Gui Santos is likely not a name that the average NBA fan is overly familiar with. Chances are, there’s probably even a fair amount of casual Warriors fans who haven’t familiarized themselves with the Brazilian combo forward. With Jonathan Kuminga out for an extended period of time however, coach Steve Kerr has begun to look deeper down his bench. Santos has been a key beneficiary of some extended minutes.
Despite spending the majority of his young career at the end of the bench, Santos has shown glimpses of what he’s capable of whenever given the chance. While most of those ‘glimpses’ have come during end-of-game garbage-time situations, Kerr clearly has some sort of baseline-level trust in him. That ‘trust’ is now resulting in real actual minutes. Santos is averaging 20.8 minutes per game over the Warriors’ past four games. Santos even collected his first career start during the Warriors most recent game—a 116-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Warriors Giving 2022 Second Rounder a Chance With Jonathan Kuminga Out
Getting Familiar With Gui Santos’ Game
Originally drafted with the 55th pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, Gui Santos has spent the majority of his career refining his game with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League. It is clear however, upon watching Santos play for any extended period of time, that he has a great feel for the game. Santos’ game fits with what the Warriors are trying to do. Understandably, opportunities have not always been there. With a combination of veteran and high upside players like Draymond Green, Kyle Anderson, and—until recently—Kuminga ahead of him in the rotation, Santos’ path to real playing time has been all but nonexistent.
Santos’ sudden emergence in the Warriors’ regular rotation calls back memories of Juan Toscano-Anderson arriving on the scene in Golden State. He seemingly came out of nowhere and quickly became a fan favorite. With similar physical profile as Toscono-Anderson, (6-foot-6, 209-pounds, compared to Santos 6-foot-8, 209-pounds), the on-court impact they are both capable of is not totally dissimilar. Coach Kerr is clearly looking for a spark of some kind with Kuminga out. Santos is not quite the agent of chaos that Toscano-Anderson often was. That said, he’s a bit of an energy bunny himself, and brings an element of mystique.
As of now, Kerr is likely hoping that Santos can hold his own on both ends of the court while leaning into his strengths as a capable playmaker. With good size and quickness, and great fundamentals and footwork, Santos is truly a nuisance to keep out of the paint. That in combination with his defensive effort (he’s recorded multiple steals in two of his past four games) should be enough for Santos to continue seeing regular minutes. That is at least until Kuminga returns.
Last Word
Only time will tell whether Kerr plans to keep Santos in the Warriors’ regular rotation long term or if his inclusion is only temporary. With that being said, even if Santos is ultimately regulated back to his end-of-the-bench role, the minutes and on-court reps he is gaining right now is invaluable to his young development. Still just 22 years of age, Santos could have a long career ahead of him. Doubly so if he can figure a way to absorb any of the knowledge afforded to him by playing alongside future Hall of Famers Steph Curry and Draymond Green, and under future Hall of Fame head coach Kerr.
Santos has only just started seeing consistent playing time over the past two weeks or so. It’s going to take a much greater sample size to ultimately determine whether he has staying power with the Warriors. In the immediate though, it is a promising sign that
Kerr has continued to call Santos’ number. As of now the Warriors are not tasking Santos with too heavy a workload, but early returns are promising. Despite the Warriors being just winners of just two of their last five games, Santos has done enough of the little things to have a positive +/- in four of those aforementioned five games.
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