San Francisco — Golden State forward Gui Santos says a steady spot in the rotation has boosted his confidence as the 2022 second-round pick enjoys his best stretch with the Warriors.
“I’m feeling really good right now about the shooting, the confidence,” Santos told NBC Sports Bay Area. “When you know you’re going to play every night and your team trusts you, that gives you way more confidence.”
In February, the 21-year-old is logging 29.7 minutes while averaging 15.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Santos is set to hit restricted free agency this summer.
Lakers seek more from Ayton
Head coach JJ Redick said Los Angeles is still trying to tap into Deandre Ayton’s potential as an interior presence. Ayton is posting career lows in scoring (13.0), rebounding (8.4) and playing time (28.1 minutes).
“If he has a smaller player on him, that’s an advantage for us. Let’s just get him the ball,” Redick told reporters after Monday’s practice, adding that Ayton can help more as a rim runner and offensive rebounder against switches.
Green positioned for larger role in Phoenix
Suns guard Jalen Green, limited for much of the season by hamstring issues, is expected to shoulder a bigger workload with Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks sidelined.
“I think I bring a little bit of everything—play faster, get some steals, get into the open lane,” Green told Yahoo Sports. The third-year guard has averaged 16.8 points over his last four outings.
Kings snap 16-game slide
Sacramento ended a franchise-record losing streak at 16 games Monday, defeating Memphis 123-114 on the road. Russell Westbrook scored 25 points, while Precious Achiuwa matched his season high with 20 points and collected 12 rebounds.
“We needed this,” Achiuwa said. “It’s been a rough path for us the past couple games. We’ve played really well a lot of those games … tonight we’re glad.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
