SACRAMENTO – Looking much sharper than they did in their debut two days ago, the Warriors on Wednesday afternoon closed out the California Classic with a 98-83 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at Golden 1 Center.
Four players scored in double figures: Lester Quiñones (18 points), Gui Santos (18), Brandin Podziemski (17) and Kendric Davis (17) while also dominating the glass with a 41-32 rebounding advantage.
Golden State coach Jacob Rubin mostly relied on Quiñones, Santos and Podziemski, with each playing more than 25 minutes of the 40-minute summer league games.
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Here are three observations from the Warriors' quick stop in Sacramento before they head to Las Vegas:
Podziemski’s encore
Podziemski’s second game in a Warriors uniform had its positives and negatives. Here’s a look:
Positives: His court feel at both ends is evident. He always seems to know where the ball is and where his teammates are -- or where they should be. An impressive Podziemski highlight came in the second quarter, when his steal led to a transition triple, which required not one but two pump fakes resulting in not one but two fly-by defenders. Another: In a league where few players follow their shots, he tipped in his own miss.
Golden State Warriors
Negatives: He had a few reckless moments, not uncommon in early summer league action. Podziemski forced a couple passes, opening himself up for live-ball turnovers -- which he’ll quickly discover is a sure way to grate the nerves of coach Steve Kerr. His visible irritation when a slick pass to Gabe Kalscheur led to a blown layup is something that won’t endear to rook to veterans. He’ll learn that he’ll be better off if he leaves his demonstrative traffic directing in Sacramento.
A look at Santos
The 6-foot-7 kid from Brazil who arrived as a second-round draft pick last summer with the physique of a grapevine not only has added muscle, but also is making smart use of it. Santos’ new physicality is a nice complement to his gift for making crafty moves in traffic to navigate his way to the rim. He was highly efficient on offense (7-of-9 shooting from the field, including 1 of 3 from distance) and didn’t hurt himself on defense.
One play in particular revealed Santos as someone befits the oft-used term “sneaky athleticism.” His second-quarter tip dunk, delighting the crowd, was off a standing leap.
Santos, who turned 21 last month, likely will spend most -- if not all -- of the season in the G League, but his physical and skill development is hard to miss. He has the tools to become an NBA player.
Quiñones' two-way tryout
After an impressive performance in the debut on Monday, Quiñones delivered another nice shooting performance on Wednesday. It’s evident that the 6-foot-5 guard, who last season went from undrafted rookie to 10-day contract to two-way is pushing to remain in the NBA.
Quiñones, a University of Memphis prodiuct, was hyper-aggressive with his shooting, hoisting a game-high 16 field-goal attempts. His efficiency made that more than acceptable, however, as he was 8 of 16 from the field, including 5 of 9 from beyond the arc.
He doesn’t have the point guard skills of Ty Jerome, nor does Quiñones possess the all-around abilities of Anthony Lamb. But for a team on alert for shooters, he is giving himself a reasonable chance to stick in some capacity.