball game in two-plus seasons.
5. Devin Booker: Too High (but probably in the right range)
A seven-game absence due to a hamstring injury hurt Devin Booker a bit in the cumulative numbers, but he's also below average in effective field-goal percentage and not on the same level of some of the others here as a playmaker.
Still, 23.9 points, 4.5 assists, 2.7 threes and a 42.0 three-point percentage for one of the West's premier teams is nothing to sneeze at.
Chris Paul is the best and most important player on the 29-8 Suns. He leads the league in assists per game, remains one of the game's most feared mid-range scorers and drives up an already strong net rating by 3.4 points.
Curry is an obvious choice for the first starting guard in the West, but CP3 should be in the conversation for the next spot (with the next guy on this list).
7. Donovan Mitchell: Too Low
These voting results are a pretty striking example of the power of market size in the NBA. Donovan Mitchell is the subject of a national ad campaign from Adidas, just won Western Conference Player of the Month for December and still can't crack the top five of his position group in fan voting.
After averaging 30.2 points and 5.0 assists in December, Mitchell is at 25.5 and 5.1 on the season. He's tied for fifth in the league in threes per game, and his team has a comfortable lead over every other in the league in both net and offensive rating.
Like Curry, Damian Lillard is posting shooting percentages far below his career norms, but he's still averaging 24.0, and the Portland Trail Blazers are scoring 114.2 points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor.
He has two big problems that could keep him out of the All-Star Game for the first time since 2017, though. First, the Blazers are 14-23 and dropping like a rock down the standings. Second, Lillard is out for multiple games for the second time this season with an abdominal injury.
If the losses keep piling up, Portland might have to think about shutting him down for an extended period.
Russell Westbrook is around the same range in the overall rankings as Melo. In fact, he's a few spots below him.
His raw numbers will likely always be intoxicating (this season, he's at 19.5 points, 8.1 boards and 8.1 assists), but this is his fifth straight season with abysmal scoring efficiency. And when a zero-turnover game warrants the kind of celebration Westbrook received earlier this month, you know he has a problem there.
Russ is in the middle of his 12th season with at least 500 minutes and 5.0-plus turnovers per 100 possessions. That is, unsurprisingly, a record.
10. Anthony Edwards: Too High
Scoring inefficiency and a lack of contributions beyond points probably mean it's a little too early to include Anthony Edwards in All-Star conversations, but it's fair to think he'll get there within the next couple of years.
He currently has the ninth-highest career scoring average for a player through his age-20 season.
If you want to declare Kevin Durant the best frontcourt player in the Eastern Conference, go for it. There's still a decent argument he's the best overall player in the world.
At 30.0 points per game, he leads the league in scoring. And he's doing so with well-above-average efficiency for a good team.
A strictly statistical ranking would almost certainly have him below the next guy on the list, though.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo: Too Low
Jokic is on the verge of running away with the numbers-based argument for best player in the world, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is still within striking distance.
Because he's played at an MVP level for nearly half a decade now, we may be starting to take his ridiculous production for granted.
For almost every single player in history outside of Giannis, averages of 31.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 steals per 75 possessions are far from normal.
3. Joel Embiid: About Right
If Joel Embiid keeps playing at the level he's been at lately, he may crash the MVP conversation by the end of the season.
Since his return from his last extended absence (17 games), Embiid is putting up 29.4 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.3 threes while shooting 39.3 percent from three.
4. Jayson Tatum: Too High
Jayson Tatum's raw numbers (25.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.7 threes) certainly look like those of an All-Star. And you won't see many complaints if he makes it.
But his scoring efficiency has been borderline disastrous in multiple games this season. Among the 48 players taking 15-plus shots per game, Tatum's well-below-average effective field-goal percentage ranks 42nd.
5. Jimmy Butler: About Right
Jimmy Butler's lack of availability is what has him teetering on the edge of the numbers' top five. He's missed 16 of the Miami Heat's games, but he's been his typically dominant self when he plays.
Butler is averaging 23.2 points, 5.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game. And while much of the league has struggled to adjust to rule adjustments this season, Butler's old-school foul-drawing game has remained a weapon.
He's averaging 8.1 free-throw attempts because he's been drawing real contact (as opposed to trying to trick the refs) for years.
