How the game rewarded Santos as the Warriors’ next opportunity awaits originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Gui Santos quickly apologized, blushing as his skin turned bright red. THE The 22-year-old Warriors forward accidentally dropped an F-bomb during his postgame press conference Thursday night. The reason he did so was perfectly emblematic of why Santos played a surprisingly important role in the Warriors win 107-104 against the Detroit Pistons to begin a four-game road trip.
For the first time all season, Santos received playing time in the first half of a game while the Warriors were missing several players. Steve Kerr did not hesitate to use the 14th player in his squad, bringing him on with just under four minutes remaining in the first quarter. Santos immediately rewarded his coach by scoring a 3-pointer, then made his next two attempts in the second quarter as well.
His fourth try from behind the 3-point line in the 37th second of the first half was unsuccessful and Santos did not make a single shot in the third quarter. Santos let the ball fly a little more than a minute into the fourth quarter, and the result appeared to be an aerial ball. Although Santos claims he was hit in the elbow, that didn’t deter him.
Just two possessions later, Santos threw two Pistons to Steph Curry and found himself wide open at the top of the arc. He hesitated for a split second, but then cashed in his fourth three-three of the evening, to the delight of the Warriors staff and Santos teammates on the sidelines.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, you gotta shoot this one. You can’t fake it just because you shot a ball. I was just like, ‘Fuck that.’ Shoot it,” Santos said after a brief, innocent but embarrassed laugh.
Kerr challenged his team on Tuesday after which seemed to be at its lowest in a Warriors season full of extreme highs and even more extreme lows. They had just lost by a total of 46 points to teams without their best player. Kerr called it a “crisis of confidence,” not because the shots weren’t falling on his team, but rather because the Warriors responded.
Sagging shoulders. Shaking his head. Lack of agitation. No fight, no spirit and no soul.
None of these negatives are associated with Santos. Kerr was waiting to give Santos, who until the last match was playing on a unsecured contracta greater opportunity. Finding energy and effort was not going to be a problem for him.
The game rewards what Santos brings.
Once Santos learned Andrew Wiggins would be ourIt was for a positive personal reason that he came up with the idea that he would be in the rotation for the first time this season. His plan upon hearing his number called wasn’t about points or shots, but about diving for loose balls and doing whatever he could to make things easier for his teammates.
“We talked before the game about how many battles you can win, the little battles in the game – box outs, loose balls – he won a million battles tonight,” Kerr said. “That’s what wins games. He waited all year. He finally got his chance and he delivered, and that’s what this league is all about.
“(Warriors assistant coach) Ron Adams talks about it all the time. It’s a production league. You have your chance, you must take advantage of it. Gui was awesome. This game is about more than whether you make or miss a shot. It’s the defense. It bounces. It’s hustle and bustle. It’s a sprint. Everything you saw Gui do tonight is what wins games.
The rewards of the game will be as much as the skills.
The Warriors outscored the Pistons 49-40, including 15-7 on the offensive glass. Santos pulled down five rebounds, three of them offensive. Golden State also had nine steals, seven blocks and 21 second-chance points, compared to just six for Detroit. Santos added two steals and kept many possessions alive through tip-ins or putting his body on the ground.
Before Thursday night, Santos had played 12 games for a total of 63 minutes this season, scoring 10 points and going 1 of 9 from three. He didn’t have time to get rid of the rust. The players at the end of the bench do not have this extra room for maneuver.
To defeat the young and promising Pistons, the Warriors needed over 25 minutes played by Santos, a new career high for him. They needed his 13 points, which exceeded his season total and tied a career high. More than anything, they needed to be reminded of what it takes to win.
Through the walls of the visitors’ locker room, Detroit reporters could hear the loud cheers of Warriors players and coaches. The celebration was a symbol of solidarity for one person, someone who almost all of his teammates shouted out on Instagram later that night.
A player who practices his shooting every day off. Who is there for every intentional shot, visualizes the impact he will have from the bench, has transformed his body since the Warriors selected him in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft and who is the first to stand up and encourage his teammates. .
“Having guys like Steph, Draymond and all my teammates cheering for me is very special,” Santos said. “Especially in a match where I had the opportunity to be on the field. I played well and having the whole team cheering me on felt good. It shows how much we are together right now.
The play rewarded Gui Santos and the Warriors followed suit. He will be needed again, and box scoring stats will again come second, something the rest of the Warriors will always remember.
