Warriors preseason winner: Lester Quinones
Despite only making one shot in two games against the Los Angeles Lakers, Lester Quinones put together an impressive performance against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Quinones finished with 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists. In addition, he shot 2-for-6 from beyond the arc and 6-for-12 from the field.
Lester Quinones signed a two-way contract with the Warriors this past summer. He started in 31 games for the Santa Cruz Warriors during the 2022-23 season, averaging 21.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per contest. As a result, Quinones was named the 2022-23 Kia NBA G League's Most Improved Player.
In Sunday's game against the Kings, Quinones showed off his capabilities as a playmaker, scorer, and defender. He pushed the ball in transition, got to the free-throw line, and knocked down open 3s. What's most impressive about Quinones' play style is the lack of hesitation. This was a statement game for Quinones and it's safe to say that the Warriors won't have to worry about their point guard depth going forward.
Warriors preseason loser: Jerome Robinson
In Sunday's victory over the Kings, Jerome Robinson shot 0-5 from beyond the arc, and 2-11 from the field. That's just 18.2 percent. After 21 minutes of play, Robinson finished with six points, five rebounds, and one assist. Safe to say, this isn't exactly what you'd expect from a former 13th overall pick.
While Robinson shot much better in the Warriors' first two games against the Lakers, this was based on a much smaller sample size. Robinson only took eight shots combined in the first two games. The first game he finished with eight points on 50 percent field goal shooting, the following game he had four points and three assists.
Robinson joins Lester Quinones and Usman Garuba as part of the Warriors' three two-way contracts. He has spent the past two seasons with the Warriors' Santa Cruz G League affiliate team. As meaningless as preseason is, if you're the Warriors, Robinson's 2-of-11 shooting is a cause for major concern.
Warriors preseason winner: Jonathan Kuminga
We've already mentioned that Kuminga looks determined this preseason. In fact, Jonathan Kuminga has led the Warriors in scoring every single game so far this postseason. Through three games, Kuminga has played 85 minutes and recorded 78 points, 17 rebounds, and eight assists. In other words: winner, winner, chicken dinner.
In the Warriors first game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Kuminga led the Warriors in points and rebounds. He finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two blocks, helping the Warriors beat the Lakers 125-108. The very next game, Kuminga and the Warriors faced the Lakers again, and JK picked up right where he left off. Kuminga tallied 26 points, and shot 9-of-12 from the field, resulting in a 129-125 Warriors win.
Kuminga started at power forward for the Warriors during their latest matchup against the Sacramento Kings. He contributed 28 points and got to the free-throw line for 17 attempts. During the postgame presser, Coach Kerr credited Kuminga's athleticism. He also talked about the Warriors' desire to get to the free-throw line more this season. All in all, this has been a very impressive preseason showing by Jonathan Kuminga.
Warriors preseason loser: Brandin Podziemski
Although Brandin Podziemski played well against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, he left a lot on the table against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Since Chris Paul and Curry were resting, this was Bradin's first start for the Warriors at point guard. In 32 minutes of play, Podziemski had four points, four assists, two turnovers, and finished 1-for-5 from the field. Comparatively, in Friday's game against the Lakers, Podziemski recorded 10 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds in just 26 minutes.
The Warriors still managed to beat the Kings 121-115, thanks to contributions from Moses Moody and Lester Quinones. Fear not Warriors fans, the 20-year-old guard out of Santa Clara was picked as one of the biggest steals in June's 2023 NBA Draft in the NBA GM survey for a reason. There's plenty of upside there. In fact, Warriors guard Moses Moody told Jason Mastrodonato of The Mercury News that he's impressed by the rookie's overall pace. Moody said, "He's been able to put pressure on the rim, attack and create. Not get overwhelmed when he gets in there. Just staying composed. I'm impressed with it."
Despite a lackluster performance against the Kings, through three preseason games, Bradin has played 81 minutes and contributed 23 points, 17 rebounds, 18 assists and only three turnovers. As the season begins, Podziemski will have the opportunity to learn from two legends of the game: Chris Paul and Steph Curry. A mentorship and support program like that could be very beneficial to the rookie's development.
