Rusty Simmons Mid season grades

[NBKLee]

I'll preface this by saying, I'm a fan of his work, he seems to gives us (the fans) a good accounting of what happens on the day-to-day grind behind the scenes


That being said, here are his midseason grades


Not going to player by player, but

1) Coach Jackson is taking a team with "less depth" , and they are on pace to 50 win season, and only gets a B? I think a A- would be more appropriate

2) Andre Iguodala - C+? Wow. #Fullsquad 's record is now 20-5. Dubs are 12-2 since #9 came back? He's a steal even with his 4 year deal. I'd give him a B+ atleast.

3) Steph - C? SMH, Dubs play like a JV team without Steph on the floor. Get him a backup point who will give Steph some rest, and his shooting % will rise. Steph should get a A

 

[CitySushi]

I'll preface this by saying, I'm a fan of his work, he seems to gives us (the fans) a good accounting of what happens on the day-to-day grind behind the scenes


That being said, here are his midseason grades


Not going to player by player, but

1) Coach Jackson is taking a team with "less depth" , and they are on pace to 50 win season, and only gets a B? I think a A- would be more appropriate

2) Andre Iguodala - C+? Wow. #Fullsquad 's record is now 20-5. Dubs are 12-2 since #9 came back? He's a steal even with his 4 year deal. I'd give him a B+ atleast.

3) Steph - C? SMH, Dubs play like a JV team without Steph on the floor. Get him a backup point who will give Steph some rest, and his shooting % will rise. Steph should get a A

I think Jackson's grade is solid at a B. I think his game management has been much better this season, but I do think his rotations are still terrible. I mean maybe he's of the mind that he believes his first unit can outproduce any other first unit, so it makes up for the negative output of a 5 for 5 bench swap. I just don't agree with it.

Andre Iguodala probably deserves a B-. I love his game, but I think he defers so much at times its to the detriment of the team. I love that he gets everyone involved, but he has to recognize when he's needed to get the ball in the bucket. He gets a B- from me, mostly because he hasn't been slashing nearly enough or getting easy buckets at the basket. I think this will come in the second half.

Steph is a C only because of what is expected out of him. He's pretty much the same exact player we saw at the end of last season. His shooting is a bit down, but that's because he's asked to do so much for our team. His turnovers and carelessness with the ball is still lingering. If you rated his value on the team, he would definitely be an A. If you rate by expectations where C is meeting expectations, that's pretty accurate.

 

[NBKLee]

Steph is a C only because of what is expected out of him. He's pretty much the same exact player we saw at the end of last season. His shooting is a bit down, but that's because he's asked to do so much for our team. His turnovers and carelessness with the ball is still lingering. If you rated his value on the team, he would definitely be an A. If you rate by expectations where C is meeting expectations, that's pretty accurate.

What more did you expect Steph to do for this team though? He's exceeded most of my expecations,

- Stayed healthy for the most part this year

- Is going to be named to the ASG, possibly as a starter?

- Is the most important player on this team

- In terms of value?
A) is the only player on this team that demands double/triple teams
B) Besides #9, is the only player on the team that creates for other players
C) Carries 80% of the offensive load, has a green light as soon as he enters the arena
D) Is the face of the 'chise. When folks think of the Dubs, do they think of Klay, HB, Wcw, Bogut, #9, or Steph 1st? Its Steph.
E) Was a steal with his 4 years for 44 million contract. (see the Steph vs RW thread, Cp3 for 105 simeoleon thread). $ for $ is the best value in the league for a "pseudo star"?


I dunno, I'm biased, I'll admit that, I'm a big time Steph fan, he has his faults, but I believe he's still done better than "C" work.

 

[CitySushi]

What more did you expect Steph to do for this team though? He's exceeded most of my expecations,

- Stayed healthy for the most part this year

- Is going to be named to the ASG, possibly as a starter?

- Is the most important player on this team

- In terms of value?
A) is the only player on this team that demands double/triple teams
B) Besides #9, is the only player on the team that creates for other players
C) Carries 80% of the offensive load, has a green light as soon as he enters the arena
D) Is the face of the 'chise. When folks think of the Dubs, do they think of Klay, HB, Wcw, Bogut, #9, or Steph 1st? Its Steph.
E) Was a steal with his 4 years for 44 million contract. (see the Steph vs RW thread, Cp3 for 105 simeoleon thread). $ for $ is the best value in the league for a "pseudo star"?


