Golden State Warriors’ rookie Patrick Baldwin Jr. showcases talent during insane 4-minute stretch
Fans are accustomed to seeing hot shooting stretches from those in a Golden State Warriors uniform, but it was a lesser name who lit up up Barclays Center for a brief period on Wednesday.
Rookie forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. seized his opportunity to showcase his shooting prowess against the Brooklyn Nets, drilling four three-pointers in less than four minutes between the end of the third, and start of the fourth-quarter.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. displayed exactly why he may have a future with the Golden State Warriors, dropping 17 points against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
Baldwin made his first two shots in the first half — a nice layup off a baseline cut, then a corner three from a Moses Moody assist. His hot stretch in the second-half gave him 17 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting, and while he missed his final four shots, 60% from the field and 62.5% from three is certainly nothing to sneeze at in one his first major opportunities at the NBA level.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, Baldwin wasn’t alone in producing some hot shooting on the night. Home fans fans were treated to a lights out performance from the Nets, with 91 of the team’s 143 points coming in an astonishing opening 24 minutes.
But for Baldwin, it was another boost in confidence following a recent G League game where he shot 6-for-9 from three-point range on his way to 25 points. He’s otherwise shot just 30.4% from beyond the arc in nine games for Santa Cruz, but his sweet shooting stroke is notable and the primary reason Golden State took him with the 28th pick in this year’s draft.
Shooters get paid in this league, even if it doesn’t always pan out as a team-friendly deal (insert Duncan Robinson). Yet standing at 6’9″, there’s optimism Baldwin’s length could allow him to develop into a more versatile and well-rounded player that’s not solely reliant on his outside shot.
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The 20-year-old will get plenty more action in Santa Cruz once the Warriors return closer to full health, but for now, Wednesday’s game is a nice reminder of what Baldwin might be able to bring to the franchise on a consistent basis at some point in the future.