The Golden State Warriors closed out the 2022 Japan Games with a 104-95 win versus the Washington Wizards. For the Warriors, the starters were always going to look well-polished even with turnover issues throughout the limited minutes.
The key though was to assess the young talent on display. There were three young players that stood out for the Warriors in this preseason win over the Wizards and those three as follows:
Patrick Baldwin Jr.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. was a bit of a mystery after missing out on Summer League back in July. Without seeing him in months it was difficult to know what to expect. He showed what he was capable of in the games against The Wizards. He was quiet in the first game only hitting one 3-point attempt and scoring 7 points.
He was much more locked-in in game 2 with 12 points while showing his 3-point shooting prowess. He shot four-for-five from distance and really showed that he could rebound and do a lot of the little things to earn him more playing time. All-in-all a very solid performance for Baldwin and it looks like he will be a valuable piece for the Warriors this season.
James Wiseman
Wiseman showed what he could do as well in the two games. He was a little bit of the opposite from Baldwin Jr. as he played very well in game one and was less effective in game 2. Wiseman was extremely efficient in the first game shooting eight-for-eleven from the field and scoring 20 points and almost getting a double-double with nine boards.
In game 2 though he struggled shooting from the field going just two-for-seven. He did hit a three though which was very exciting to see. He showcased extreme speed as well as having a great frame. He physically is where he needs to be and if he continues spacing the floor, then Golden State is going to be very deep. The number two pick in the draft is showing why he deserves a lot of respect and sky is definitely the limit for him.
Moses Moody
Moses Moody was very good as well showing why he is going to be a huge piece for the Warriors going forward. He stood out the most from game 2 with the way he closed the game out. He made big shots and was very good offensively especially in the 4th quarter. In the first game though he struggled shooting going just two-for-six from the field and one-of-four from three.
He made up for it in game 2 with an excellent 2nd half. He ended up shooting five-for-ten from the field and two-for-five from three. He made huge shots for the Warriors down the stretch scoring big buckets from all over the field. He definitely showed that he could step up in big games in the biggest moments and produce.
All-in-all, all three players played well and it is super exciting to be a Warriors fan right now with the crazy amount of youth talent as well as the core group that will challenge for another championship this season.