I dunno, I'm biased, I'll admit that, I'm a big time Steph fan, he has his faults, but I believe he's still done better than "C" work.

The thing about Steph is that as good as he is, he still has room for growth. I think that's why he's still going to be a C when he produces at the expected level, until he's the best version of Steph Curry.

Last year, he was all star worthy, so the fact that he will be one this year is not a surprise. The fact that he (likely) will be voted is, is based on his popularity, not his level of play this year.

As I said, in terms of value to his team, he's an A+++ grade. That's not even debatable.

But if you're grading based on meeting expectations being a C, that's where he stands. He still has the same exact flaws as last year. He's still deficient on defense. He's still turnover prone(I do acknowledge some of this comes with his high usage rate).

The great thing about him though, is that he still can get better in these areas. And just imagine if he's able to do it. It's scary to think that he can still be better than he currently is.

 

[Hambombs]

I'll preface this by saying, I'm a fan of his work, he seems to gives us (the fans) a good accounting of what happens on the day-to-day grind behind the scenes


That being said, here are his midseason grades


Not going to player by player, but

1) Coach Jackson is taking a team with "less depth" , and they are on pace to 50 win season, and only gets a B? I think a A- would be more appropriate

2) Andre Iguodala - C+? Wow. #Fullsquad 's record is now 20-5. Dubs are 12-2 since #9 came back? He's a steal even with his 4 year deal. I'd give him a B+ atleast.

3) Steph - C? SMH, Dubs play like a JV team without Steph on the floor. Get him a backup point who will give Steph some rest, and his shooting % will rise. Steph should get a A

Now we have a backup to steph! Also I said it in the beggining of the season and I will say it again. This team is winning 55 games

 

[NBKLee]

Now we have a backup to steph! Also I said it in the beggining of the season and I will say it again. This team is winning 55 games

If the Dubs win 55 games, I'll admit I was wrong. Lots can happen in the last 30 games.


Dubs just need to take it 1 game at a time.

I don't see is getting to that win total for a number of areason,

After we clinch a playoff spot, I see us resting the starters to get ready for the playoffs.

Below us, there's a group of subpar teams (DAL, LAL, SAC, NOK, DEN, MINN, etc) that are going to be fighting for those last spots, but none of them are going to threaten our playoff seeding.

 

[UgOtBuCkEd21GoRe]

A C grade for curry is absolutely ridiculous. Yes he is turnover prone which he needs to improve but he does so much for this team. He leads the league in fourth-quarter scoring and is second in the league in assists. A bonafide All-Star gets a C grade is absurd. Mark Jackson's grade is accurate. I agree with sushi that his rotations are terrible. Beyond terrible. Gets decent lead and takes out every single starter and Puts the second unit and then they lose the lead. It's stupid. Hopefully Crawford will help the second unit in scoring. In my opinion they should keep at least two starters on the floor with the second unit and Lee Curry or Thompson needs to be on the floor to score. Also Bogut not playing in the fourth quarter is baffling. It cost us the game against Denver. I understand hack a Bogut is there, but you need to find a way to keep him on the floor.

 

[JustOneDennisBergkamp]

The grades are obviously tied to expectations, and rightfully so. If you have enough talent, and everyone does what is expected of them and perhaps a bit more, success will certainly follow.

Steph is arguably one of the 10 most talented players in The Association, but his competitive maturity is nowhere near the equal of that immense talent. Would we describe Steph as a heady player? No. A good defender? No. Until he improves in both of those areas, you can upgrade him to a B if you wish, but he ain't playing "A" basketball, regardless of whether he makes the All-Star team.

If you wish to say that Curry is the team's best player, no argument. But that's not what these grades are meant to reflect. As the grades are indeed related to expectations, I have no problem with Steph taking his C for the first semester, and I'll hope that improved play will see his grade boosted by the end of the school year.

 

[_so_money_]

First of all, grading on a curve is stupid. If more guys are good than bad, or vice-versa, say so.

