Player Grades: Recapping Mavericks vs. Warriors

The Dallas Mavericks took the court against the Golden State Warriors, seeking to move a game over .500 on the season. This game had various sub-plots, including how well the Mavs could defend the three against one of the best shooters in league history, as well as the return of Dereck Lively.

The biggest story of course was Klay Thompson’s homecoming to the Bay Area for the first time since becoming a Maverick. The Mavs broke their habit of starting slow, but a dreadfully sluggish start to the second half saw them outscored 20-3 before they woke up a bit. Despite having a lead in the late minutes of the fourth, costly turnovers and poor defense resulted in yet another massively disappointing loss in a very winnable game. Let’s get to the grades!

Luka Doncic: B 31 Points / 8 Rebounds / 6 Assists / 3 Steals / 0 Blocks

Luka had some frustrating moments (poor shot selection to end the half, a few rebounds he could have made better efforts on), but almost single-handedly kept the Mavs in the game until Kyrie and Klay kicked it in during the fourth quarter. Still, five turnovers and poor shot selection at the end of the half and at the end of the game cast a shadow over the positives.

Kyrie Irving: A 21 Points / 3 Rebounds / 6 Assists / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks

Kyrie looks totally locked in and totally in control at the start of the season, and tonight did nothing to change that. He was 8-for-13 but did so much more that won’t show in the box score. His control, pace and execution were on full display. He took fewer than half the shots Luka took, and that may be the biggest mark on his game tonight.

Klay Thompson: A 22 Points / 4 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks

Thompson had one of those strange occurrences where his overall shooting was worse than his three-point shooting (6-for-12). Nonetheless, he did everything you’d expect him to do, dropping 22 points and going 6-for-12 from the line in his homecoming.

Naji Marshall: B- 6 Points / 3 Rebounds / 2 Assists / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks

Marshall’s numbers somewhat belie what he brought to the court. He didn’t shoot well but was super-active and showed a high motor throughout as he ran interference on the defensive end. Although it didn’t result in big box score numbers, he was in the right spots at the right time running guys off their spots.

Daniel Gafford: A 15 Points / 6 Rebounds / 2 Assists / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks

Once again, Gafford had himself a nice night. 15 points and six boards in less than 24 minutes was great, but it should be noted his 7-for-8 shooting was not all lob dunks. Gafford is not getting enough credit for the short game he’s developed with little hooks, push shots and even quick dribbles around the rim for layups. The only thing that prevented me from add a “+” was that he didn’t have a block on the evening.

Dereck Lively: A 12 Points / 8 Rebounds / 2 Assists / 0 Steals / 1 Block

We’ll keep this simple. Lively came off an injury as though he didn’t miss a beat and showed why he is so crucially important to this team. He had nice scoring and rebounding tallies, but more importantly added a defensive presence that was sorely missed when he was out with injury.

Quentin Grimes: A- 6 Points / 6 Rebounds / 1 Assist / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks

Grimes gets a slightly inflated grade for sticking a huge three in the closing moments that at least gave the Mavs a chance. It was a slick move and gutsy execution for a guy who attempted only three other shots on the night. His stat line looked to be what we all expected, but one oddity recurred during this game. His hands just seemed off kilter a bit – on multiple occasions he slightly bobbled a pass or even a rebound. It almost looked like he was just slightly out of sorts. He got a lot of burn in this one, and other than a time or two where he paid for going under a screen, he played nice perimeter defense. If he can build on this game, good things will come.