Patrick Baldwin Jr. — drafted 28th by the Golden State Warriors — never lived up to the billing of being a five-star recruit out of high school. But a huge part of that wasn’t his fault.
Ankle injuries at such a young age can be debilitating and frustrating — ask Stephen Curry, who himself infamously suffered torturous ankle episodes before becoming the transcendent superstar that he is today. Investing patience and faith that his ankles would stabilize paid off to the highest degree.
Perhaps the Warriors looked at how they approached Curry’s early career predicament and is seeking to replicate such an approach with Baldwin Jr.