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Jordan Bell wasn’t the only former Golden State Warriors player to show out during FIBA World Cup qualifiers recently. While the big man was displaying his all-around skills with USA Basketball, 20-year-old point guard Nico Mannion was doing his best Steph Curry impression for Italy.
On February 24, the Warriors’ second-round pick and old two-way signee scored 23 points and knocked down 4-of-9 shots from three-point range while adding seven assists and three rebounds in a two-point road loss to Iceland.
Three days later, he put up 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting while logging two steals in a revenge effort against the same team in Bologna.
Mannion and the Italians are now 2-2 in Group H of the European region. They’ll look to punch their ticket to Round 2 of qualification during the next leg of games in July, during which they’re slated to face Russia and the Netherlands.
Mannion Sought Playing Time in Europe
Mannion’s opportunities with the Warriors were fleeting during his 2020-21 rookie campaign. However, over a 10-game stretch around mid-season, he averaged 8.1 points, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals per contest while knocking down 44.4% of his triples.
Rather than languish on an NBA bench or bounce between there and the G League this season, though, the former All-Pac 12 pick at Arizona opted for a payday and a better path to playing time in Italy with Virtus Bologna. And he received encouragement from the Warriors to do so.
For his part, Draymond Green signed off on the move.
“Go make money and go where you’re gonna play,” Mannion told KRON4’s Jason Dumas of Green’s message to him. “He said, ‘If it were me I’d go where I’m gonna get paid and go where I’m gonna play.’ He said, ‘You’re good enough to go over there, perform and come back.'”
Alas, Mannion’s experience in Italy hasn’t been as anticipated.
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Mannion’s Rough Go in the Italian League
Mannion’s big debut with Bologna was delayed when the baller suffered a severe intestinal infection. As a result of the illness, he lost nearly 20 pounds and had to spend time in the hospital.
Since recovering from his sickness, Mannion has struggled to find his footing with his new team. In 16 games across all competitions, the 6-foot-3 guard has averaged 5.3 points, 3.0 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game. He’s also shooting just 37.1% from the floor and 28.1% from three.
Against the Turkish club Bursaspor in EuroCup play on Thursday, he put up just two points and one assist.
Nevertheless, his performance during World Cup qualifiers offers hope that he may be getting back to doing the things that had some believing he could be a lottery pick in the 2020 draft. At the least, it’s a situation worth monitoring for Warriors fans.
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