In a down season, 22-year old journeyman, Marquese Chriss, has been a bright spot during the Warriors’ struggling season. The former lottery pick has bounced around the NBA over his young career, but through 30-plus games with the Warriors, it looks like he’s found a home in Golden State.
The former Washington Husky was brought in on a training camp flyer to start 2019 and now has found a solidified role off the bench in Steve Kerr’s offense.
Chriss is averaging 7.4 points per game on 49.1 percent shooting from the field, while adding 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest in 2019 with Golden State— everything except for points is a career-high.
Chriss’ steady season hit a bump in the road Saturday night in the Warriors loss to the Dallas Mavericks. His night may look solid in the box score, tallying 16 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 17 minutes, but his game was defined by his scuffle with MVP candidate, Luka Doncic.
The Slovenian and Chriss got tangled up scrambling for a loose ball that ended with the Warriors center receiving a technical for shoving Doncic down the baseline to the floor.
The technical foul wasn’t enough punishment for Chriss, as the NBA handed out a whopping $35,000 fine on Monday for pushing the Dallas Mavericks star.
According to USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt, the fine’s large size was due to prior discipline handed out to Chriss.
After Chriss was hit with the fine, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that his camp would advocate for the fine to be reduced.
The tension was building the entire game in the Mavericks visit to Chase Center in San Francisco, starting with Draymond Green getting into it was Kristaps Porzingis, that even got Klay Thompson fired up on the bench. Chriss versus Doncic was just the main event.
Regardless of the fine, the play of Chriss in 2019 has built a case for him to receive a role in the Warriors’ future plans if he can continue his current pace.
