Without Green, Season-High Assist Mark Highlights Warriors' Depth

The Warriors sealed their victory over the Jazz on Saturday with two clutch three-pointers.

First, it was Stephen Curry curling to the wing and taking an Otto Porter Jr. pass to bottom a triple. Then, Andre Iguodala fielded a pass from Andrew Wiggins, took a jab step and hit from distance to seal the victory.

Both of these shots came from Golden State veterans that have delivered time and again. They also came off of two of the team’s season-high 39 assists.

Following a 22-assist first half, the Warriors’ highest assist total in any game of the campaign came without the team’s best passer in Draymond Green, who was shelved for a second straight contest because of health and safety protocols.

This speaks not to a mischaracterization of Green as one of Golden State’s most important offensive pieces, with Draymond still leading the team with 7.5 assists per game and being the only player in the NBA in the top-10 of the category playing in the frontcourt. Rather, it shows the team not only has elite shotmaking capabilities with an ability to convert on possessions and hit looks when presented, but also that the Warriors are capable, deep and a danger to strike offensively even without their offensive engine in Green.

Leading the way in assists from Salt Lake City was Curry, who did his best Green impression as a passer as he recorded nine assists. The homage to Draymond came in multiple forms – in the first minute of the game, Curry collected a loose ball, started to push the break before firing a bullet in to Gary Payton II, who finished a tough layup at high speeds.

Then, taking advantage of his gravity as a passer, Curry dropped multiple assists to Kevon Looney when Rudy Gobert went high up onto Looney screens to challenge Curry, resulting in dunks and layups for the former UCLA center.

Golden State had moments of isolation brilliance, from a tough Wiggins and-1 finish off the bounce to a welcome sight as Jordan Poole dropped in another one of his tough layups through contact before converting a three-point play.

Yet, these plays, while welcome sights as the offense ground to a halt in periods in the second half as Utah fought its way back into the game and took a lead, were more the exception than the rule. The Warriors had 39 assists on 46 made field goals, with production in the former column from a litany of their players.

Iguodala opened the year by equalling his second-best passing performance, finding eight assists in 24 minutes. Porter Jr. – whose previous season-high in assists include a few games with just three – matched Iguodala with eight assists as he set his season-best mark from the starting lineup.

Looney had his hands full with Gobert on the offensive glass and the defensive end as the team’s lone true center, fouling out of the game late, but still made time for his season-high six assists.

The game had the feel and gravitas of Golden State’s Christmas Day road victory over the Suns, coming against another member of the elite class of the Western Conference in which the Warriors find themselves.

It was also similar as Golden State was shorthanded and in a hostile environment, having plenty of reasons to accept defeat. However, the team did what it will need to in the postseason – live with their disadvantages and execute in the game’s biggest moments.

The Warriors will be able to better do this with Green. But Saturday, the others stepped up.

(Photo credit: Getty)