How back of Warriors’ bench gave them exactly what they needed originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors’ four-game road trip began with Gui Santos playing the best game of his second NBA season, and perhaps his short career, and ended with the 22-year-old former second-round draft pick being in Steve Kerr’s starting lineup for the first time.
Wednesday night’s one-point Warriors win against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center, where they once led by 24 points, salvaged a 2-2 split on the road, coming home with a .500 record just like they left San Francisco. The four games away from Chase Center didn’t exactly turn the tide, one way or the other. They certainly didn’t ease the waters, instead making them feel even rockier a game away from the halfway point.
Losing to the Toronto Raptors might look a little better after the Boston Celtics also were bested by them Wednesday, but the way the Warriors lost up north is what frustrated Kerr most. The 12-point loss to the Indiana Pacers deserved applause for the effort of an extremely short-handed squad. Both wins had plenty of lows with the highs.
From the very back of the bench, meaning Santos, Pat Spencer and Quinten Post – the two players signed to two-way contracts – the Warriors ironically got a look at what has been missing far too often from this roster: Size, shooting, ball-handling, energy and effort.
Santos was needed more than ever when the Warriors started their four-game slate in Detroit. They already were without an injured Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins being home for a personal reason made the Warriors extremely thin on the wing without their two top athletes. In came Santos at 6-foot-7 and 218 pounds, more than 30 pounds stronger than when he was drafted in 2022, and his energy instantly radiated through the Warriors.
There he was diving for loose balls. Getting tips to keep possessions alive. Santos even swiped two steals. He also hit four 3-pointers, too.
In Santos’ first career start, his activity and impact were infectious despite battling foul trouble.
“Gui’s energy right from the start,” Kerr said. “He’s just a big part of all that. The defense, the switching, the rebounding, the ball movement. He just makes really good basketball plays. He has a good understanding of the game, and that makes other people better.”
Adding Steph Curry and Draymond Green to the injury report when the Warriors played the Pacers in Indiana called for Spencer’s services. He’s one of the Warriors’ better ball-handlers and can initiate the offense. The ball doesn’t stick when Spencer’s in control.
His rare, if ever seen, scoring was needed to keep the Warriors in reach. Spencer’s 12 shot attempts more than doubled his previous high of five. And his 17 points nearly tripled his previous high of six.
“We’re shorthanded, I had to be aggressive,” Spencer said. “I feel like I’m one of the guys who has the ability to get to the paint and make reads for other guys. Tonight they forced me to score a little bit more. … Just had to be aggressive given the group we had.”
The group the Warriors had required more than seven minutes from Post. Entering the day, the 24-year-old rookie had appeared in only two NBA games for a total of five minutes and 46 seconds. He left Gainbridge Fieldhouse with much more experience to learn from, and his first made 3-pointer.
“He’s been working his butt off,” Spencer said. “I’ve been in his shoes, and even lower. He’s got a really high IQ, good feel for the game, can shoot the cover off the ball when he shoots it with confidence. Just the beginning for him. Defensively, he’ll get better. I’m excited for him.”
Post had just enjoyed one full day back in Santa Cruz after spending four in Iowa to play two G League games for the Sea Dubs when he found out he was going to be needed by Golden State in Indy. He told reporters he found out around 11 a.m. on Thursday and boarded the first flight he could make to join the Warriors for their Friday road game.
His two performances against the Iowa Wolves were perfect examples of what the Warriors saw and hoped for when they traded to re-acquire the No. 52 overall pick in last June’s draft to select the 7-footer out of Boston College. Post scored 29 and 30 points in the pair of contests and was 22 of 30 from the field (73.3 percent) and seven of 12 on 3-pointers (58.3 percent), with 24 rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Warriors’ two true centers and two tallest players are 6-foot-9. Kevon Looney has attempted one three after an offseason working beyond the arc. Trayce Jackson-Davis also has one attempt from deep. Neither have a make.
“It’s something Mike Dunleavy and I talk about periodically,” Kerr said. “We’ve had guys who’ve helped in that regard – maybe not from the five spot – but Otto Porter and [Nemanja Bjelica] in ’22. Both guys really stretched the floor for us, and you could feel the difference. Those guys aren’t easy to find. That’s why we drafted Quinten, to see if he could develop.
“He’s a really good player. He’s got experience, five years of college, shoots it well. You could see – put it on the floor and had a little left-handed layup. It didn’t go, but you can see the skill is there. We’ll continue to work with him and get him back to Santa Cruz for a lot of reps, but that’s something that we’re trying to develop.”
This isn’t a plea for more minutes given to Spencer. He’ll still be used when the situation calls for him, especially in games where Curry has to rest. Post will continue to call Santa Cruz his home, developing in the G League, but the thought of a 7-footer who can make his money behind the 3-point line sure is intriguing. Santos made his case, and it’s hard to imagine Kerr taking minutes away from him right now.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Each player can give a little bit of what the Warriors need. But isn’t that what this Warriors roster was supposed to be, and how it was created, anyway?
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