The Golden States Warriors are in sore need of some positive developments at this point in the season. Perhaps their brightest one has been the continued development of Gui Santos.
When Santos came into the league two seasons ago, he was viewed largely as a gritty and willing role player, the type the Steve Kerr always seems to gravitate towards. He could make the right plays and exhibit constant energy when he was on the court, but his athletic profile and offensive package didn't seem to have much upside.
The absences of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler have allowed Golden State's young players more opportunity than they maybe ever would have gotten during this era. Some have taken advantage. Some haven't.
Santos is certainly in the former category. His career-high, 31-point performance against the Brooklyn Nets was clear evidence of that.
Whatever you think about Santos' potential as a player, his three-year, $15 million contract extension is undeniably a steal. But as he continues to reveal new aspects of his game, it's looking more and more like the Warriors may have an incredibly valuable player on their hands.
Gui Santos has 6MOY potential, and he's only getting started
Of course, it's important not to overreact to a singular performance. Especially not one against Brooklyn, which has the fifth-worst defensive rating in the NBA this season.
But the performance is indicative of the strides Santos has taken as a scorer and an overall cog in the machine of the offense. Since Feb. 1, he's shooting 50.8% from the field and 34.2% from 3-point range. He's displayed an impressive ability to cut off-ball and get to the basket, but he's also more than capable of creating his own offense when needed. In that same time span, 39.1% of his 2-point field goals have been unassisted.
When Curry and Butler ultimately return, Santos' role will obviously be reduced. But he's rapidly proved himself to be a player who can do it all even in a bench role for the Warriors. He's a more than capable rebounder and defender, and he's shown additional upside as a ball-handler through this last stretch, posting a 1.57 assist-to-turnover ratio on highly inflated volume.
It doesn't take a massive stretch of the imagination to envision Santos settling into a role similar to Keldon Johnson's on the San Antonio Spurs. Johnson is a highly-skilled, all-around forward who has been asked to take a backseat to the young talent the Spurs have drafted in recent years. After spending the first several seasons of his career as a starter, he is now a genuine Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
Despite the difference in their roles over the past month, their adjusted stats actually show a number of impressive similarities. Per 36 minutes on the court, Johnson is averaging 20.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He's shot 37.6% from 3-point range this season. Santos, meanwhile, is averaging 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per 36. If we were to isolate those stats to Santos' performances in Curry's absence, those numbers would be even closer.
Santos still has room to grow in his offensive decision-making. But even if his ceiling caps off at highly effective bench player, that's nothing to mourn.
Johnson is in his seventh NBA season. He's playing in his third season of a four-year, $74 million contract extension. The closer Santos gets to what Johnson provides, the more of a steal the Warriors will have on their hands.