Getty Utah Jazz wing Juan Toscano-Anderson handles the ball during a game against the Brooklyn Nets.
Afamiliar face was on hand for the Golden State Warriors‘ thrilling Game 4 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Namely, ex-Dubs wing and 2022 NBA champion Juan Toscano-Anderson, who finished up his 2022-23 campaign as a member of the rebuilding Utah Jazz.
In fact, Toscano-Anderson — whose hoops journey began when he was introduced to the sport by the wife of Warriors legend Al Attles as a grade-schooler — attended both of the games at Chase Center. And during a Monday appearance on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs, he made it clear that his heart still remains in the Bay.
“I mean, obviously I’m from there, so I was back home, caught some games. I’m a lifelong Warrior fan, so even though I’m not on the team there in the competition, I’m still a fan,” Toscano-Anderson said.
“Secondly, and probably most importantly, just the environment that [the Warriors] create,” he added of his continued support. “It’s like, once a Warrior, always a Warrior. They welcome me back with open arms… They hosted me very well. I have a lot of great things to say about my visit back home. It was a lot of fun.”
Juan Toscano-Anderson Expects the Warriors to Finish the Job After Battling Back From 0-2 Deficit to the Kings
Just like the rest of Dub Nation, Toscano-Anderson was taken back by the way in which Game 4 ended, particularly with regards to Steph Curry‘s Chris Webber moment. That said, he wasn’t the least bit surprised by the championship DNA that his old cohorts exhibited in escaping with a win.
“It was an exciting game. That’s what playoff basketball is,” Toscano-Anderson said. “I was very surprised by [Curry’s timeout botch] but they pulled it out, and that’s what good teams do… They’ve got to go on the road and handle business but they’re very capable of doing that. They’re a championship-caliber team and well-coached, amongst many other things.”
The ex-Warrior then issued a pair of shout outs — one for an old teammate and another for one of the players who took his place on the club.
“I’m really impressed with Donte DiVincenzo. With Draymond [Green] being out, I think he really stepped up to the plate. I’m not talking numerically — he made a lot of big plays that don’t really show up in the stat sheet… So, I have to commend him for that,” Toscano-Anderson said.
“Obviously, [Kevon Looney] — I’ve just been looking at the box score and Loon has like 12-plus rebounds, 10-plus rebounds… He’s been dominating and that’s become a regular thing for him.”
JTA Looking for a New Hardwood Home This Offseason
Toscano-Anderson was forced to seek out greener grass last summer when the Warriors opted not to bring him back in free agency. As a result, he signed on the dotted line with the Los Angeles Lakers, only to be dealt away by the club ahead of February’s trade deadline.
Splitting time between the Lakers and Jazz, JTA averaged just 3.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 13.5 minutes per game while shooting 44.8% from the field overall and 18.6% on attempts from three-point range.
So, after making $1.9 million last season, the 30-year-old is set to re-enter the market as an unrestricted free agent in the coming weeks. And while he likely isn’t in line for a pay raise after such an up-and-down campaign, Toscano-Anderson’s 3-and-D track record may be enough to entice some contending club or other to keep him in the league on another vet-min contract.