Blake Hinson is thriving in his first pro season as the Santa Cruz Warriors (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Blake Hinson continues to make his presence felt in his first season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, contributing both on the court and in his personal development as a professional after a successful collegiate career.
Hinson’s path to this point has included multiple college stops and a winding road into the pro ranks. After beginning his career at Ole Miss, transferring to Iowa State, and eventually starring at Pittsburgh, he went undrafted in 2024. He signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers before being waived, later joined the Golden State Warriors in training camp, and ultimately landed with Santa Cruz in October.
The forward delivered another steady performance Thursday night, finishing with 18 points and eight rebounds in a 131–116 win over the Texas Legends. It marked the sixth straight win for Santa Cruz (18–12), which remains in the hunt for a playoff berth in the NBA G League’s Western Conference.
Hinson has appeared in 45 games for Santa Cruz this season, averaging 16.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 27.0 minutes per game. Since the start of the G League regular season following the Showcase Cup, his production has taken another leap. He’s averaging 19.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 28.9 minutes per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 38.1% from three-point range on 9.1 attempts per game.
Beyond a Shooter: Hinson’s All-Around Growth
From the start of the season, Hinson has emphasized the importance of growing beyond being labeled a shooter. He’s worked to become a more complete player in multiple areas.
“Just expanding my game outside of shooting, which is obviously important. I think this program has done a great job teaching me that part of the game,” Hinson told RG.
A major part of that development has come from the structure provided by Santa Cruz’s player development system. The coaching staff has created an environment that prioritizes long-term growth without losing sight of winning games. It’s resulted in opportunities for young players like Quinten Post and Pat Spencer to go from playing on two-way contracts to providing an impact with the Golden State Warriors late in the NBA season.
“They do a good job of mixing player development with winning,” Hinson said.
“They’ll sacrifice a little bit of winning to get your player development correct — but they’re not gonna do it for long. I appreciate this program for being lenient with me early, and I’m reaping the benefits of it now.”
As his role has grown throughout the season, Hinson said his biggest focus has been developing his decision-making. He’s been intentional about understanding game flow and knowing when to apply his skill set within the team’s offense.
“Just thinking — making the right reads at this point,” Hinson said. “I’m a professional athlete. I can do pretty much everything on the floor. It’s just a matter of doing it at the right time in the right place. So just reading the game correctly is what I would say.”
That process, Hinson said, has been central to becoming a more effective player.
“Learning how to read the game,” Hinson said. “It’s one thing to be able to do these things, but knowing when to do it is how you become effective. I’m still learning, but I’ve gotten better with that.”
Looking Ahead: Playmaking, Defense, and Leadership
Hinson credits the coaching staff for playing a hands-on role in his progress. He pointed specifically to assistant coach Nicholas Kerr for his consistent involvement and attention to detail, even with players who aren’t on full NBA contracts.
“All of them play a role,” Hinson said. “Nick is hands-on with somebody like me who’s not even on a contract, and that means a lot to me. So I would say Nick.”
Hinson is already thinking about how to continue adding layers to his game. He said he’s interested in learning how to operate more as a lead ball handler — a role he believes could elevate his overall impact.
Defensively, Hinson said the adjustment from college to professional basketball has also been driven by mental sharpness. While he believes he has the physical tools to be effective, he’s learned that awareness and anticipation are what separate consistent defenders.
“Just thinking — like that’s the biggest thing,” Hinson said. “That’s the biggest jump from college to now. Offensively and defensively, it’s just thinking. I’m a professional athlete — but where you can go wrong is if you don’t think properly or put yourself in the right place, you’ll still lose.”
Hinson’s shooting — particularly from long range — remains a standout skill, but Hinson said improvement in that area also comes down to mental discipline. He emphasized that his mechanics are sound, and his focus is now on decision-making and shot selection.
“Just consistency. I can shoot,” Hinson said.
“The way you improve your shooting is putting yourself in the right spot. I can shoot, so the only way I can improve or decel in my shooting is not thinking or thinking at a high level. So it’s all thinking.”
That understanding, Hinson said, is what earns players the green light to shoot freely within a system — and what separates good shooters from great ones.
“What comes with the green light is the responsibility,” Hinson said. “And you have to think out and seek good shots, and that’s how you get the green light. You know what I mean? Of course, as a good shooter, you will mistakenly take some iffy ones and that’s fine. You know, it’s basketball — everybody makes mistakes. But you want to seek out good shots. And I’ve learned that toward the end of the season.”
As the season winds down, Hinson has also taken note of teammates stepping up when called upon. He pointed to Marcus Burk’s recent impact off the bench as an example of staying prepared and making the most of limited minutes.
“Let me give a shoutout to Burk today,” Hinson said. “Marcus Burk hasn’t been getting any minutes as of recently, comes out and I don’t think he missed. So I think he deserves a shoutout today.”
With five regular-season games remaining, Hinson continues to push forward — focused on refining his game, embracing his role, and positioning himself for what’s next.
Grant Afseth is a Dallas-based basketball writer with over eight years of experience covering the NBA. He’s spent time on the Mavericks beat for Sports Illustrated and now writes for Sportskeeda.com and DallasHoopsJournal.com. Known for his analysis, engaging interviews, and breaking news coverage, Grant provides a fresh angle to the game.
