The G-League has been a great way for teams across the league to farm talent. For the Golden State Warriors, a number of their affiliate guys could wind up being rotational players by the end of the season.
We’ve seen top prospects such as Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga skip college to play in the G-League. We’ve also seen former pros like Jeremy Lin and Jarret Jack suit up for the Santa Cruz Warriors. While the Dubs are hoping to draft one of the young prospects or potentially call up a veteran guard – the franchise is also focusing on Nico Mannion and Jordan Poole’s development.
The Golden State Warriors have a few players honing their talents in the G-League and preparing for a return to the NBA.
Both Poole and Mannion were drafted by the Warriors in recent years. Poole was a late first round pick in 2019 while Mannion was the 48th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. While they haven’t had much opportunity to shine in the NBA, they are making an impact with Santa Cruz.
Poole is leading the Santa Cruz Warriors in scoring with over 23 points per game. He recently scored 37 points in a victory over the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and he has been one of the best shooters in the entire G-League throughout six games.
Meanwhile, Mannion has been right behind Poole in scoring with roughly 21 points of his own – ranking top 10 in the G-League. He’s played strong defensively and is dishing out seven assists per game.
What’s holding Mannion back is his inefficient shooting and abundant turnovers. He’s prone to losing the ball and hasn’t been able to hit from deep consistently just yet. This will hurt him as he is an undersized guard with underwhelming athleticism.
As for Poole, he just has to continue honing his skills. He’s flashed potential as a shot creator but this has yet to translate to the NBA level. He shoots only 28 percent from the 3-point line as an NBA player and this is something that will need to improve.
Overall, the G-League is serving as a great location for Poole and Mannion to work on their games. While they both have some work to do, they are showing encouraging signs for the future. Perhaps one of them will become key players on the bench for Golden State next season.