Tag: Ky Bowman

Injury Report: Warriors will be without trio of players vs. Suns

Steve Kerr will be without three of his offensive ball-handling options against the Phoenix Suns.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson aren’t the only members of the Golden State Warriors dealing with injuries. The Warriors will be without three players against the Phoenix Suns, limiting their roster to only eight members.

Jordan Poole, Ky Bowman and Draymond Green will all be out against the Suns due to injury. Poole is dealing with a right ankle sprain that he suffered when rolling his ankle against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. The rookie has been flourishing as Golden State’s starting point guard over the past several games.

Another Warriors rookie sprained his right ankle when the Lakers were in San Francisco. Bowman went to the locker room with under two minutes remaining against the Lakers. An MRI revealed Bowman suffered a lateral ankle sprain that will be “monitored over the next few days,” according to the Warriors.

Outside of Golden State’s two backcourt rookies, the Warriors’ former Defensive Player of the Year will also be out against Devin Booker and the Suns. Green has only played 10 minutes in the Warriors’ last three contests. Green was ejected against the Lakers and missed the previous two games due to a pelvic contusion. Green will be out with left knee soreness against the Suns, his 15th game missed due to injury this season.

Without their trio of injured players, the Warriors will start Damion Lee, Andrew Wiggins, Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss against the Suns, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Report: Steph Curry won’t play Sunday, but March return still expected

Golden State Warriors fans will have to wait a bit longer for Steph Curry’s return.

The return of Steph Curry has been delayed, but the Golden State Warriors still expect to have their superstar guard return to the floor soon.

According to the Warriors’ public relations Twitter account, Curry will not play Sunday against the Washington Wizards as planned. Per the Warriors’ account, Curry is still expected to come back to the floor in March. He will practice Monday with the Santa Cruz Warriors, the Warriors’ G League affiliate.

Curry has been out the past 55 games because of a broken left hand injury he suffered in October against the Phoenix Suns. In four games, Curry has averaged 20.3 points per game and 6.5 assists.

With Curry being held out a bit longer, that shows how the Warriors are thinking long-term. The franchise is in a down year, with the Warriors being the worst team in the NBA. This season has been used to develop some of the team’s young talent such as Marquese Chriss, Andrew Wiggins, Damion Lee, Ky Bowman and Jordan Poole.

Those five players are part of the young core that could be a viable supporting cast next season for the Big 3 of Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

The Warriors will play the Suns in Phoenix on Saturday, with tip off set for 9 p.m. EST.

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Injury Report: Ky Bowman (ankle) will get MRI, won’t travel on trip to Phoenix

Warriors rookie Ky Bowman will get an MRI after injuring his ankle against the Los Angeles Lakers.

On the outside, it may look like the Golden State Warriors injury issues are coming to an end with the return of Stephen Curry nearing. However, a bevy of new injuries are piling up in Golden State.

Andrew Wiggins was a late scratch against the Los Angeles Lakers with upper back spasms, nixing one starter from Steve Kerr’s rotation before the game began.

Late into the Warriors 116-86 loss to the Lakers, Ky Bowman left the game with an apparent injury. Bowman’s Golden State teammates had to assist him off the court and into the locker room.

After the game, Kerr spoke to reporters about the severity of Bowman’s injury.

Via Warriors SoundCloud:

Ky rolled his ankle pretty well. It’s not going to be a day-to-day thing. He’s going to be out a little bit. He won’t go on the trip. I think he’ll get an MRI tomorrow.

Bowman has been a pleasant surprise for the Warriors, evolving from a two-way contract into a full-time player that has command of Kerr’s offense. In his rookie season, Bowman is averaging 7.3 points on 40.5 % shooting from the field while dishing 3.0 assists in 22.3 minutes per game.

Kerr confirmed the Boston College product would be out for at least Golden State’s road game against the Phoenix Suns. Without Bowman, the Warriors will feature a backcourt of Jordan Poole, Damion Lee and Mychal Mulder until Curry returns from his broken hand injury.

Jordan Poole to remain in starting lineup as ‘secondary’ playmaker

Guard Jordan Poole has secured his position as the team’s starting point guard until Stephen Curry’s return.

Per the Athletic’s Anthony Slater, guard Jordan Poole will remain in the starting lineup for the Golden State Warriors while serving as the official point guard. However, Poole will be in a “secondary playmaking” role next to veteran forward Draymond Green, likely until All-Star point guard Stephen Curry returns to the court.