Curry B+ (defense, turnovers, sometimes poor shot selection, but nice assist numbers)
Green B+ (poor overall shooter and ball handler, but great motor and sense of the moment, toughness)
Lee B (defense, refuses to pump fake, but fairly reliable scoring option and rebounder)
O'Neal B (provided some desperately needed inside scoring and foul shooting off the bench)
Bogut B (freethrows, turnovers, but solid rim protector and enforcer mentality)
Iguodala B- (freethrows, sometimes disappears or gets too cute passing)
Thompson C+ (wildly inconsistent, cold more often than hot, not aggressive enough drawing fouls and driving, keeps stepping out of bounds, but decent man defender most nights)
Barnes D+ (passive, indecisive, iffy handles, leads to poor shots and turnovers)
Speights D- (the "shooter" who can't shoot, motivation issues)
Bazemore, Kuzmic F (why are they still on this team, or in the league?)
Nedovic, Ezeli I

Jackson C- (good motivator, but team too frequently unprepared, puzzling rotations, poor in game adjustments)

If it seems like I'm being harsh (no one got an A) it's because I believe these guys can be a lot better.

 

[_so_money_]

I had Iguodala as a B-, won't let me edit my post but I'd probably give him a B. He does a ton of important things that don't show up in the stats, still, I think he could assert himself more in some situations where the other guys are struggling.

 

[rayhl111]

The only thing I don't like about Steph is his left handed passes. His D is still a work in progress.

 

[NBKLee]

I had Iguodala as a B-, won't let me edit my post but I'd probably give him a B. He does a ton of important things that don't show up in the stats, still, I think he could assert himself more in some situations where the other guys are struggling.

I'll give #9 the benefit of the doubt aswell because he does so much for the team,

#Fullsquad is now 20-6 with him included.


However, I don't know if its his injury, or if its fatigue, but he still doesn't seem to have the explosiveness to take it to the hole at all times. It seems like he settles for outside jumpers, and it leads to his 1 for 7 , 1 for 8 nights and then he stops shooting the ball.

Its hard enough to play offense 4v5 when we have Bogut out there passive, but when Iguodala doesn't look for his own shot, its basically Steph, Klay, D.Lee vs the other team.

 

[NBKLee]

The only thing I don't like about Steph is his left handed passes. His D is still a work in progress.

Steph is great, top 10 PG in the league, and with the injuries to Cp3, RW, + D. Rose, among others, Steph is probably a top 5 PG.

That being said, his shot selection is a double edged sword, when he's hot he can hit shots from half court. Steph's turnovers are ridiculous aswell, possibly a product of having to handle the ball so much, but there's many unforced errors (outside of his left handed passes).

Steph's defense is a little underrated in my opinion, will he ever be a defensive player of the year? No. But it isnt' Jamal Crawford / Monta Ellis bad.

 

[JustOneDennisBergkamp]

Steph is great, top 10 PG in the league, and with the injuries to Cp3, RW, + D. Rose, among others, Steph is probably a top 5 PG.

That being said, his shot selection is a double edged sword, when he's hot he can hit shots from half court. Steph's turnovers are ridiculous aswell, possibly a product of having to handle the ball so much, but there's many unforced errors (outside of his left handed passes).

Steph's defense is a little underrated in my opinion, will he ever be a defensive player of the year? No. But it isnt' Jamal Crawford / Monta Ellis bad.

By the time Monta left, he could single-handedly lock down an opposing point guard, even Paul. Steph, not so much.

 

[NBKLee]

By the time Monta left, he could single-handedly lock down an opposing point guard, even Paul. Steph, not so much.

I couldn't disagree more. Ellis required help on on most plays, Dubs had to design their schemes to shade to his side because he was so outmached.

Atleast Steph tries to move his feet to get into a "basketball position". Steph doesn't get enough credit for that.

Ellis had active hands and got some steals, but lets not mistake steals for "lockdown defense". Don't get me started on Ellis's tendency to dribble the shot clock down to 2 and lauch a prayer at the backboard.


I'm happy Ellis is having sucess DAL, he will forever be known to me as Moped Boy, and the guy who got us Bogut.

 

[Hambombs]

Steph is arguably the 2nd best PG behind Paul not just a top 10 pg

 

[JustOneDennisBergkamp]

I couldn't disagree more. Ellis required help on on most plays, Dubs had to design their schemes to shade to his side because he was so outmached.

Atleast Steph tries to move his feet to get into a "basketball position". Steph doesn't get enough credit for that.

Ellis had active hands and got some steals, but lets not mistake steals for "lockdown defense". Don't get me started on Ellis's tendency to dribble the shot clock down to 2 and lauch a prayer at the backboard.


I'm happy Ellis is having sucess DAL, he will forever be known to me as Moped Boy, and the guy who got us Bogut.

