Daekwon Plowden understood my question relatively quickly, and his response suggested he had done extensive research on the Warriors.
“This is a franchise where I fit in as a 3-point and defensive player,” Plowden said 10 days ago. “My defense is my primary strength, and when the shot comes to me, it’s an opportunity to show I can space the floor a little bit.”
“I feel like I fit right in with that type of playstyle because I get to show them that I can shoot the basketball too.”
this is Plowden scored 26 points in 24 minutes. On July 6, Golden State defeated the Miami Heat, 105-66, in an NBA Summer League game at Chase Center. His team-best plus-41 rating is not a typo.
It was Pravden’s first game with the Warriors, but the promise he saw that night was sustained over the next four games. No player on the summer league roster contributed more to Golden State’s 5-0 record than Pravden.
The Warriors have had enough. They rewarded Plauden on Tuesday. It’s a two-way contract, and he seems capable of fulfilling it, if not exceeding it.
The 6-foot-6, 215-pound wing Following in the Golden State’s footsteps Alfonzo McKinnie (2018), Juan Toscano-Anderson (2021) and Lester Quinones (2023) among others joined the franchise on two-way contracts before signing their respective standard contracts.
Plowden’s relentless energy is reminiscent of Toscano-Anderson, but he’s more resilient and has shown the ability to score in big numbers. He displays the basketball intelligence the Warriors value. In a league filled with athletic wings, Plowden seems like a perfect fit.
Additionally, the Philadelphia native could expect to get playing time with the Golden State Warriors, who are in need of athletic, tenacious wings.
In five summer league gamesPlowden is averaging 16.7 points on 53.7 percent shooting from the field and 48.1 percent from 3-point range.
But it’s his defense that gets him on the court with the Warriors. He can guard multiple positions, which is necessary to run a switchable defense. His drive is clear, and so is his pride. He sees his offensive prowess as a bonus.
“That’s a plus,” he said. “It’s something I’ve built into my game, playing in different systems and what teams want from me. That’s a plus.”
“But I think what I can really contribute is the intangibles, the things that don’t show up in the stats defensively.”
It’s tenacity that has got the 25-year-old Plowden to where he is today, as he played in a school-record 154 games during his five-year tenure at Bowling Green University and became the first player to record at least 1,200 points, 800 rebounds and 100 blocks.
Despite his impressive performance, Plowden went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft and signed an Exhibition 10 contract with the New Orleans Pelicans over the summer. He spent the past two years with the Pelicans’ G League affiliate and the Orlando Magic.
Summer league success isn’t the real deal, but it does provide a glimpse into how a player can contribute, and Plauden is an outstanding player who is worth the small risk that comes with a two-way contract.
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