THERE is another player from Dominican Republic that Gilas Pilipinas and the Filipino fans must watch out for.
Aside from Karl-Anthony Towns, Lester Quiñones is another high-profile player from Dominican Republic. He is part of the Golden State Warriors organization, having signed a two-way contract with the team after playing for their G League team Santa Cruz last season.
Dominican Republic target man: Lester Quiñones
He averaged a second-best 20.2 points for the Santa Cruz Warriors during the 2022-23 season, earning the G League Most Improved Player award.
Quinones also played for the Warriors in the NBA Summer League before joining the Dominican Republic build-up for the Fiba Basketball World Cup. He averaged 21.2 points for the Warriors in the Summer League, just third behind Tari Eason of the Houston Rockets and Benedict Mathurin of the Indiana Pacers, both of whom saw action for a full NBA season.
The 22-year-old Quinones, who played for Memphis during his college days, likes the chances of Dominican Republic to progress with the depth of the team built around Towns.
“It’s been great. Maybe two weeks with these guys. The chemistry is starting to get there. We are starting to build a bond on and off the court. We are extremely talented. I feel that our depth is what is going to make us go far here,” said Quinones.
Quinones said his recent stint in the NBA Summer League has helped him in being in shape for the World Cup campaign,
“Being with Golden State the whole summer, going through that Summer League, and going straight from there to Dominican Republic, I feel like I’ve been locking in more treatment for my body because it’s going to be from Summer League to the World Cup right into training camp. I feel like taking care of my body is the most important thing,” said Quinones.
Incidentally, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is also in town as USA Basketball’s mentor for the World Cup.
“When we were in Granada (Spain), they played Spain. I talked to him there,” said Quinones, referring to Kerr. “He is out here now. We will probably meet up for dinner or something here. It’s amazing. He told me just to have fun and it’s a great experience. A wonderful opportunity.”
Quinones talked about Dominican Republic’s chances for the World Cup.
“I feel like with the team and the talent that we have, we have a chance to make some noise here,” he added.
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