Warriors Gaming Squad Drafts Austin “KayAus” Caterino, Returns 2021 Starting Lineup

Warriors Gaming Squad drafted an extremely familiar face in the 2022 NBA 2K League Draft, selecting Austin “KayAus” Caterino with the No. 20 overall pick. 

It's like @KayAus_ knew @WarriorsGaming were going to select him🤔

Twitch 💻: https://t.co/IWibnYP9k4
YouTube 📺: https://t.co/qlvtz3YWP9 pic.twitter.com/FqFwWC1As7

— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) February 27, 2022

KayAus, a Pennsylvania native, returns to the Bay after starting all of the team’s 44 games in 2021. The 22nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA 2K League Draft, KayAus shot 69.3% from three in his rookie season, which ranked second among all NBA 2K League players. This season will mark a first in continuity: no NBA 2K League team has started a season with the same starting lineup as the previous season (Jazz Gaming, the only other team to carry over a lineup across multiple years, brought back its Finals-appearing 2021 lineup after a mid-season trade).

Returned all five starters ✅ pic.twitter.com/7456ULXUug

— Warriors Gaming (@WarriorsGaming) March 11, 2022

Warriors Gaming Squad protected Charlie “CB13” Bostwick, Sam “Gradient” Salyers, and Veron “Hezi” Coates after the 2021 season, wherein the team advanced to the Western Conference Finals after upsetting No. 1 seed T-Wolves Gaming in the conference semifinals. Allowed to retain an additional player after the expansion draft—where the league welcomed DUX Infinitos—Warriors Gaming Squad retained Antoine “ANTOINE” Featherstone. Due to league protocols, KayAus thus went unretained and was placed in the 2022 Draft pool.

KayAus returns to WGS as part of a strong 2021 rookie class. Hezi, drafted 3rd overall, was named to the 2021 All-Rookie Team after finishing fourth among all centers with 17.4 points per game across all competitions. ANTOINE played a key role in WGS’s upset of T-Wolves Gaming, defending MVP runner-up Dhwan “ShiftyKaii” White, and hitting numerous clutch shots throughout the season. Besides for his three-point prowess, KayAus was a force defensively, finishing second among qualified power forwards in blocks per game.

Big thank you to @uncool_matty for everything he did for our organization the past few seasons, best of luck in Orlando! pic.twitter.com/OtuhC0pexg

— Warriors Gaming (@WarriorsGaming) February 27, 2022

The entire 2021 Warriors Gaming Squad roster is back in the NBA 2K League this season, even with the new league format making the move to five-player rosters as opposed to the previous six-player squads. Matthew “Matty” Grant, a two-year WGS veteran, impressed during the offseason at point guard, and was selected by Magic Gaming 19th overall, one pick before KayAus. WGS initially drafted Matty, who played for Pacers Gaming in 2019, 65th overall in 2020.The former Division I point guard helped WGS to a seven-game win streak in the 2020 regular season, securing the No. 3 seed in that year’s playoffs. He was redrafted by the team in 2021.

The No. 20 overall pick has historically been good for Warriors Gaming Squad. In 2020, the team drafted Malik “Slaughter” Leisinger, who helped the team advance to the 2020 NBA 2K League Finals. Slaughter was subsequently traded to T-Wolves Gaming for two first-round picks; one pick became ANTOINE in 2021, while the second, a 2022 first-rounder, was used to select KayAus.