The Golden State Warriors suffered an embarrassing loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, falling 114-98 in what was a decidedly one-sided affair. Despite being at home, well-rested, and facing a Miami team that had just played a double-overtime game the night before and was missing its star player, Jimmy Butler, the Warriors couldn’t manage to make it competitive. With such a poor performance, it’s hard to avoid frustration, and I’m going to get straight to the player grades, because let’s face it, no one wants to hear me rambling about how bad the Warriors were tonight. Let’s dive right in:
Andrew Wiggins
25 minutes, 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 4-for-10 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 45.0% TS, -7
Wiggins is going to need to step up, especially with Jonathan Kuminga sidelined for at least three weeks. Although he’s had a solid year overall, he failed to bring the energy or the aggressiveness the Warriors needed from him in this game. There were moments where he could have been more assertive offensively, attacked the rim, and gotten to the free-throw line, but that didn’t happen. His overall performance lacked the urgency we need to see from him moving forward. The Warriors will need much more out of him during Kuminga’s absence.
Grade: C-
Draymond Green
27 minutes, 7 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 3-for-9 shooting, 0-for-3 threes, 1-for-1 free throws, 37.1% TS, -9
This wasn’t a perfect game for Draymond, but he was one of the few Warriors players who played decently. He did a solid job on defense and helped the Warriors stay competitive on the glass, grabbing 10 rebounds. His playmaking was strong, with 10 assists to just one turnover, which is impressive given how little the Warriors have been moving the ball recently. However, his scoring was inefficient as usual, and that’s a recurring issue for the Warriors when it comes to their reliance on Green as a facilitator and defender rather than a scorer.
Grade: B
Trayce Jackson-Davis
35 minutes, 19 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 9-for-12 shooting, 1-for-1 free throws, 76.4% TS, -15
Jackson-Davis was one of the few bright spots in this game, almost single-handedly getting the Warriors back into it during the third quarter. His 19 points on 9-for-12 shooting were critical, and he showed his growth by playing over 35 minutes without committing a single foul. Despite Miami’s Bam Adebayo having a strong game, Jackson-Davis held his own and showed potential, especially on the offensive end. He could have been more involved in other areas, but it’s hard to complain about his performance here. He’s really growing into a solid player for the Warriors.
Grade: A
Dennis Schröder
29 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 2-for-10 shooting, 1-for-7 threes, 25.0% TS, -13
I still believe that Schröder is a great addition to the Warriors and will ultimately be very helpful for them. However, this was not his best showing. While his 7 assists were valuable, his shooting was abysmal—he made only 2 of 10 shots and 1 of 7 from three-point range. This inefficiency hurt the Warriors, especially in a game where every shot mattered. His playmaking is still a plus, but he needs to improve on the offensive end to help out Curry and the rest of the team.
Grade: C-
Stephen Curry
33 minutes, 31 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers, 2 fouls, 11-for-22 shooting, 8-for-17 threes, 1-for-1 free throws, 69.1% TS, -10
Curry was the Warriors’ offense for the night. He scored 31 points, which was more than half of the team’s total, and made 8 three-pointers on 17 attempts. However, his teammates were far from helpful—his 31 points alone weren’t enough to close the gap, especially when his shooting was the only thing keeping the Warriors in the game. Curry had a decent night on the boards with 7 rebounds, but he wasn’t able to generate enough help for the team in other areas. This is a reminder of just how much Curry has to carry the load for the Warriors, but it’s also clear that he needs more support. Despite the loss, Curry’s performance was a bright spot.
Grade: A-
Kyle Anderson
27 minutes, 5 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 2-for-7 shooting, 1-for-2 threes, 35.7% TS, -4
Anderson had a solid game in terms of doing a little bit of everything, but his scoring was subpar. The Warriors really need more points from him, but he wasn’t able to provide that consistently in this game. His defense, rebounding, and playmaking were solid, though, and he’s one of the more reliable players on the roster when it comes to filling in the gaps. His effort was there, but the Warriors need him to be more of a contributor on the scoreboard if they want to turn things around.
Grade: B+
Buddy Hield
24 minutes, 11 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 foul, 4-for-12 shooting, 2-for-9 threes, 1-for-2 free throws, 42.7% TS, -7
Hield played solidly but didn’t shoot efficiently. His 11 points and 8 rebounds were helpful, and he contributed with 5 assists. However, his shot selection was poor, and he missed several key shots from beyond the arc, finishing 2-for-9 from three. The Warriors will need more scoring from him moving forward, especially in situations where Curry can’t do it all himself. Overall, he was decent but not great.
Grade: B-
Moses Moody
15 minutes, 3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 foul, 1-for-6 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, 25.0% TS, -7
Moody has been a reliable energy player for the Warriors, but in this game, that energy was absent. He shot poorly, missing 5 of his 6 field goal attempts, and wasn’t able to contribute much in terms of creating offense or bringing intensity. With his scoring struggles, it’s hard to find many positives in his performance tonight.
Grade: D+
Lindy Waters III
19 minutes, 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 3-for-8 shooting, 0-for-4 threes, 37.5% TS, -12
Waters wasn’t the biggest problem for the Warriors, but he certainly didn’t provide the spark needed. He was inefficient shooting the ball, particularly from three-point range, and didn’t make a noticeable impact. The Warriors need better play from their bench, and Waters didn’t do enough to change the tide in this game.
Grade: C
Gui Santos
3 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 0-for-1 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 0.0% TS, +2
Santos got a brief opportunity in garbage time and didn’t really contribute. There’s not much to say here, as his time on the floor was minimal.
Grade: Incomplete
Pat Spencer
3 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 turnover, 1-for-1 shooting, 100.0% TS, +2
Spencer also saw only a small amount of time in garbage time but managed to make both of his shots, which is a positive. Still, not much to analyze here.
Grade: Incomplete
Conclusion:
The Warriors’ loss to the Heat was a tough one to swallow, particularly with how poor the overall performance was. Curry did his best to carry the team, but the lack of contribution from his teammates, especially in terms of scoring efficiency, was a major problem. The Warriors will need to get more out of their supporting players like Wiggins, Hield, and Schröder, and they also need to fix their defense. The loss is a stark reminder of how reliant Golden State has become on Curry’s brilliance, but unless the other players step up, it’s going to be a tough road ahead.
