In the short amount of time Steph Curry has spent with Warriors rookies Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins, the four-time NBA champion likes what the pair has shown so far.
“We’ve seen a lot of great things, it’s obviously still early,” Curry told reporters after Golden State’s 104-95 preseason win over the Washington Wizards on Sunday at Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
“We’re trying to find just the right patterns, right way to approach the game on both ends of the floor,” Curry continued. “Getting [Rollins and Baldwin Jr.] comfortable with some of our actions, and then also featuring their talent and their skill sets and just trying to instill as much confidence, and that’s the way it’s supposed to go in training camp.”
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With injuries keeping both Rollins and Baldwin Jr. out of this year's summer league, the duo got their first taste of NBA action this week in the Warriors' two preseason games in Japan.
Baldwin Jr. played just over 17 minutes in Sunday’s win, putting up 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field -- all triples. The No. 28 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft tacked on six rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block in a performance Warriors coach Steve Kerr called “terrific” post-game.
In the Warriors’ 96-87 win over the Wizards on Friday, Baldwin Jr. finished with seven points on 50 percent shooting from the field (2-of-4) and went 1-for-3 from behind the 3-point line.
On Friday, Rollins played 11 minutes, scoring eight points on 1-of-6 shooting -- 6-for-6 from the stripe -- and grabbed four boards. On Sunday, the second-round draft pick played nearly seven minutes and failed to make a field goal, though he did have two assists.
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Aside from game stats and other on-court tangibles, Curry has noticed both Rollins and Baldwin Jr. possess a nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic that will help them in the long run.
“They’re all kind of a quiet bunch,” Curry said. “But they’re very focused, they work hard. They are coachable. And it’s great to see that competitiveness come out even in a preseason-type game where they have a fourth quarter like they did tonight.
“Those little details all matter. So it’s great to see.”
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With Curry and the rest of the Warriors’ veteran core to learn from, Baldwin Jr. and Rollins are in a great position to succeed.
And if they can continue prioritizing the little details Curry spoke of, Dub Nation has plenty to look forward to.