Nico Mannion's solid play in the G League bubble carried over into his first career NBA start Thursday night.
Starting against the Phoenix Suns in place of Steph Curry, who was resting before the All-Star Game, Mannion showed early in the game exactly why the Warriors are excited about his potential.
Midway through the first quarter, the Warriors swung the ball to Mannion at the top of the arc. After a pump fake, he drove into the lane and found fellow rookie James Wiseman for a lob dunk.
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But Mannion wasn't done. On the subsequent inbounds, he stole the ball on a pass from Mikal Bridges to Chris Paul.
Mannion then found a cutting Juan Toscano-Anderson for a layup.
While Mannion, who is on a two-way contract, was born in Italy, he went to Pinnacle High School in Phoenix and attended the University of Arizona, so it was fitting that coach Steve Kerr gave the rookie his first start against the Suns at Phoenix Suns Arena.
In nine first-quarter minutes, Mannion went 0-of-3 from the field but had three assists, one rebound and one steal.
Golden State Warriors
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Mannion and guard Jordan Poole were recalled from the Santa Cruz Warriors on Monday. Both players were performing well in Orlando, Fla. and helped the Sea Dubs win eight straight games (Santa Cruz won a ninth straight after both players left the bubble).
Wiseman already is a big part of the Warriors' future, and if Mannion can keep making plays like the two he made Thursday, he will have a spot in the team's rotation for the next few years.