Golden State Warriors concluded their tour in Tokyo with a 2-0 record against the Washington Wizards. While the team’s star core remained on the court for a limited time, young players showed some promise ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Three players could see an increased role based on the first two preseason games in Tokyo, Japan.
James Wiseman
James Wiseman returned from a year-long absence and immediately dominated during the two opening preseason games. Wiseman scored 20 points in the first game and grabbed nine rebounds. During Sunday’s contest, he registered eight points and three rebounds in 18 minutes.
Wiseman could provide a rim-running presence for the Warriors. He might have an excellent chance to run pick-and-roll plays with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Especially with Green, Wiseman will have the chance to cut to the basket aggressively and produce easy points.
If he remains healthy, he could prove to be an asset for Steve Kerr and the Warriors veterans. After last season with an injury, he could be a dynamic option on both ends of the floor for the Dubs.
Moses Moody
Moses Moody already received extended play time during the playoffs last season. He looked even better during the summer league, scoring 27.3 points per game on 43/33/88 shooting. He has also shown improvement with the ball in his hands and his leadership skills during the Summer League.
Likewise, he had a strong presence during the Japan games, putting 8.5 points on 43 percent shooting from the field. He was a plus-6.5 when he was on the floor, spending 24.1 minutes per in the two games in Tokyo. More importantly, Moody can be a defensive asset with his length and lateral quickness.
Moody will be able to cover some minutes left open by the departure of Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. Moody has all the tools to be a considerable presence coming off the bench against the opponent’s second unit. He has many things to fix before being a starter-caliber wing, but he can be a serviceable role player.
Patrick Baldwin Jr.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. finished the Warriors’ final game in Japan with 12 points helping the team to a late comeback. Baldwin Jr. showed promise during the two games vs the Wizards. Despite not playing in the Summer League, he was poised to prove why he was a projected lottery pick last year.
He only appeared 8 minutes during the opening preseason game and scored 7 points. He averaged 12.8 minutes per contest through two games in Japan and made most of it with his versatility and his great basketball IQ. Not only that, but he finished with 12 points in Sunday’s contest, shooting an efficient 4-of-6 from the field and grabbing six rebounds in the process.
It’s almost certain Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr will integrate Baldwin Jr. slowly in the Warriors’ system, but the franchise might have another steal coming as a back-end draft selection. Baldwin Jr. was the 28th pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. He finished the Japan tour with averages of 9.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and a massive 60 percent from the field.