6. Jarrett Allen: Too Low (but probably in the right range)
Jarrett Allen is putting up Gobert-esque numbers for the upstart Cleveland Cavaliers, and that means his impact may be harder to wrap your head around than that of someone like Tatum.
Allen is putting up 17.1 points in 32.8 minutes while shooting a league-leading 71.5 percent from two. But it's on the other end where his impact is truly felt.
The Cavs are allowing 3.2 fewer points per 100 possessions with Allen on the floor, and his opponents' field-goal percentage is 6.5 points lower when he's the primary defender.
7. Bam Adebayo: Too High
If Bam Adebayo had played in more than 18 games, it'd be a lot easier to justify his inclusion in the top 10. Averages of 18.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists are impressive.
But even in the limited time he played, there were some indicators that Adebayo was headed for a possible regression. His assist rate, block rate and true shooting percentage are all way down from where they were last the couple of seasons.
8. Miles Bridges: Too High
Miles Bridges' top-10 appearance feels like the result of a few intangible factors. For one, he plays alongside LaMelo Ball and for the League Pass darling Charlotte Hornets. They play one of the NBA's most exciting brands of basketball, and Bridges' highlight dunks are a big part of that.
Bridges also had an absurdly hot start, in which he averaged 26.2 points and shot 39.5 percent from three over his first five games. His numbers ever since then (18.5 points with a 30.2 three-point percentage) are nowhere near as impressive.
Put this one in the Melo category. LaMarcus Aldridge is on a big-market team and having a heck of a season for a player of his age (36).
But 13.7 points and 5.8 rebounds from a reserve isn't the description of an All-Star.
10. Nikola Vucevic: Too High
This feels like the All-Star candidacies of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine rubbing off on their starting center.
Nikola Vucevic was a worthy multi-time All-Star and one of the games' more underrated players from 2018-19 to 2020-21, but almost all of his numbers have fallen off a cliff in 2021-22.
His 0.7 box plus/minus is the lowest mark he's posted since 2013-14.
Eastern Conference Guards
1. DeMar DeRozan: Too High (but that's nitpicky)
The DeMar DeRozan coronation has been one of this season's best and most entertaining stories. Leading all Eastern Conference guards in this first batch of voting feels perfectly in line with that. And he deserves loads of credit for returning Chicago to the top of the standings.
He still just doesn't check quite as many boxes (or, fill them in as fully) as a couple of the guards behind him here.
After all the early-season fuss about James Harden possibly struggling with the league's new foul rules, his free-throw-attempt rate is now as high as it's been since 2016-17.
And though his gaudy numbers with the Houston Rockets may have spoiled us, Harden's 22.5 points, 9.8 assists, 8.1 rebounds and 2.4 threes are still impressive.
Combine that with his being on the East's No. 2 team, and it's not hard to make the argument for him to start.
3. Trae Young: Too Low
Statistically, Trae Young might have the strongest argument for the top spot in this section.
He's averaging 28.4 points, 9.5 assists and 2.8 threes. He's top 20 in the league in box plus/minus and first among Eastern Conference guards.
Of course, it's easy to pooh-pooh his candidacy based on the fact that the Atlanta Hawks are below .500. When you dig into their point differential, though, it's tough to hold that against Young. The Hawks are plus-3.3 points per 100 possessions with Young on the floor and minus-6.7 with him off.
4. Zach LaVine: Too High (but probably in the right range)
Zach LaVine deserves loads of credit for his selflessness in incorporating Vucevic and DeRozan into the Bulls over the last season and change.
He was the obvious, undisputed alpha on one of basketball's most storied franchises, but he's conceded plenty of recognition in this bounce-back season for the team.
DeRozan has understandably garnered most of the headlines, but LaVine has been special too. He's averaging 26.3 points, 4.2 assists and 3.2 threes while shooting 42.0 percent from three.
5. LaMelo Ball: About Right
This became clear a few games into his rookie season, but LaMelo Ball is way ahead of schedule.
The concern on him heading into the draft was whether he'd ever be able to shoot at an average level from the outside. In just his second season, he's top-20 in threes per game while posting an above-average three-point percentage.
