Warriors' Klay Thompson Says Patrick Baldwin Jr. Possesses 'Star Potential'

One of the less heralded young players on the Golden State Warriors, Patrick Baldwin Jr. has certainly caught the attention of some of the organizations's older stars.

Klay Thompson was more than complimentary of the rookie after the Warriors' 116-101 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night. Baldwin contributed 11 points, three rebounds and an assist in 16 minutes, taking a step up in the rotation with the absence of Draymond Green.

"He's just oozing with potential," Thompson told Jason Mastrodonato of the Mercury News following the game. "Beautiful, beautiful shot. Perfect form. At that height, he's a prototypical main player, and he's got star potential, so I love his humility about his work ethic. And it's just exciting times. He's a great prospect."

Selected with the 28th pick in the 2022 draft, Baldwin has played in just 18 games this season but alway seems to make an impact when he manages to get on the floor. The 20-year-old has scored 11 points in back-to-back games.

He has four double-digit games this year, including a 17-point outburst in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets in December.

Baldwin has also fit right into the Warriors culture, looking like a potentially lethal shooter. Although it's a small sample size, he has knocked down 47.5 percent of his 59 attempts from beyond the arc. It's the second-best mark in the league of anybody with at least 50 attempts this season.

In eight games playing for the Warriors' G League affiliate, Baldwin has averaged 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

The Warriors took a shot on Baldwin, a highly touted high school recruit who was rated as the fifth-best player in the class of 2021, according to ESPN. But he played in just 11 games while at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee after suffering an ankle injury.

Golden State will hope that he and fellow forward Jonathan Kuminga will be pieces of the organization's core for years to come.