SANTA CRUZ – Cafe Brasil, a small brunch restaurant set in a colorful Brazilian country house, certainly didn’t look like it would have any real significance to the world of sports.
But on many weekday afternoons, it’s a gathering place for Santa Cruz’s preeminent group of movers and shakers: Players for
Golden State Warriors
A subsidiary of G League. Since discovering Cafe Brasil a couple of months ago, Gui Santos-the
Warriors Rookie Second Round Draft
– frequents with his teammates, conversing with waiters in his native Portuguese between bites of Brazilian soup.
Those visits gave Santos, 20, much-needed knowledge of a year defining change: a new country, a new style of basketball,
A new benchmark for competition. After looking disoriented early in the G League season, he began absorbing the Santa Cruz Warriors’ read-and-react system, posting flashy stats and strengthening management’s faith in him.
“He’s really learning how he can have an impact,” said Santa Cruz coach Seth Cooper. “What really stands out is his quick decision making, which is something that should translate to the NBA. We are all very excited about him.”
Santa Cruz Warriors guard Gui Santos (15) five-year-old player development coach Devin Sweetney as he returns to the bench seen during the first half of an NBA G League basketball game against the Sioux Falls Skyforce in Santa Cruz, Calif., Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.
Stephen Lamm/The Chronicle In June, Golden State acquired Santos with the fourth-to-last pick in the NBA Draft because he thought he might, just
Could, he could one day turn into a cornerback rotation player at the highest level in the sport. But after averaging 16.8 points on 52.6% shooting (34.8% from 3-point range) over his past eight G League games, Santos looks ahead of schedule.
At 6-foot-8 and 209 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan, smooth jumping and high basketball IQ, he’s a strong candidate for a two-way contract with the big club next season. Some scouts estimate Santos could crack Golden State’s regular rotation as soon as 2024-25.
If that happens, he’ll be fine with all the social media messages he gets from the young Brazilian players who see him as the next big thing. Gone are the days when famous Brazilians like Leandro Barbosa, Nene and Thiago Spliter played important roles in winning teams. The only active player in the NBA from the largest country in South America is Raul Neto, who averages just 3.1 points for the Cavaliers.
But even for scoring a minute in a regular season NBA game, Santos knows he must keep learning fast in a minor league filled with top-level prospects.
Santa Cruz Warriors guard Gui Santos (15) passes the ball to teammate Zeke Moore (18) during the second half of an NBA G League basketball game against Sioux Falls Skyforce in Santa Cruz, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.
Stephen Lamm/The Chronicle
Just several weeks ago, he was still unsure how to work his movement offense, driving towards the rim almost every time he caught the ball. Despite being fluent in English, Santos often misunderstood his coaches’ directions. The culture shock, both on and off the field, made him very homesick.
“The hardest part is being so far away from family and friends,” said Santos. “I’m used to having my dad at a lot of my games and being in a familiar environment. But I’ve always wanted this, so I figured it was just something I needed to go through.”
Shortly after the Warriors recruited Santos, they struck a deal with Minas—his club in the Brazilian top flight—to develop him with Golden State affiliate Golden State. This differs from the more traditional path of international drafts staying abroad until they are ready for the NBA.
It doesn’t matter to Santos that Santa Cruz will only pay him $40,500 for a 50-game season, which is a fraction of what he made with Minas. By joining the G League, he can adjust to life in America, build relationships throughout the Warriors organization, and possibly accelerate his path to the NBA.
This is a dream Santos has long shared with his father, Deivisson, a bruising center for more than a decade in South American professional leagues. When officials in Minas asked 14-year-old Gui in 2016 to make a 10-hour drive from his hometown of Brasilia for year-round training in Belo Horizonte, Deivisson didn’t hesitate.
Santos remembers his father telling him, “This is something you have to do.” “You have a chance to make the NBA.”
Santa Cruz Warriors guard Gui Santos (15) nods during an NBA G League basketball game against the Sioux Falls Skyforce in Santa Cruz, Calif., Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.
Stephen Lamm/The Chronicle
After crying himself to sleep in his first few months in Belo Horizonte, Santos slipped into routine and began dominating the youth ranks in Brazil. By the time Barbosa joined Minas in 2018 after a season with rival Franca and a prestigious career in the NBA, Santos was the country’s most promising young player: a versatile forward who could defend multiple positions, launch offense and defeat open jumpers.
Although Santos did not play much with the first team during Barbosa’s two seasons there, he did
Barbosa duel in practice
And the former NBA sixth man was filled with questions. After Barbosa encouraged him to learn English to facilitate his eventual move to the United States, Santos began studying American film, television, and music. His knowledge of pop culture now rivals that of many Americans his age.
“I’ve been around some talented players who just didn’t have the drive to be really great,” said Santa Cruz’s Jayce Johnson. “But Gui? Ui is different, man. This is a guy who had the foresight to teach himself English just because it could help him get into the league. That says it all.”
This dedication was part of what forced Golden State to take a flyer trailing Santos in the draft. Barbosa — a Warriors assistant at the time — told team executives about how Santos arrived at Minas training two hours early, stayed out of trouble and improved significantly each year.
In 2021, Santos declared for the NBA draft, only to withdraw his name after deciding he was not ready. Over the next year, he gained muscle, improved his vertical jump, made his debut with the Brazilian senior national team and cemented himself as one of Minas’ best players. Santos’ pre-workout with the Warriors last spring convinced the front office that he’s at least ready for the G-League.
Santa Cruz Warriors guard Gui Santos (15) reacts as he is fouled by Sioux Falls Skyforce center Kadeem Jack (6) during the first half of an NBA G League game in Santa Cruz, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.
Stephen Lamm/The Chronicle
“We had a lot of conversations with him throughout the draft process, and it was very clear that he just wanted to be the best player he could be,” said Santa Cruz general manager David Fatuki. “With that in mind, this seems like the right place for him now.”
Before a home game against the Sioux Falls Skyforce last Friday, Santos was in line when a famous reggaeton song boomed through the speakers. As he shrugged his hips and shrugged his shoulders, he turned towards his colleague and shouted, “This is my song!”
At that moment, Santos looked like any other general. Only most Gen Zers don’t shoot 48.2% from the field against G League competition, endure the expectations of 45 million Brazilian fans in the NBA or (realistically) hope to share a roster with Stephen Curry.
However, Santos can’t worry when he trades the Santa Cruz hotel room his team gave him for a penthouse apartment in San Francisco. Last Saturday, after scoring just six points in that loss against Sioux Falls, he got up early to review game film with Deivisson over FaceTime.
“I still have a lot of work to do to make my dreams come true,” said Santos. “…I’m glad there’s a place nearby like Café Brazil, where I can get a taste of home when I need it.”
Connor Letourneau is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @Con_Chron