Warriors vs. Hornets player grades: Steph Curry, Buddy Hield lead a balanced attack
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Assessing every Golden State player’s performance from the team’s 128-92 win over Charlotte.
The Golden State Warriors did exactly what they needed to do on Tuesday, demolishing the Charlotte Hornets 128-92. It was, remarkably, the most competitive game that Charlotte has had in a while.
Things went exactly as planned for Golden State. They won easily, they didn’t have to play their best players heavy minutes, they avoided injury, and they built on the momentum that they’ll carry into a five-game road trip that begins on Thursday.
So let’s grade the players. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each 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. Entering Tuesday’s games, league-average TS was 57.4%.
19 minutes, 6 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 3-for-8 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 0-for-1 free throws, 35.5% TS, +17
It’s hard to grade gams like Tuesday’s, because the Warriors were such overwhelming favorites that they could kind of do whatever they wanted. Butler, for instance, had a poor scoring night, but he also surely entered the arena knowing the Warriors didn’t need him to score. He seemed to just have fun setting up teammates, turning on the defense, and bullying Charlotte on the glass.
Wild fact: he has just one turnover and one foul in his last four games, combined.
Grade: B
Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds.
23 minutes, 13 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 4-for-5 shooting, 3-for-3 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 110.5% TS, +25
For anyone wondering at home: yes, 110.5% true shooting is good efficiency. Very good efficiency.
Grade: A-
23 minutes, 15 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 6-for-12 shooting, 1-for-5 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 58.2% TS, +14
There were a lot of defensive possessions on Tuesday where it felt like Draymond had wandered into his local 24 Hour Fitness and joined a pickup game. I mean that as both a compliment to Green and an insult to the Hornets.
With Victor Wembanyama out for the year, Green just might have an outside chance at snagging his second Defensive Player of the Year trophy, and it sure feels like he’s trying for it. More importantly, it sure feels like he is strong in his belief that the Dubs can contend.
Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists.
25 minutes, 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 fouls, 4-for-6 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 72.7% TS, +24
The biggest compliment I can give Podz after watching that game is that you just know the Hornets wish they had a few players like him on their roster.
Grade: A
24 minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 6-for-14 shooting, 2-for-9 threes, 1-for-1 free throws, 51.9% TS, +26
Not Curry’s best shooting performance, but he scored in a flurry in the first quarter to effectively end the game (yes, it felt over that early), and he was masterful quarterbacking the offense all night.
Grade: B-
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists, best plus/minus on the team.
14 minutes, 14 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 6-for-9 shooting, 2-for-2 threes, 77.8% TS, +11
GPII is usually on the court strictly for his defense. But it almost felt like, because Charlotte didn’t have anyone good enough to be worthy of his defensive abilities, he decided to show what he can do on offense instead. One of his best offensive games ever, as a passer, shooter, and finisher.
Grade: A+
20 minutes, 16 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 6-for-11 shooting, 4-for-9 threes, 0-for-1 free throws, 69.9% TS, +17
Hield seems to have really embraced his role as a high-energy spark plug. He no longer seems intent on scoring big numbers, but is happy to just fly around the court improving the energy and effort level of the team. I’m loving it.
Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.
13 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 fouls, 1-for-3 shooting, 2-for-2 free throws, 51.5% TS, +18
I kind of love these games where the Warriors don’t need Looney, but he shows up anyone and just kind of reminds other teams that they still have a bruiser.
Grade: B
19 minutes, 3 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 1-for-5 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 1-for-1 free throws, 27.6% TS, +17
I’m becoming a broken record, I know, but I just absolutely love watching Santos play basketball. He brings the energy and passion of a basketball-obsessed kid yet he’s proving with every game to be an NBA talent.
It still results in being a little over-eager at times, but good things happen when Gui is on the court, even when he doesn’t have a good shooting game.
Grade: B
Post-game bonus: Tied for the team lead in assists.
