What we learned in the Warriors’ summer loss to the Lakers appeared in the original Bay Area Sports NBC
LAS VEGAS — Victor Wimpanyama’s disappointing Summer League debut sucked the air live from the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus. Then the Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers struggled for all four quarters to find their energy Friday night.
The Warriors ran out of gas first, falling 103-96 to the Lakers. Golden State is now 1-2 overall in the Summer League and 0-1 in Las Vegas.
Gui Santos was the only real threat to the Warriors’ scoring in the loss. The 6-foot-8 forward scored 25 points a game, going the stretch of games.
Lakers’ sophomore pro Max Christie received MVP cheers in the second quarter and finished the night with 22 points.
Here are three loss notes from the Warriors.
Quinones are getting cold
Lester Quinones put up a show to score in Sacramento Two California Classic games, averaging 23.5 points on 56.3 percent shooting and 58.8 percent behind the 3-point line. The same stroke didn’t follow him to Sin City, at least not on the Warriors’ Las Vegas first roster.
Quinones missed his first five attempts and didn’t get on the scoreboard until just under seven minutes left in the first half when he ran out of float. In Sacramento, the shooting guard balled out from deep and threw a few bad putts. He’ll have other opportunities in Vegas to display that skill set, I gave him up at least one night.
He ended up being the most improved player in the G League with 15 total points but shooting 5-of-15, and much of his scoring came on the Warriors’ fourth-quarter comeback attempt.
However, Quinones wasn’t entirely absent from the highlight reel, finding big man Reggie Perry for a no-look sweet treat in the third quarter.
Throughout his time in League G last season, Quiñones proved he can rack up points in haste. His next chance to do so comes Sunday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The good and the bad in bods
Warriors head coach Jacob Rubin made it a point to make Branden Budzimski a more scoring threat Wednesday night in the Warriors’ final California Classic. The first round pick came by scoring 13 points in the first half and 17 points overall. Like Quinones though, Podziemski didn’t really start.
However, he finds ways to make an impact and fill the stat sheet.
Budzimski only had nine points on 3-of-10 shooting. The game doesn’t end there. In one game after five steals, Podziemski went down with 11 rebounds against the Lakers. The guard led the West Coast Conference in rebounding last season, and it’s easy to see why. He is very active and never a bystander.
That alone would help Podziemski get minutes as a starter. Watch Steve Kerr from the sidelines and he should be happy to see this kind of effort. Kerr would also make without Podziemski’s five turnovers.
Two way goo?
It’s hard to ignore the improvements Santos, 21, has seen in the past year. The talent was evident at the summer league show a year ago. But Santos also looked like a deer in headlights or a baby giraffe learning to walk at times.
Behind the added muscle, improved athleticism and an entirely better understanding of the game, Santos looks like a development project worth considering. His foot movement is fluid around the basket, and he opens the game by making a third corner kick in rhythm. Santos shot 9-of-15 from the field, after two nights of going 7-of-9.
Related: CP3 internally channels Splash Bro after hearing about Dubs’ trade
Can there be a two-way contract in store?
Santos gives the Warriors front office a lot to think about. Even if he spends most of his time in Santa Cruz again, having him on a two-way contract could be beneficial for both sides. The Warriors are building their roster of veterans, and Santos learning from their experience will go a long way.