Warriors rookie Patrick Baldwin Jr. is ready to prove that he belongs in the NBA.
The No. 28 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft will get a chance to do just that in the coming weeks during the NBA Summer League.
“I just want to prove that I can play,” Baldwin Jr. told reporters on Wednesday. “Just get out there and get under the system and just learn. I think learning is a big thing that I want to do this summer in summer league. Because I know I have a long way to go to be the player that I need to be. So, I just want to come out here and learn, compete and show that I belong.”
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But before proving anything on the court, the 6-foot-9 forward will have to prove that his ankle is OK.
Although Baldwin Jr. was listed on the Warriors’ summer league roster, he still needs to be cleared to step foot on the floor and play come July 7.
But as of now, Baldwin said he’s just taking it day by day.
“Yeah, the ankle felt good today,” Baldwin said on Wednesday. “Was able to do some on-court stuff. Some 5-on-0, some non-contact drills and some shooting. We’re just kind of testing it out right now and seeing how it reacts to this type of workload and just taking it from there.”
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The 19-year-old dislocated his ankle during the second game of his senior year in high school, and it seemed to linger over into his underwhelming college season.
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With the ankle injury affecting both his high school and college careers, Baldwin Jr. is determined to not let it mess with his time in the pros.