SACRAMENTO – With so much publicity directed at the comprehensive skills of NBA stars, it can be tough for a young player with a deep desire to make his way into the league to distill his game to its essence.
Unless that player realizes that pared-down approach probably is the surest way to achieve his dream.
That’s the rational path guiding Gui Santos.
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Entering his second season with the Warriors franchise, the 6-foot-7, 218-pound wing attacks his ambition by relying heavily on his comfort zone.
“He knows what he's good at,” summer league coach Jacob Rubin said Wednesday after Santos scored 18 points in a 98-83 California Classic victory over the Charlotte Hornets at Golden 1 Center.
“The most important thing is do what I do well,” Santos said. “You don’t need to do other stuff to play in the NBA. You can do what you know to do, but really, really, really well.”
Sticking to what works best sounds simple, but it rarely is when so many coaches and teammates and observers are chiming in. By emphasizing footwork, strength and timing, the 21-year-old Brazilian allows other elements of his game to materialize and flourish.
Golden State Warriors
This was on display several times against the Hornets. Here are three examples:
-- Second quarter, about six minutes remaining: With Brandon Miller defending, Santos has the ball at the top of the key, feints left and crossover dribbles right. He’s generating momentum. Miller, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, stays with him, hands high. No matter, Santos puts his left shoulder into Miller’s chest and gets to the rim for a clean layup.
Santos is not done with Miller.
-- About four minutes later: Santos, at the top of the key, seizes an opening and blasts into the paint. Miller rotates over. Santos bangs into him, spins left and glides into an easy scoop shot at the rim.
-- Third quarter, about four minutes remaining: Santos grabs a rebound, turns upcourt against Miller’s defense and dribbles into the paint. He turns his back on the rookie and powers his way to within eight feet of the basket. With Miller hedging right, on Santos’ right shoulder, Gui quickly spins left, leaving Miller in Stockton and getting a practice layup before the help defense can arrive.
“I worked on that move, the spin move to the baseline, faking and using my footwork,” Santos said. “I really like to use my footwork. And when I saw the play worked, I did a little flex.”
This was a day of lessons for Miller – and of enlightenment for Santos, Golden State’s second-round pick in 2022 (No. 55 overall), who spent last season in the G League, playing 26 games with the Santa Cruz Warriors.
“He was really aggressive -- really aggressive -- when he got in the paint,” Rubin said. “If it was one-on-one, he looked to score. When the low man pulled over early, he looked to dish. He kept the game really simple with quick decisions.”
Santos finished with a stat line that was remarkable in most every way: 7-of-9 shooting from the field, including 1-of-3 from deep, 3-of-4 from the line, five rebounds, two assists, three turnovers, four fouls and a plus-32 plus/minus that was far and away the best on the team.
Though Golden State’s rotation is largely in place, there is no room for him in San Francisco. Yet.
Which means he’s looking at another season of development. If his growth over the next year is anything like his first season under the NBA umbrella, his time will come. The Warriors believe he can be one of those rare second-round picks who makes an impact in the league.
Santos has the right mentality, has enough skill, has great feel for what he can and can’t do. And doesn’t try to add excess movement or dribbling.
“He's just an efficient player,” Rubin said. “He's tough to guard, he's so big, he's so strong, he's fast – especially once he gets going downhill.
“When you get guys who know what they're good at, and know what it takes to be good, that kind of unlocks them,” Rubin said. “He just does what he does, never tries to do too much. He knows exactly what his sweet spot is.”
Santos is gaining confidence in it. That might be boosted by his work against Miller, a rangy (6-foot-9, 200 pounds) wing the Hornets project as a franchise cornerstone.
After all, knowing the limits of one’s game is the first step to finding a role in the world’s best basketball league. Expanding those limits can come later.