Patrick Baldwin Jr. is excited about landing with the Golden State Warriors. But first he wants to get fully healthy.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. is ready to work.
After all the uncertainty about his draft status, the former UW-Milwaukee player landed in a perfect spot with the NBA champion Golden State Warriors at the No. 28 pick last Thursday.
The first order of business is getting fully healthy after being plagued by ankle problems for the last two years. The 6-foot-10 Baldwin practiced with the Warriors' summer league team Wednesday in San Francisco. He won't play in the four-team California Classic, but hopes to be ready for the Las Vegas summer league, which begins July 7.
"Ankle felt good today," Baldwin said. "Just 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. Seeing how it reacts to this kind of workload. Just kind of taking it from there."
He's already benefiting from a NBA training staff.
"I think I just learned how to take care of my body a lot more while I was here already," Baldwin said. "I thought I took care of it great before here. But now that I've stepped into this environment, they're giving me stuff to do before practice, after practice. Stuff while I'm just laying around at the hotel.
"I'm learning how to take care of my body and use all the resources to make sure I'm putting my best foot forward every time I step onto the floor."
The ankle injury, which he originally suffered as a senior at Sussex Hamilton High School, was one of myriad issues that held him back in his one season with the Panthers. He's eager to put that behind him.
"I'm really anxious," Baldwin said. "I think there's not much that the ankle was holding me back, (from) per se. It was more so just rhythm and getting in the flow, up and down, throughout the season.
"On that front, I just got to be myself and understand my teammates and come in with a winning attitude and a positive mindset and good things will happen. So I'm striving for the best coaches, the best trainers, the best organization in the world."
There were questions about where Baldwin would land in the draft, but he got to hear his name called out by commissioner Adam Silver in the first round.
"On draft night I was with my family and all of my past AAU coaches and AAU teammates," Baldwin said. "So I had about 60 people in a room and we were just kind of watching the draft and eating food. Having a good time.
"When I got that call from agent that the pick was in, there was finally that anticipation for that pick. When that pick finally came in there was just a really big sense of joy in that room. And I could feel it just because those were all guys that I had either put in work with or had helped me get to this point."
The Warriors have lots of Wisconsin connections, with Milwaukee natives Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney on last season's roster along with former Marquette player Juan Toscano-Anderson.
Even Golden State's summer league coach, Seth Cooper, played at Madison West High School and Edgewood College. Cooper also coaches the G League affiliate Santa Cruz Warriors, where Baldwin will likely spend a lot of time next season.
"I did tell him I was from Madison," Cooper said. "It's funny someone else brought up Milwaukee to him and brought up Looney and Jordan. And (Baldwin) really didn't move to Milwaukee until right when he was getting into high school because his dad was previously all over coaching, for a while at Northwestern. So he has lived in Wisconsin, but I don't think he totally identifies with being totally born and raised in Wisconsin.
"He's been great. He's been in here working hard. Showing the capabilities of what he can do with his size and skill level. So we're really excited as he builds that up and build out for him for the rest of summer and into next year."
Baldwin hasn't heard from Poole and Looney. After all, they are still celebrating the victory over the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals earlier this month.
"I know they're still on vacation," Baldwin said. "They're enjoying their time off. I'm not sure they're too worried about texting me back. The second I get the chance to talk with them or meet them, I'm going to have a great conversation with them."
In the meantime, Baldwin has work to do.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Golden State Warriors' Patrick Baldwin Jr. focused on health, NBA
