Juan Toscano-Anderson remembers going to games at Oracle Arena near his house in deep East Oakland. He remembers being part of Dub Nation. So every time he rolls up to Chase Center, the Warriors forward has to pinch himself.
Toscano-Anderson may have lost his rotation spot with the ascension of rookie Jonathan Kuminga last week, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr simply can’t keep JTA out of the lineup. Much like the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers last week, Toscano-Anderson’s infectious energy in the second half sparked a 116-96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night.
“He has that dog in him that comes out,” Steph Curry said of JTA. “It’s contagious, for sure. I know we feed off that.”
The Warriors trailed by as many as 19 in the first half but turned it into a 20-point win. Juan T had a lot do with it.
Toscano-Anderson played 19 of his 25 minutes after halftime, finishing with 13 points, six assists and six rebounds. But it was his ability to ignite the entire arena which set Toscano-Anderson apart Wednesday night. In the fourth quarter alone, JTA made three high-energy buckets, including this menacing putback.
At one point he went to the bench after a high-voltage play and the arena started playing Vell’s song ‘Oakland’ with the lyrics, “‘Cause I’m really from Oakland, though.” The Bay’s favorite son had Chase Center giggin’.
“I’ve been on both sides,” Toscano-Anderson said. “I’ve been a fan out there screaming and cheering for the guys. … Just to be able to be a part of that and be part of the ambiance here at Chase, part of Dub Nation. To come back down 16 or 19 or whatever and win by 20, that’s exciting. What a time to be alive. I love playing for this team.”
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Not to mention defensive energy he brought while blocking two shots and recording a steal. Toscano-Anderson said the Warriors should always know what to expect when he enters the game.
“They’re going to get a junkyard dog,” Toscano-Anderson said. “I’m not afraid to do the dirty work, whatever it is. I’m just going to play hard all the time. I love this game and I’m appreciative of having the opportunity.”
Toscano-Anderson earned his opportunity Wednesday. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the role player deserves credit for keeping his head down as a hard worker despite losing minutes lately.
“Juan, a week ago was out of the rotation,” Kerr said. “It’s just so great to know as a coach you can always count on a player like Juan. You can start him, he can be your eighth man or he can be your 12th man, but you always know what you’re getting. Players love playing with him and coaches love to have him on the floor, because of his energy, because of his brain. Just got great feel, great competitive desire. I think last year I talked a lot about how he’s a lot like Draymond in that regard. He just stuck to it. I’m really proud of how he stuck to it.”
Listening to Toscano-Anderson, getting down about losing playing time was never an option.
“Just being professional,” Toscano-Anderson said. “Like I said before, I’m a grown-ass man and things aren’t always going to go my way or the way I want them to. Life is about how you respond to different situations, adversity, whatever you want to call it.”
