It's no secret the Golden State Warriors are high on Patrick Baldwin Jr. Team officials were raving about the 6-foot-9 sharpshooter shortly after Golden State plucked him with a late first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and nothing Baldwin's done during an expectedly nondescript rookie season has tempered optimistic expectations about his long-term trajectory.
“When I watch Patrick I see a future rotation player. He fits. You can see it,” Steve Kerr said on Friday, per C.J. Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle. “He makes shots from the perimeter with ease. He shoots it from such a level of extension that you can barely challenge the shot.”
Before his debut campaign tipped off last fall, Baldwin revealed that he regularly studies film of other oversized shot-makers in order to hone his craft. The 20-year-old named Jayson Tatum, Khris Middleton, Michael Porter Jr. and former Warrior Otto Porter Jr. among players cut from a similar physical and stylistic cloth he watches for inspiration.
Those aren't the only frontcourt marksmen Baldwin watches, though. He also pores over film of Kevin Durant, a comparison Kerr made unprompted while discussing Baldwin's rare blend of length and long-range shooting prowess.
“When Michael Porter Jr. shoots the ball in Denver, you can’t really challenge it. When Kevin Durant shoots it at 6-foot-11, that kind of release, you can’t challenge it. So [Baldwin] has that kind of extension and size and shooting ability, so you can see [his fit] it makes a lot of sense.”
Let's not get ahead ourselves, Dub Nation.
Highly regarded as Baldwin was during a decorated prep career, he was still never projected as the type of all-encompassing offensive force Durant's been for the last 15-plus years. Even after making a full recovery from the ankle injury that marred his freshman season at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Baldwin still lacks the explosive athleticism and overall dexterity that makes Durant truly one of a kind. Defense is just as big a separator.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. merely developing into an impact reserve, though, would be a home run with the No. 27 pick. Needless to say, Baldwin's combination of size—including a 7-foot-2 wingspan and huge standing reach taller than some centers'—and shot-making ability is a fantastic starting point, one that has both the Warriors and fans alike dreaming big about his future.
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