Poole, a rookie who was selected by the Warriors with the 28th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, has averaged 7.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.6 steals per game this season while shooting 29.5 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from three-point range.

He’s averaged 10.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.8 steals per game through the first six games of February, which include one start out his career 10 starts. The Michigan product has shot 41.8 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from three-point range in this stretch.

While Poole’s numbers are underwhelming, his college numbers show that he has much more potential as a three-point threat than he’s shown at the professional level; in two seasons at Michigan, Poole shot 37.0 percent from deep for his career.

That likely has played a part in why Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has opted to leave Poole in the starting lineup of a depleted roster. However, point guard Ky Bowman — an undrafted rookie out of Boston College — is another option for Golden State should they sour on Poole.

Bowman, who has played in 40 games for the Warriors this season while starting in 12, has shot 40.0 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from three-point range. Like Poole, he was also a respectable outside shooter at the collegiate level, knocking down 38.8 percent of his three-point attempts in three seasons.

Nonetheless, with Curry’s highly-anticipated return appearing just two weeks away, neither point guard will remain in the starting lineup for long.

Lineup Update: Rookie Jordan Poole gets start at point guard vs. Suns

With D’Angelo Russell now on the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Golden State Warriors are in need of a new point guard, and against the Phoenix Suns, Rookie Jordan Poole got the start.

The impact of the NBA trade deadline is still making waves throughout the Golden State Warriors. The Dubs sent out six players via trade before the deadline passed, overhauling their roster for the second half of the season.

With several players moved, the Warriors have had to recreate their rotation with new players getting increased roles. One of those players is rookie Jordan Poole.

Trading D’Angelo Russell has left the Warriors without not only their starting point guard but their leading playmaker. Without Russell, Steve Kerr has leaned on rookie Ky Bowman, but against the Phoenix Suns, Poole got an opportunity to start at point guard.

Poole has had an up and down rookie season. However, in his last three games, Poole’s played 22 or more minutes and scored in double figures off the bench in each. Against the Miami Heat, Poole showed off his ability to get to the line, knocking down six free throws on six attempts. Poole added six boards and two assists against Miami.

With the Warriors record sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference, the rest of the season will be about development. Giving Poole a chance to take over ball-handling opportunities could give the 20-year-old a boost in confidence during his rookie year. Poole at the helm of the offense will also provide Golden State a better look at finding the right role for the former Michigan Wolverine in the future.

Marquese Chriss is a perfect fit for what new Warriors could be

Marquese Chriss is playing the best basketball of his career so far in the Bay Area.

As a budding rim runner, Marquese Chriss is carving a role for himself that could hold value as the Golden State Warriors embark on a new era.

This season Golden State has an opportunity to evaluate its young talent as the star backcourt of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson get back to health. Next season the Warriors could be right back in the playoff picture, assuming their core trio of Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green are healthy.

And Chriss, a bouncy 22-year-old forward, has the potential to fit seamlessly with what the new Warriors could be.

He showed as much in the Warriors’ 125-120 loss Saturday night to the Los Angeles Lakers. Chriss scored a season-high 26 points and was two points away from setting a new career-high. He used his athleticism in slipping behind the Lakers’ defense for dunks. He cut into open space for easy buckets.

As the Warriors’ lob player of the future, Chriss has showed this season how effective he could be when there’s space for him on the weak side or in pick-and-rolls.

Chriss has threw down 68 dunks this season, according to Basketball Reference. That’s the second-highest mark of his career, with the highest being in his rookie season.

In 48 games with the Warriors, Chriss has played some of the best basketball of his career. He’s scoring 8.3 points per game, the second-highest mark of his career. Chriss is grabbing 5.5 rebounds, matching the career-high he set during his sophomore season in 2017-18.

And to top it off, perhaps Golden State’s system of ball and player movement has upped Chriss’ assists numbers; he’s averaging a career-high 1.7 assists.

Next season, with Curry and Thompson drawing so much attention, Chriss has an opportunity to continue building his game. He has a bevy of playmakers surrounding him to help him score easy buckets.

Green, arguably the Warriors’ most intelligent passer, could run the pick-and-roll to perfection with Chriss next season. Green ranks fifth in assists this season among forwards, according to NBA.com.