That, in connection with his size and playmaking, has made him one of the game's most intriguing young guards and a bona fide cornerstone talent.
It was a heck of a performance, but Kyrie Irving has played only one game this season. Let's tap the brakes.
7. Derrick Rose: Too High
Derrick Rose probably has a better argument than Melo or Aldridge, but this is another big-market inclusion.
Rose is a reserve who plays 24.5 minutes per game for a sub-.500 team. He also hasn't played since Dec. 16 because of an ankle surgery that could hold him out beyond the All-Star break.
8. Tyler Herro: Too High
Like Bridges, Tyler Herro may have established his position here in the first few weeks of the season.
Through the end of November, Herro averaged 21.8 points and 2.9 threes while shooting 39.8 percent from three. In games since then, those numbers are down to 18.5, 2.4 and 36.0.
And throughout the season, lack of high-end contributions on defense or in other columns on the stat sheet have stifled his overall impact a bit.
9. Darius Garland: Too Low
Allen might have the best All-Star case among Cavaliers, but Darius Garland deserves more love too. He's the pilot for a team that's currently fourth in the league in net rating, with averages of 19.7 points, 7.4 assists and 2.6 threes.
His scoring efficiency is also well above average, and Cleveland is worlds better when he plays. On the season, the Cavs are plus-10.1 points per 100 possessions when he plays and minus-3.9 when he sits.
10. Fred VanVleet: Way Too Low
In the catch-alls, Fred VanVleet trails only Young among Eastern Conference guards.
He's putting up 21.3 points, 6.7 assists and 3.7 threes (a mark that trails only that of Curry) while shooting 40.8 percent from deep.
And his net-rating swing is up near Curry's, too. The Toronto Raptors are plus-5.8 points per 100 possessions with VanVleet on the floor and minus-13.0 with him off, giving him an 18.8-point swing that ranks sixth among players with at least 300 minutes.
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green Out for Warriors vs. Pelicans with Quad, Hip Injuries
Jan 6, 2022
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts to a play during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Golden State Warriors superstars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will both miss Thursday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Curry is dealing with a quad injury, while Green has an injured hip.
Juan Toscano-Anderson will also sit out with an ankle ailment.
The 33-year-old Curry is one of the NBA's most dominant players, and he has largely avoided injury over the past couple of seasons.
Curry was limited to five games in 2019-20 with a broken hand, but he bounced back to appear in 63 of 72 games last season and 35 of 37 this season.
Having won two NBA MVP awards, Curry is in the running for a third with averages of 26.8 points and 6.1 assists per game.
Green has played 33 games this season, averaging 8.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game.
The two All-Stars have been a big part of the Warriors' resurgence, as they are back to being championship contenders after missing the playoffs in each of the previous two seasons.
Golden State has a 29-8 record, tied for the best in the NBA.
Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole should take on bigger roles with the veterans unavailable.
Warriors' Stephen Curry Suffered Quad Injury vs. Mavs; Could Miss Pelicans Game
Jan 6, 2022
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) takes a moment prior to an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen
Curry suffered a left quad contusionduring the team's 99-82 road loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
Afterward, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters "there's a chance" Golden State rests him for its road game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.
Steph Curry suffered a left quad contusion tonight. Steve Kerr said “there’s a chance” the Warriors rest him in New Orleans tomorrow night. pic.twitter.com/atDQ8ZB730
Curry struggled in 36 minutes on Wednesday, posting 14 points on 5-of-24 shooting and nine rebounds.
Curry suffered a hip injury Nov. 16 against the Brooklyn Nets when he was involved in a
collision with fellow All-Star guard James Harden. After playing against the Cleveland Cavaliers two days later, he sat out the following night against the Detroit Pistons, marking his first
absence of the 2021-22 NBA season.
"I'll get an assessment,"
Curry told reporters after the Nets game. "That charge really
messed with me a little bit, so I'm just trying to deal with that a
little bit."
The 33-year-old Davidson product has
shown MVP form. He's averaged 26.8 points, 6.1
assists, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 threes and 1.4 steals through 35
appearances.
Gary Payton II could draw the start at
point guard if Curry is sidelined. It'll also create more
playing time for Damion Lee and Chris Chiozza in the Dubs'
backcourt rotation.
