SAITAMA, Japan – The Warriors’ pair of preseason games shared a glimpse at 2022 first-round pick Patrick Baldwin Jr.’s potential after he missed summer league with an ankle injury.
Baldwin showed great court awareness and solid decision-making in both games.
After recording seven points on 2-of-3 shooting in eight minutes in his debut Friday, Baldwin was even more impressive Sunday.
One highlight of his came in the fourth quarter when he intercepted a Wizards’ pass and tossed the ball to Mac McClung who took it home with a fast-break dunk. Baldwin finished with 12 points, going 4-for-5 from deep, and he had six rebounds.
“He was terrific,” coach Steve Kerr said after the NBA Japan Games finale. “He’s a really good basketball player. He understands the game, you can see with his flow, his moments, his shooting, his passing… He just gets it, he has a really good feel.”
Kerr didn’t know what to expect from Baldwin heading into training camp.
Baldwin was limited over the last two seasons due to an ankle injury. He was a top recruit out of high school but opted to play at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for his dad rather than join a bigger program. There, he played in only 11 before being shut down and turned his focus on the upcoming NBA draft as his injury persisted.
Baldwin said his ankle was about 95% healed when the Warriors picked him No. 28 overall. He wasn’t cleared for summer league but gradually increased his workload this summer to prepare himself for training camp. And now, he said he’s “confident” in his ankle.
In the weeks when Kerr was away from the team’s practice facility, he heard rumblings about how good the 19-year-old could be.
“At the end of the summer, all of the coaches who were working with him when I was out of town, they were raving about him,” he said. “They prepped me for it, said this guy has good feel and be a really good fit with us.”
But it wasn’t until last week that Kerr could see for himself the promise Baldwin possesses.
His early assessment on the rookie?
“I’m very impressed,” Kerr said.
Kerr was also pleased with the team’s valiant fourth-quarter effort during which the Warriors’ bench outscored the Wizards 30-10. McClung, here on a training-camp deal, scored all nine of his points, going 4-for-6 from the field, in the final 12 minutes. Baldwin added six to help Golden State secure its second win of the preseason.
“To come out here and catch a win and outscore them 30-10 in the fourth quarter, I think that’s a step in the right direction for us,” Baldwin said before getting on a bus to the airport. “And to be part of that group is pretty cool and it just gives us more confidence moving forward.”
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