According to NBA.com stats, Chriss is currently scoring 1.8 points as a roll man and is shooting 54.2% from the field on those possessions.

Despite Chriss finding some footing with the Warriors, his journey throughout the NBA has been filled with change. He’s played for four teams in his four-year career.

Playing his first two years with the Phoenix Suns, Chriss was traded to the Houston Rockets before the 2018-19 season. Chriss didn’t play too long in Houston, as he was then traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the middle of last season.

Even with the Warriors this season, Chriss has been through some transition. He started off on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal in September. Chriss was then waived in January, and in the same month, the Warriors brought him back on a two-way contract.

On Friday, Chriss’ two-way deal was converted to a standard NBA contract. The contract is a two-year deal, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

 

The Warriors’ offense next season is still going to be anchored by Curry’s and Thompson’s shooting prowess, and the team’s young players are going to benefit greatly from that.

Andrew Wiggins, who was acquired at the trade deadline, can simply be the pure slasher that he’s always had the potential to be. Damion Lee is another ball handler, and he’s a quality shooter. Rookie guard Ky Bowman, who was also recently signed to a standard NBA deal, is showing he can be a solid on-ball defender.

As a player who has seemed to finally find his niche, Chriss has displayed his own value: dive to the hoop and sky for jams.

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Forming a new Warriors depth chart following the NBA trade deadline

After moving six players at the NBA trade deadline, the Golden State Warriors will have to revamp their depth chart.

With losses stacking and a chance of making a run at the playoffs unobtainable, the NBA trade deadline provided the most chatter around the Golden State Warriors 2019-20 season.

The Warriors moved a total of six players out of their rotation leading up to the trade deadline. All six players were significant contributors in some form throughout Golden State’s season.

Two of the Warriors leading offensive players, D’Angelo Russell and Alec Burks are playing for new teams. Russell averaged 23.6 points per game, shooting 43.0 % from the field and 37.4 % from long distance. On top of scoring, Russell was Steve Kerr’s chief ball-handler.

Burks played a flexible, yet consistent offensive role off the bench for Kerr, scoring a career-high 16.1 points per game. Burks had two 30-point or more scoring nights in 48 games with the Warriors. Throughout the season, the veteran swingman handled the basketball for Kerr at times as well.

Without Russell and Burks, Draymond Green and Ky Bowman will slide into the primary ball-handling roles in Golden State’s rotation.

Another critical piece for the Warriors, Glenn Robinson III, is now playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. Robinson III started nearly every game for the Warriors, missing only six games in an overall injury-filled season for the rest of Golden State’s roster.

From the frontcourt, both Omari Spellman and Willie Cauley-Stein are in new cities. Cauley-Stein, a former starter, and Spellman, a key bench piece will push Golden State to hit the reset button on the entire rotation.

As busy as the trade deadline was, the Warriors will have to find a way to make up for six players whom all averaged 15 or more minutes per game. Russell, Burks and Robinson III each registered 29 or more minutes per game.

The newest Warrior, Andrew Wiggins, will take over a significant role in Kerr’s offense. After Wiggins, Golden State made a flurry of moves following the deadline to fill out the rest of the rotation.

In the Warriors’ first game after the trade deadline, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported Bowman, Damion Lee, Wiggins, Green and Marquese Chriss would start against the Los Angeles Lakers.

After the starting lineup, Kerr will have to test who can step up and fill out the bench unit. Rookies Jordan Poole and Eric Paschall could be in line for more minutes off the bench. Kevon Looney and Alen Smailagic could be tapped to bolster the bench frontcourt.

New members of Golden State Zach Norvell Jr, Jeremy Pargo and Juan Toscano-Anderson could add to the mix. However, all are unproven still at the NBA level.

Golden State’s new depth chart following the trade deadline could look something like this:

PG: Ky Bowman — Jeremey Pargo — Zach Norvell Jr. 

SG: Damion Lee — Jordan Poole — Zach Norvell Jr. 

SF: Andrew Wiggins — Eric Paschall — Juan Toscano-Anderson 

PF: Draymond Green — Alen Smailagic 

C: Marquese Chriss — Kevon Looney

Kerr will have the rest of February to figure out what combinations flow together until March when the Warriors’ two-time Most Valuable Player could return from injury.