Golden State's depth players have
provided valuable production this season, and the group will be called on even more when any of the team's stars are
out of the lineup. They're capable of filling a void on a short-term
basis.
Luka Doncic, Mavericks Beat Warriors as Stephen Curry's Shooting Woes Continue
Jan 6, 2022
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots against Golden State Warriors forward Nemanja Bjelica (8) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
The Dallas Mavericks are starting to play like threats in the Western Conference.
Dallas defeated the Golden State Warriors 99-82 in Wednesday's showdown and potential playoff preview at American Airlines Center. It was the first of four matchups between the two teams this season.
Luka Doncic led the way for the victors, who improved to 20-18 on the campaign with their fourth straight win.
Gary Payton II, G, GS: 11 PTS, 11 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL
Luka, Team Defense Lead Way for Mavs
The Mavericks are trying to take the next step with Doncic and go from a team that makes the playoffs and loses in the first round to one that can challenge the top teams in the West for a deep run.
That meant this was something of a measuring-stick game against the conference-leading Warriors, and they wasted no time setting the tone by jumping out to a double-digit lead by halftime.
As expected, Doncic led the way by attacking the lane, drawing contact, battling for boards and facilitating when needed. It was far from a one-man show, though, as Jalen Brunson added secondary scoring and Tim Hardaway Jr. provided a spark off the bench with his outside shooting.
Even with all that, the Mavericks were most impressive on the defensive end with their collective effort on Curry, which prevented the two-time MVP from taking over like he so often does.
It was just a matter of time before No. 30 at least started scoring some, but the defense prevented his individual brilliance even when the Warriors came charging back in the third quarter. The Mavericks' biggest issue was finding scoring outside of Doncic with Kristaps Porzingis sidelined, especially when they went cold and allowed the visitors back into the game for the final quarter.
To the Mavericks' credit, they fought right back after giving up the lead and reestablished a double-digit advantage by the middle of the fourth quarter with Hardaway and Dorian Finney-Smith capitalizing on the openings created by Doncic. That was missing for a time in the third, but the spark, along with the continued defensive effort, helped the victors seize control for good.
Doncic is always going to stuff the stat sheet, but the Mavericks are far more dangerous when Hardaway and Finney-Smith are also hitting shots like they did as they pulled ahead. If they can play defense like they did against the formidable Warriors, they can continue climbing the standings.
Steph Struggles As Warriors Offense Falters
The scariest thing about Golden State entering play with the NBA's best record is Klay Thompson could return as soon as Sunday. That meant this game was another chance to send a message against a possible Western Conference playoff contender that this is the Warriors' title to lose.
So much for that.
The Warriors managed just 39 points in the first half with Curry missing all five of his three-point attempts and going just 1-of-10 from the field. It was partially a testament to the Mavericks' defensive effort, as the home team cut off his driving lanes, sent doubles his way and swarmed any potential open looks on the outside.
Draymond Green was also scoreless in the first half, and Golden State struggled with turnovers and failed to generate any type of rhythm with its two primary playmakers held in check.
That changed somewhat in the third quarter as Curry hit his first three and got to the basket multiple times, Gary Payton II impressed on the glass while still scoring some, and Andrew Wiggins played well for stretches. The Warriors even took the temporary lead and were well within striking distance heading to the fourth.
Still, Golden State fell behind once again in that final quarter and continued to struggle on the offensive end.
Curry never got going like he typically does, which marked the second straight game after he shot just 1-of-10 from deep in a win over the Miami Heat. One particularly poor turnover undercut a last comeback attempt in the final minutes, although it surely won't take him long to rediscover his greatness even after two bad shooting games.
What's Next?
Both teams are on the road for their next game when the Warriors face the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday and the Mavericks play the Houston Rockets on Friday.
There were times in the not-so-distant past when it seemed the Golden State Warriors would be one of the biggest buyers—if not the biggest—of the 2021-22 NBA trade season...
Nikola Jokic's Game-Saving Block Gives Nuggets Win vs. Steph Curry, Warriors
Dec 29, 2021
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) shoots against Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
The Golden State Warriors nearly overcame a 24-point halftime deficit, but the visiting Denver Nuggets held on to earn an 89-86 upset victory on Tuesday in San Francisco's Chase Center.
