As the lone playing representative for the Golden State Warriors at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, there will be plenty of eyes focused upon Lester Quinones and what sort of impact he can have for the Dominican Republic.
It didn’t start ideally for the 22-year-old guard against the Philippines on Friday morning (PT), with Quinones’ taking to the final minute of the game to record his first World Cup point — a free throw with just over 50 seconds to play.
Lester Quinones’ explosive NBA Summer League form with the Golden State Warriors hasn’t translated to his opening game at the FIBA World Cup.
Quinones started but played just under 16 minutes, adding two points, three bounds and a steal while shooting 0-for-4 from the floor and 0-for-3 from three-point range. Although he provided some moments of impactful defense, it was still a disappointing individual performance in a game dominated by Minnesota Timberwolves’ big man Karl-Anthony Towns and former Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson.
Towns led the Dominican Republic to an 87-81 victory, with the three-time NBA All-Star finishing 15-for-16 from the free throw line on his way to a 26-point, 10-rebound double-double. Clarkson unsurprisingly led the Philippines with a game-high 28 points on 8-for-18 shooting.
Quinones has signed a two-way contract with the Warriors ahead of next season, a move many have considered fortunate for the franchise given his rate of development over the course of this year.
The 6’4″ combo guard averaged 21.8 points, 7 rebounds and 4.8 assists in the NBA G League last season, winning the league’s most improved player award as a result. Quinones showed further excellence during NBA Summer League last month, averaging 21.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists during five games in Las Vegas.