Stephen Curry’s been progressing through his broken hand rehab with reports pointing towards a potential March return. A healthy version of Curry could solidify Golden State’s rotation for the remainder of the 2019-20 season.

Warriors to sign rookie Ky Bowman to a multi-year NBA contract

The Warriors agreed to sign Bowman after sending D’Angelo Russell to the Timberwolves prior to the trade deadline on Thursday.

The Golden State Warriors and two-way rookie Ky Bowman have reportedly agreed to a multi-year NBA contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Bowman had previously reached the end of his 45-day service clock on his two-way contract and had not appeared in an NBA game since Jan. 18 against the Orlando Magic. The Warriors used Bowman extensively this season after dealing with injuries to a number of key players.

The Warriors agreed to sign Bowman after they traded D’Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, a 2021 first-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick.

In 37 games played with the Warriors, Bowman is averaging 7.3 points, 2.8 assists, 2.5 rebounds and one steal in 22.4 minutes per game. Bowman is fifth among all rookies in assists.

After an active day on Thursday prior to the trade deadline, Bowman is projected to be the starting point guard on Saturday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Report: Warriors and Ky Bowman agree to a multi-year deal

Ky Bowman’s hard work has helped the rookie guard earn a multi-year deal with the Warriors.

The work Ky Bowman has put in during his rookie season hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Though he started off on a two-way contract, splitting his time between the G League and NBA, Bowman has been rewarded with an upgraded contract. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Bowman and the Warriors agreed to a multi-year deal on Thursday.

A guard out of Boston College, Bowman has showed he can make an impact on an NBA roster. Bowman played 37 games for the Warriors and started in 10, with his most recent game being Jan. 18 against the Orlando Magic.

This season Bowman has averaged 7.3 points per game and 2.8 assists in 22.4 minutes per game. An average 3-point shooter, Bowman has shot 34.4% from the 3-point line. His season-high for points is 24, which he scored in a November loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Bowman’s G League stats with the Santa Cruz Warriors are even more indicative of why Bowman is deserving of the full-fledged NBA deal. Bowman played 12 games with the Warriors’ G League affiliate and averaged 14.5 points per game and 5.4 assists.

The Warriors will play the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on Saturday.

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Warriors duo top two-way contract players in multiple stat categories

Ky Bowman is leading all two-way contract players in scoring through the 2019-20 NBA season.

The Golden State Warriors haven’t led many categories in the 2019-20 NBA season; in fact, it’s almost the opposite of the past. The Warriors are on a season-high nine-game losing streak with a record that sits at the bottom of the Western Conference.

The Warriors’ down season has primarily come due to injuries, but within the wreckage, the door has opened for a bevy of young members on the Golden State roster.

The Warriors have had to dip deep into their rotation, leaning heavily on two-way contract players. Ky Bowman, Damion Lee and now Marquese Chriss have all received significant playing time.

Lee has been impressive enough for Golden State to convert his two-way contract into a multi-year deal with the full-time squad. To open a spot for Lee, the Warriors waived Chriss but quickly brought him back on a two-way agreement once Lee’s contract was converted.

Before accepting his full-time NBA deal, Lee led all two-way contract players in scoring with another member of Golden State, Bowman, right behind him. Miami Heat two-way guard Chris Silva followed the Warriors duo in scoring before also being converted to a full-time deal in Miami.

Now, with Chriss on a two-way deal, his numbers from earlier in the NBA season sit on top of two-way contract leaders, beating out Bowman as the leading scorer.

Chriss’s 272 points lead Bowman by one point with 271 on the season. The Warriors pairing of Chriss and Bowman lead all two-way contract players in not only total points but rebounds, assists, steals and minutes.

Bowman is averaging 7.5 points per game, 2.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game in 36 games played. The Boston College product has limited service time remaining on his contract before his two-way deal expires. However, the Warriors do have the option of sending him to the G League until they can offer him a full-time deal.

Recently, Golden State sent Bowman to their G League affiliate in Santa Cruz for a short stint in the G League, where he threw down a windmill slam dunk.

With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney all dealing with injuries that have taken them out for a significant part of the 2019-20 season, the Warriors will need to continue to rely on the service of their two-way contracted players. Chriss and Bowman’s statistical hold on the rest of the two-way contract talent in the NBA should continue to grow.