Again, by the time Ellis had left the team, he could "lock down" on NBA points. Then and now, Ellis is a better defender than Curry.

 

[bigjoerico]

I'm with you NBK. I thought Monta's D was atrocious towards the end of his Warrior career. And really was never that great. I think Curry's D has improved big time and although he will never be a great defender he is not a liability anymore. Another words he can hold his own.
I also think he has surpassed all expectations in my book. Every player has flaws and Steph is no different, but his game this year is at a new level. Almost 24pts 9ast and he's getting played into the ground with minutes.
At times his turnovers are ridiculous, but that's not going to move him from A to a C.
I give him a B+ but no lower.

 

[ColinCoby]

The only thing I don't like about Steph is his left handed passes. His D is still a work in progress.

I can't stand the left handed pass! There are far too many instances where the risk of a turnover is far greater than the reward of a possible open look.

 

[ChuckDurn]

Sorry I've been AWOL for a while..... business travel, and a lot of work stuff....

I haven't read Rusty's article, and have minimally read what people have commented on here. That in mind, here is how I would grade the top Warriors players AGAINST MY EXPECTATIONS:

Curry: B-. Clearly our star. But has shot too many bad shots this year, missed more-than-expected open shots (leading to a very sub-par shooting percentage), still too many careless turnovers, hasn't progressed on defense that much. I'll say it - he's an All-Star starter based on hype right now; Lillard deserves it more. But again, he's awesome, it's just that the expectations for improvement and consistency are really high.
Bogut: B+. Would be an A if he was shooting at least 50-60% on FT's, and able to do anything consistently in the post. But he's been amazing defensively, and very efficient offensively.
Iguodala: C-. His RAPM is among the best in the league..... somehow. But I haven't seen lock-down defense from him, and he has disappeared offensively, neither of which make sense. I expected a consistent 12-14 points per game, some penetration, etc..... but he is just non-existent in some games on the offensive end at this point. (See earlier point about Curry shooting too much, there may be a tie-in.)
Lee: B+. I was bashing Lee earlier this year, but it looks like he had a small injury that was holding him back, and for the last ~20 games, he's been great. His defense is still sub-par, but improved from what it was. If he could eventually learn to box out, and find a clutch gene, he'd be even higher.
Thompson: B. When he's on, he's really on. When he's off, he's really off. I was hoping by this point there'd be a higher degree of consistency. I don't get what has happened to his free throwing this year - sub 80% for him? That's atrocious. But conversely, his defense has continued to get even better - for example, George was torching Iguodala last night, but George was much quieter after Jackson switched Thompson onto him.
Barnes: D-. Probably should be an F. Seems to have regressed, completely inconsistent, frequently completely invisible. Just looks lost on the court, particularly offensively. Has not developed an appropriate level of aggressiveness, now just appears tentative all the time. I simply hope that he is nursing an injury quietly, and that when he is fully healthy, we see the explosive Barnes again.
Green: B. Kind of the opposite of Barnes, he has lots of confidence, sometimes too much so (e.g. trying to dunk on a 7-footer from outside the lane yesterday). Good to see that his shot has improved, but it's still sub-par and he's not particularly valuable on offense. But definitely going the right way.
Speights: C-. I thought we were getting one of the league's most accurate mid-range shooters, by percentage, and that it was a coup for us. What we actually got is one of the league most conscience-free hoisters, and his accuracy isn't what it was. He's also softer than I expected defensively. But his grade is better than it could be due to improvement in his game over the last ~15 games or so.
O'Neal: Incomplete, would have been an A-. Started the year horribly, but then was brilliant before getting hurt. At least one game (New Orleans) we lose without his heroic contribution; what else can you ask of a reserve? Can't wait for him to be back.
Bazemore: C-. This is generous. It reflects the fact that I had zero expectations of him being able to play PG, and can't believe that experiment went on as long as it did. If this was a "straight scale" as opposed to "against my expectations", he'd get an F.
Crawford, Brooks, Nedovic, Kuzmic, Ezeli - all are incomplete. Obviously Crawford and Brooks only just joined us. Of the others, I was expecting a little bit of a contribution from Nedovic, but he hasn't gotten much of a chance. I see that as partly on him, but partly on a coach who believed that Bazemore, who can't dribble a ball twice in an empty gym without turning it over, deserved more of a chance than Nedovic.

Fire away.