18 minutes, 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 3-for-8 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, 1-for-2 free throws, 45.0% TS, +6
When the Warriors traded for Butler, I didn’t think too much about how he might help other players grow. I thought he would be a great mentor for Jonathan Kuminga, but hadn’t given other players much thought. But we’ve seen with Podziemski and Moody how much they’ve grown in Butler’s short time, and I think we’ve seen it with Post, who seems to be playing with some extra aggression. He got ejected in here after twice mixing it up with Hornets in the closing minutes. There was absolutely nothing dirty about it, it was just a statement “just because the outcome is decided doesn’t mean we’re not coming for you” intensity. The bench loved it. There’s no way he’s paying those fines.
It wasn’t the smoothest game for him, but he’s showing attitude and aggression to match his size, and it’s exciting.
Grade: B
15 minutes, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 1 foul, 4-for-7 shooting, 2-for-4 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 76.1% TS, +5
This game was such a blowout that the garbage time began in the third quarter, so Knox got some serious run, which was really great to see. And he had the type of performance that will make the Warriors have to consider giving him meaningful minutes at some point down the road. He scored aggressively at the rim, and with shots from the perimeter. He crashed the glass, set up his teammates, and played great defense. Just a spectacular showing.
Grade: A+
10 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3-for-9 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 33.3% TS, -1
Some nice defense and rebounding from Spencer, though he didn’t have the offensive success that we’ve seen from him on a few occasions this season.
Grade: B-
Post-game bonus: Tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.
10 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 fouls, -1
Two days after making his NBA debut, Collins got in his second game and things slowed down for him a little bit. There were definitely some glimpses of a good defender and playmaker there, that’s for sure.
Grade: B
Post-game bonus: Tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.
8 minutes, 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 turnover, 2-for-3 shooting, 2-for-2 free throws, 77.3% TS, +2
A little less garbage time for Rowe than for some of his teammates, but he made up for it with a hot hand on offense.
Grade: B+
Tuesday’s inactives: Taran Armstrong, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jonathan Kuminga,
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Jimmy Butler III
Moses Moody
Draymond Green
Brandin Podziemski
Steph Curry
Gary Payton II
Buddy Hield
Kevon Looney
Gui Santos
Quinten Post
Kevin Knox II
Pat Spencer
Yuri Collins
Jackson Rowe
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Why Draymond vs. Bridges is matchup to watch in Warriors-Hornets game
With the Warriors rolling and the Charlotte Hornets reeling, the home team will have a decisive advantage when the teams meet Tuesday night at Chase Center.
This is a test of sorts for the Warriors. They lost numerous games to inferior rosters before acquiring Jimmy Butler III, but this is the first since he joined them on Feb. 8. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 6 o’clock, with tipoff scheduled for 7:10.
With Charlotte missing top scorer LaMelo Ball (injury management on second night of back-to-back set) and Brandon Miller (out for the season with wrist surgery), the Hornets will lean on the explosive Miles Bridges, their No. 3 scorer to threaten the Warriors.
Bridges, a 6-foot-6 forward, is averaging 20.2 points per game this season but has bumped that number to 24.8 over his last five games. He must, however, contend with Golden State’s best defenders: Draymond Green and Butler.
Green has raised the level of his game since his NBA All-Star Weekend declaration that the Warriors would win the 2025 NBA Finals. Rejuvenated since the trade-deadline acquisition of Butler, Green has posted positive plus/minus numbers in five of six games since Butler’s arrival.
To further illustrate his overall impact, Draymond’s only negative plus/minus game over the past six was the Feb. 12 loss to the Mavericks in Dallas – Golden State’s only post-Butler defeat.
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
With 23 stocks (combination of steals and blocks) in the last six games, Green also is fortifying his case for a ninth selection to the league’s All-Defensive team.
Bridges has scored at least 25 points in 10 games, three in which he scored 30 or more. The formula to preventing an upset win by Charlotte under these circumstances seems simple. Contain Bridges.
The favored Warriors (30-27) are playing well since acquiring Butler, winning five of their last six games and posting their first three-game win streak since mid-November. The Hornets (14-42), by contrast, have lost 12 of their last 14 games and are bound for the draft lottery for the eighth consecutive year.
This is a tremendous opportunity for Golden State to push its win streak to four, which would be its longest since a five-game streak (Oct. 29 through Nov. 6) that began in the second week of the season.
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