Despite all the hype and fanfare that came with Nico Mannion falling into the Warriors' lap in the second round of the NBA draft, the young guard still has a lot to learn.
While playing time was scarce with the Warriors, Mannion has found both consistent court time and a mentor in the G League Bubble, using veteran Jeremy Lin as a resource to grow as an NBA player.
"Jeremy is a great teacher for me," Mannion told reporters after the Santa Cruz Warriors' 111-108 win over the Canton Charge on Wednesday. "I'm trying to learn from him but also trying to be a leader whether he's on or off the floor. I think that's just a quality of a point guard, good point guard, so I'm trying to step into that role even though, you know, I'm still 19 years old. Just trying to learn as much as I can, be the best leader, be as vocal as possible and just talking to my guys and leading my guys."
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Mannion scored 20 points on 7-of-21 shooting while dishing out 10 assists in the win over the Charge. Lin did not play due to a back ailment.
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In five games with Santa Cruz, Mannion is averaging 21.0 points and 7.0 assists on 38.7 percent shooting.
The Arizona product is full of potential and the Warriors were happy Mannion told other teams he wanted to slide to the Warriors once his draft-night fall began.
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In time, Mannion could end up being one of the 2020 draft's big steals, and Lin is as good a mentor as any to have early in your NBA career.