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Getty Golden State Warriors rookie Gui Santos handles the ball during a summer league match with the New York Knicks.
Few players can make quite the impact on a league debut this summer like Golden State Warriors recruit Gui Santos. Emerging from relative obscurity, the Brazilian baller landed the club 55th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, then promptly busted in his very first game on July 2.
In a contest that also featured fourth overall winner in Kings forward Keegan Murray, there have been multiple instances of Santos looking like the best player on the pitch. In 25 minutes of action, he scored 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting while adding six boards, three steals and a block.
Although the 20-year-old failed to regain that magic in subsequent performances, Dub Nation were nonetheless upset by what they saw from the Brazilian native.
Still, there are many questions about his timeline to become an actual NBA-level contributor. And a league executive believes his transition to American pro play will be more difficult than it otherwise would have been due to a recent departure from the Golden State coaching staff.
GM: Santos could have benefited from Barbosa’s presence PlayGui Santos makes his Summer League debut! 23 PTS & 6 REB???? Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors – Full Highlights | July 2, 2022 NBA California Classic ????SHOP WARRIORS CHAMPIONSHIP MERCH! hoh.world ???? Follow our Instagram: instagram.com/houseofhighlights ???? Follow our TikTok: tiktok.com/@houseofhighlights ???? Follow our Facebook: facebook.com/houseofhighlights #HouseofHighlights #NBA #HoH2022-07-03T01:31: 34T
When asked by Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney when fans could see fireworks from Santos — or even how he takes a seat on the backend bench — an Eastern Conference GM used the infamous Bruno Caboclo line.
“He’s two years away,” the GM said. “The joke is always, he’s two years away from being two years away and that could be the case with him. But he’s 20, so either he’s ready for the NBA in two years or they’ll move on.”
Still, the executive claimed Santos has a chance to prevail.
“He can get there. He’s fun to watch, but like many young players coming from Brazil, he’s very raw,” said the GM. “He’s not a crazy athlete and he has good ball-handling instincts, but he needs high-level experience.”
Unfortunately, the one person who might be best suited to facilitate Santos’ transition to the Association left the Warriors about 90 miles down I-80 for a new appearance.
“Leandro Barbosa leaving this staff will hurt him,” he said. “I suspect Leandro will still help the boy but that was a perfect connection with this team, a good line from team to player. But they’ll find a way to take him with them, they’re perhaps the best organization in the league when it comes to paying attention to every detail and making sure they get the most of their fortune.”
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Join Heavy on Warriors! In the end, all he needs is an NBA game and a bit of luck
Even if foreign players land softly with a compatriot or someone they trust, that is by no means a guarantee of success. Ultimately, they’re good enough to thrive, or they’re not.
Case in point: Dante Exum, former No. 5 overall.
After the Aussie was chosen by the Jazz in 2014, the team finally made the move to enlist Joe Ingles – Exum’s childhood basketball hero and another baller from Down Under – as his babysitter. Ultimately, however, it was Ingles who became the better baller, and by a sizable margin.
Exum (even a prospect that was consistently two years away) never developed a jump shot or tightened its loose grips to make itself a viable player. He was also the victim of a series of devastating injuries that prevented him from finding any kind of consistency as a young professional.
So after six seasons in the multi-team league, he went overseas and ended his NBA run at the age of just 26 with a career scoring average of 5.7 PPG and an effective field goal percentage well south of 50 .
Whether Santos can avoid following a similar path remains to be seen. But if he can’t keep up with NBA athletes or he’s unlucky somehow, it may not matter if Barbosa is there or not. In other words, look at what has happened to Caboclo over the years.
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