© John Hefti | 2019 Dec 9
Rookie sensation Ja Morant dropped 26 points and seven assists, providing the most entertainment in a truly forgettable Warriors loss Monday. Here are three takeaways:
Road weary Warriors can’t earn season’s first winning streak
The Warriors were back at Chase Center after an 11 day, five game road trip that saw them come away with just a single win. For the fifth time this season, Golden State had a chance to make it two in a row. Despite being favored by two points, they did not.
Looking a bit jet lagged, the Warriors stumbled and fumbled their way through a 110-102 loss to the lowly Grizzlies, in a game where they shot 37 percent and committed 15 turnovers leading to 22 Memphis points. The defense was just as sleepy, allowing a Memphis team that entered Monday’s contest ranked 25th in the NBA in offensive efficiency, enough wide open shots to shoot 50 percent from the field.
Following their previous four victories, Golden State lost three, seven, three and four games in succession. The Warriors will have a good opportunity to avoid their fifth losing streak on Wednesday, when they face a New York Knicks (5-20) currently battling Golden State for the worst record (and best lottery positioning) in the NBA.
Russell, Draymond decent without minutes restrictions, Pascall not
D’Angelo Russell and Draymond Green were held to around 20 minutes per game on the road trip, but were given a little more leash on Monday. Both played 33 minutes and were relatively solid in non-traditional ways.
Russell had perhaps his most impressive game of the season as a distributor, tossing seven assists on a tough shooting night (21 points on 6-22). A handful of his dishes were quite impressive.
brb watching this on loop
? @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/uq6ikfMYGl
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 10, 2019
This no-look pass from D-Lo ?? pic.twitter.com/q6fFHlJw08
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 10, 2019
D-Lo dropping it off to GRIII pic.twitter.com/vLBrHFjs0o
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 10, 2019
Green’s stat line was even more unconventional, at least for him, dropping 16 points to go along with three rebounds and five assists.
The Warriors’ defacto third “star” Eric Paschall, looked like a player with all of 23 career games under his belt, finishing with just 5 points (2-for-10) in 22 minutes.
Jacob Evans anonymous in return, Looney even worse in fourth game back
The Warriors technically had 12 healthy players for the first time since Oct. 30, but in actuality only had 10 capable of contributing.
Evans, Golden State’s first-round pick in 2018, was anonymous is his return from a hip issue, going 1-for-4 in 11 minutes. Oddly, Evans was a team best plus-9 during his time on the floor.
Perhaps slightly more concerning was the performance of Looney who, unlike Evans, is expected to be a contributor when the Warriors are back to full strength. Looney is still far from full speed after retuning to action following a nerve issue that kept him sidelined for over a month.
Looney didn’t score a point in 10 minutes, committed two fouls, and was minus-6.