SAN FRANCISCO -- The Warriors have, for the most part, played much better defense in recent weeks, digging out of the NBA basement in that area.
They reverted to those leaky times Saturday night at Chase Center and were victimized, 111-104, by the diminished and reeling Detroit Pistons.
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Though the Warriors (9-28) were close in rebounding and their ball movement generally was good, they allowed a Pistons team (13-23) missing three starters -- including All-Star forward Blake Griffin -- to shoot 51.8 percent from the field and take their second win in the last 10 games.
Here are three takeaways from a game in which Glenn Robinson III shot 1 of 11 and Draymond Green was so disgusted that he invited two technical fouls in the third quarter, prompting an automatic ejection:
Burks continues to produce
He is involved in trade talks most every day, and he’s being scouted by multiple NBA teams.
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Yet Alec Burks continues to come to work and quietly do positive things on the court. This is why other teams are trying to pry him away -- and why the Warriors keep listening.
For the 17th time in 19 games, Burks scored in double figures, putting in a game-high 27 points, shooting 5 of 13 from the field, 3 of 5 from deep and, most impressively, 14 of 14 from the free-throw line. This was his fifth game over this span with at least 20 points and the 10th time this season with at least 20.
After starting the previous two games, Burks played 31 minutes off the bench Saturday. He added seven rebounds and five assists.
The Warriors can study trade proposals all the way up to the Feb. 6 deadline. As long as Burks stays healthy, thrives in key moments and maintains his production, his value will remain high.
Jordan Poole is back in the league
After a terrific three-game stint with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the G League, rookie guard Jordan Poole returned to the NBA and suited up for the first time in a week.
Poole missed his first shot, air-balling a 3-pointer from the right wing early in the second quarter. The 20-year-old Michigan product recovered to make his next, swishing a pull-up jumper to give the Warriors a 36-35 lead with 8:23 left in the half.
Playing 18 minutes, Poole finished with four points, on 2-of-5 shooting from the field, including 0 of 3 beyond the arc. He also had two assists and two steals, showing a heightened awareness on defense.
In three games with Santa Cruz, Poole averaged 26.0 points, shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from deep.
Spellman re-enters the rotation
With Willie Cauley-Stein returning to the starting lineup after a two-game absence due to illness, coach Steve Kerr again had a three-man rotation at center.
It was a bit of a surprise, though, that Omari Spellman was part of that group.
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Spellman’s minutes had tumbled before he played 22 minutes Thursday at Minnesota. He had played a total of 25 minutes over the previous six games, with one DNP-CD.
On this night, the 6-8, 255-pound Villanova product made an impact, scoring 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, including 4 of 4 from deep -- in just 20 minutes. He also snagged five rebounds and four steals.
At this rate, he’s likely to find himself back in the rotation.