Denver led 31-16 after one quarter and 60-36 at halftime before its offense completely shut down in the final two quarters.
The Warriors steadily chipped away and tied the game at 84 following a Gary Payton II dunk with 1:04 left.
Will Barton then put Denver up for good with a putback layup.
A Stephen Curry three-pointer in response did not connect, and Barton responded with two free throws for an 88-84 Denver edge.
The Warriors didn't go away quietly. An Andrew Wiggins dunk led to an Otto Porter Jr. strip of Nikola Jokic, giving the Warriors a chance to tie or take the lead in the closing seconds.
However, Jokic blocked a Jonathan Kuminga game-tying layup attempt.
The Warriors then fouled Facundo Campazzo, who hit 1-of-2 free throws. Golden State called timeout to move the ball up court, but an Andre Iguodala three-point attempt for the tie fell short.
The Nuggets were shorthanded going into this game:
Monte Morris (left knee soreness), Aaron Gordon (left hamstring soreness), and Vlatko Čančar (Non-COVID illness) are OUT for tonight's game.#MileHighBasketball
The 27-7 Warriors' three-game win streak snapped in defeat. The 17-16 Nuggets have won two straight.
Notable Performances
Denver C Nikola Jokic: 22 points, 18 rebounds, 4 steals
Denver F Will Barton: 21 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds
Golden State G Stephen Curry: 23 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds
Golden State F Andrew Wiggins: 21 points, 8 rebounds
Jokic Continues to Crush the NBA
There is no better player in the NBA right now than Jokic, who proved once again Tuesday that he's the league's most efficient and versatile player.
The significantly shorthanded Nuggets have a winning record despite missing 20-point-a-game scorer Jamal Murray all season, and that's because Jokic is on an historical tear.
His 32.7 player efficiency rating entering Tuesday is No. 1 all time, ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2019-20 (31.86) and Wilt Chamberlain in 1962-63 (31.82). We'll find out if Jokic is able to sustain that over an entire season, but we're nearly at the halfway point of this one, and he only seems to be improving.
He's also been tearing it up late in particular, with the reigning NBA MVP averaging 25.7 points and 20.3 rebounds in his last three games.
With the Warriors completely wresting momentum out of the Nuggets' hands, Jokic grabbed an offensive rebound and put home a bucket for an 82-74 lead after Golden State had scored 13 of the previous 17 points:
And then there was Jokic's game-saving block, made more remarkable by the fact that he committed a turnover just seconds before and had to compose himself, rush back on defense and cut off the baseline just in time to prevent the game-tying shot.
In the end, Jokic did enough to lead Denver to victory over the NBA's top team, garnering hope that the Nuggets can push away from the middle of the league standings.
Curry, Warriors Fight Hard Until End
Neither team was anywhere remotely close to full strength.
Both superstars (Curry and Jokic) were missing some trusty sidekicks (Gordon and Green) and are still waiting on returns for some stellar guards rehabbing knee and leg injuries (Jamal Murray and Klay Thompson).
That's in addition to everyone else currently in health and safety protocols or working their way back from other ailments.
Therefore, it wasn't a big surprise that two normally gifted and talented offensive teams found themselves unable to even hit 90 points on Tuesday. Somehow, Denver won this game despite only scoring 14 points in the third and 15 in the fourth.
It was an off-night for the Warriors all around though. They committed 17 turnovers and shot just 10-of-31 from three-point range.
Curry went 6-of-16 (5-of-14 on three-pointers), and the bench only combined for 15 points. If not for Wiggins' 21 point night, this one may have been over early.
Still, the team didn't fold after going down 24 at the half, using their sensational defensive effort to give themselves opportunities.
The ball movement also improved in the second half, like on this play capped by a Kevon Looney dunk:
Curry also got it going from deep in the fourth as Denver struggled to score, hitting a trio of clutch threes en route to scoring 12 straight for Golden State:
Ultimately, it wasn't meant to be as Barton's big putback layup and Jokic's tough defense sealed the win, but the Warriors continued to show how tough they are to put away even when they are missing key personnel.
What's Next?
Denver will host Golden State on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET at Ball Arena to complete their home-and-home series.
