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The Golden State Warriors squandered a dominant start on Friday night, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers 103-96 at Las Vegas Summer League. Here are three in-depth reactions from the Dubs' summer opener in Sin City.
Lester Quinones, plus defender?
The influence of Jordan Poole—and the Warriors' player development staff, obviously—on Quinones' offensive game is unmistakable. His quick side-step triples, slick pull-back crossovers and natural flair off the bounce can be eerily familiar, a reminder of what Golden State's poised to miss next season with Poole playing in the nation's capital.
Quinones won't fill that void of bursty, shifty dribble penetration in 2023-24. There's still no guarantee he makes the Warriors' final roster. If he graduates from the G League to the NBA full-time come the fall, though, it's what separates Quinones most from Poole that might've loomed largest to him earning a standard contract.
Defense.
Quinones was the Dubs' most disruptive perimeter defender on Friday, his solid physical tools and dogged disposition once again bothering Summer League competition. He did it on and off the ball, too, getting skinny through screens for effective contests, blowing up dribble hand-offs and closing out to shooters before keeping the ball in front on the drive.
Check that no-look pitch ahead in the first clip after getting the stop, too. Rest assured Steve Kerr's eyes popped while watching that subtly awesome two-way sequence from the stands at Cox Pavilion.
Nothing Quinones has done defensively over Golden State's first three Summer League games suggests he'd be a minus on that end during the regular season. Long arms, a thick base and solid feet even give him the opportunity to be a plus. Team defense is a different beast at the next level, but Quinones is clearly just as committed a defender as he is a playmaker.
Quinones' burgeoning offensive exploits are what give him the chance to suit up for the Dubs on opening night. It's his surprisingly stout defense that could seal the deal.
Brandin Podziemski loves to push
It remains to be seen how much Podziemski will play as a rookie. His athletic limitations will definitely be magnified in the league defensively, and much as Podziemski's poised to benefit on offense from playing with Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, advantages close much faster against NBA players than they do in July.
One aspect of Podziemski's game with the Summer League Dubs bound to translate to the game's highest level? His propensity for pushing the pace to create good looks before the defense gets set, on full display versus Los Angeles.
Paul plays closer to a crawl than a blur in the twilight of his career, and Green isn't nearly as explosive as he was when Golden State's dynasty began. Still, both future Hall-of-Famers regularly get their teams in the open floor with instant outlet passes and hard-charging bull rushes, using their minds more than their bodies to produce efficient offense early in the shot clock.
Podziemski is already doing the same, just more evidence of his hand-in-glove-fit with how the Warriors like to play offensively.
Gui Santos is tough to contain
His ability to space the floor and hold up defensively is what will decide Santos' long-term NBA fate more than anything else. Friday marked encouragement for the sophomore forward as a shooter, the second time in three Summer League outings he's connected on 3-of-8 from deep. Santos was a liability on defense once again, though, his penchant for mistakes in the team concept and lagging lateral quickness coming back to bite him.
Don't be too concerned with Santos' ongoing development in either regard for now. He's at least a year away from garnering consideration for a roster spot in San Francisco. Until then, take simple comfort in watching the 21-year-old Brazilian roast unsuspecting defenders as an always aggressive, ever-powerful and surprisingly nimble driver.
The official Summer League roster lists Santos at 209 pounds, but he's looked and played heavier than that in Sacramento and Las Vegas thus far—most notably as an attacker off the dribble. The No. 55 overall pick of last year's draft is clearly still coming into his own physically.
Just getting all the way to the rim with equal parts power, patience and nuance won't ever land Santos a role with Golden State by itself. But if he ever blends that developing prowess as a penetrator with the necessary two-way traits befitting a reliable role player, Santos really could help the Warriors at some point in his career.
