First and foremost, the most important development for Gui has been his overall floor game. His handle improved considerably in 2021-22. He is now able to get anywhere he wants on the floor and thrives as a primary ball handler in the pick and roll.
Aiding this aspect of his game is his excellent spatial awareness. In the normal course of his team's offense, Gui is still incredibly unselfish and moves the ball around the perimeter, shifting the defense, but he also uses the threat of his drive to create for others.
He played way more under control this season, and did a nice job of jump stopping and making decisions off of two feet, as shown in the following drive.
He is able to pick apart zone defenses, as shown in the following clip.
It is clear that Gui worked on his footwork in the offseason, as he is now able to implement a zero step to create space on his jumper.
With that said, scouts noted that Gui's shooting percentage from beyond the arc declined from 38.6% in 2020-21 to 29.8% in 2021-22. However, there were no significant adjustments to his shooting form and he shot it much better from 3pt range in Champions League this year, at 44.4%. I believe that his junior status played a role in his hesitation to shoot from the outside, as I noticed that he would be subbed out after missing just one shot (thus like many budding international stars, they are on a shorter leash because of their age), impacting his rhythm. In the NBB playoffs, he demonstrated that he can hit the three point shot and is fairly underrated in this area.
At the next level, Gui will have to consistently knock down his three point jumper without any hesitation. Despite the fact that this area of his game is currently hurting his NBA draft stock, I believe that Gui will actually make significant strides on his shot over his first couple of seasons in the NBA.
Additionally, Gui Santos has come into his own as a wing out in transition and more frequently blows by multiple defenders before finishing at the rim.
While Gui is aggressive getting to the basket and seeking out contact, he still could stand to improve his contact balance in the lane and finishing ability at times. With that said, more extensive strength and development programs in the NBA will immediately give his game the boost it needs in this area. He already is extremely crafty getting to the basket, as the following clips demonstrate.
He does an excellent job of getting his man on his hip and drawing contact, something you would expect from a savvy veteran.
With Gui's continued physical development has come an increased comfort utilizing his athletic tools against stronger, more experienced defenders. He frequently finishes off lob plays and looks to dunk whenever he gets a clear lane, something which NBA teams covet.
On the glass, Gui utilizes his length and athleticism to compete against much bigger players. He often accepts the challenge, even jockeying for position with the lengthy former NBA forward, Bruno Caboclo, when switched onto him.
On the defensive side of the ball, Gui continues to make strides and he frequently was tasked with guarding the opposing team's best player. He plays with an uncharacteristic toughness, which portends a bright future on a playoff team. While he was beaten in the following clip, look at how aggressively he shadows Brandon Robinson during Minas' playoff run. Any player with this kind of toughness will immediately add to a playoff contender.
Santos is a dynamic one on one defender with considerable upside.
He can switch 1 through 5 on the defensive end, and he does a nice job competing against quicker guards or fighting for position against stronger bigs. In the modern NBA, his willingness to accept considerable defensive responsibility will prove to be vital for any team that decides to select him. He expends considerable energy on this end of the floor, and this often leads to transition baskets on the other end.
In the following clip, Gui Santos is an absolute pest on ball.
In terms of his perimeter closeouts, Gui sometimes grants maybe a half a step too much in terms of space to perimeter shooters, but this is because of his tremendous closeout speed and 7'0+ wingspan. Look at how he was able to disrupt perimeter shooter's rhythm on the following clips.
Gui flashes considerable athleticism on the defensive end, and regularly chases down blocks.
He often turns defensive plays into transition opportunities.
Ultimately, due to the lack of headline progress on his jumper, coupled with limited showcases to display his talent as a result of the pandemic (the Nike Hoops Summit event he was invited to was canceled as well as the Olympics), Gui Santos is a prospect that offers lottery level upside, but may be available (if online mock drafts are a true indicator of sentiment) anywhere from the late first round to the mid second round. A prospect of this caliber rarely slips through the cracks in such a big way. Can he scale NBA draft boards late in the game ala the fictional character Bo Cruz from Netflix's "Hustle"?
