Rookie Ky Bowman has impressed in every opportunity the Warriors have given him, but his two-way contract is expiring and Golden State sent him down to Santa Cruz, where he didn’t disappoint.
Almost out of nowhere, an undrafted rookie free agent, Ky Bowman, burst onto the scene for the 2019-20 Golden State Warriors. Injuries in the Warriors backcourt opened the door for an opportunity for Bowman, and he ran with it.
Bowman averaged 8.6 points, 2.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game. While his averages may come across as low, his numbers don’t do his game justice. Bowman made a significant impact in Steve Kerr’s rotation when Stephen Curry, D’Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans and Damion Lee were all injured.
Bowman had a four-game stretch in November, where he averaged 15.8 points in 32 minutes per game. Bowman also played gritty defense when on the floor, locking up the opposing team’s best wing in each game.
Despite his stellar play, the Warriors decided to reassign him to their G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. With Russell, Lee and Evans all returning to the lineup, the Warriors finally had some flexibility with how they used Bowman’s two-way contract.
Bowman can only spend 45 days with the Warriors, and 45 days in Santa Cruz on a two-way deal, but through 26-games, the Boston College product only registered time with the NBA club. To preserve his contract, the Warriors needed to send Bowman to spend time in the G League.
Bowman made his G League debut against the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario and didn’t disappoint. Bowman took over the game, scoring 27 points efficiently, shooting 62.5 percent from the field. Bowman almost registered a triple-double adding 10 assists and eight rebounds to his scoring total.
Bowman’s exceptional G League performance is further proof he belongs in an NBA rotation, but the Warriors will have a tough decision to make if they want it to be their rotation.
The Warriors can’t turn Bowman’s two-way contract into a guaranteed NBA contract with their current cap situation. The Warriors would have to cut or trade someone off their roster to make room for Bowman full time.
Warriors guard Jacob Evans will be available Monday night for the team’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
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With injuries hampering their season, the Golden State Warriors have had a carousel of guards available each game this season.
On Monday, the Warriors will have one of their young guards back. Per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, second-year player Jacob Evans is available for the Warriors’ game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Evans has missed the past 21 games with an adductor strain.
According to Slater, Warriors guard Damion Lee will be out with a broken hand injury. Lee has missed the past 13 games.
Evans has played three games this season, averaging a career-high 6.0 points and shooting a career-high 41.7% from the field. Before his injury, Evans was earning the most minutes of his career to date (14.3), and he had showed potential as a serviceable backup point guard.
Jacob Evans will be available for the Warriors tonight after a 21-game absence for an adductor strain. Damion Lee, previously listed as probable, will be out. In total: 12 available players, their most since the opening week.
In the season opener, Evans scored a career-high 14 points off the bench during the Warriors’ loss against the Los Angeles Clippers. He also made a career-high four 3-pointers.
Since Evans went out of the lineup, though, the Warriors’ guard rotation has been in flux. Steph Curry is out with a broken left hand injury. D’Angelo Russell has had an ankle sprain and thumb sprain; he’s played in 12 games.
With injuries being a major factor this season, rookie guards Ky Bowman and Jordan Poole have both started at least six games, and each of them have played 24.
This season, Evans is shooting 50% from the 3-point line on 2.7 attempts. Going forward, Evans, 22, has the potential to be a key player for Golden State because of his shooting touch.
Rookie Wire took a look at the top rookies through the fifth week of the 2019-20 NBA season.
The 2019 NBA Draft class has continued to impress this season.
The group has produced some fascinating storylines thus far with the emergence of several under-the-radar players while the top players selected are playing as expected.
Rookie Wire will compile the rankings of the five best players each week based on how they performed on the court. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the top-performing players week to week.
Here are the Rookie Wire Power Rankings for Week 5:
Herro returns to the rankings for the first time since Week 1 after showing out recently for the Heat. The 13th overall pick is back up to fifth in scoring among all rookies after recording 18 points in three of his last four games. Herro has proven to be able to get hot this season and is seemingly always a candidate to go off, thus making him one of the top rookies to watch on any given night. His swag, as Jimmy Butler said, is one reason to tune in.
While Ja Morant has captured the bulk of the headlines in Memphis, and rightfully so, Brandon Clarke has also emerged onto the scene. While he is seventh in scoring, Clarke gets it done all over the court and his shot selection has truly been a revelation. He is one of the most efficient players in the league after shooting 63.6% from the field and has developed one of the nicest floaters in the NBA today. An expanded role in the Grizzlies’ system could increase his numbers but he has flourished to this point of the season.
The second-round pick has certainly not played like one this season. Paschall is third in scoring average among rookies but is second in total points scored, trailing Ja Morant by just five. Given the number of injuries to the Warriors, Paschall has emerged as one of the top options on offense and has been a bright spot for the team thus far. He is coming off of his second double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Nunn is fresh off of one of his most efficient outings of the season on Monday night. The undrafted guard recorded 19 points against the Charlotte Hornets on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range. Nunn recently told Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype that he believes he can be a future All-Star and his first season with the Heat certainly has the makings of a successful career.
Morant turned in one of his most impressive games of the season on Saturday in a shootout with the Los Angeles Lakers. He recorded 26 points, six assists, five steals and three rebounds in the one-point loss. Morant became the first rookie since John Wall in 2010 to reach those numbers in a game. He followed that performance up with 19 points for his second career double-double on Monday in a game in which he left briefly after taking a scary fall into a courtside camera operator. He would return to the game and appeared to be fine but the Grizzlies certainly caught a break after he wasn’t seriously hurt.
👀 Ja Morant steals the ball, fakes out Kuzma & scores!
Barrett averaged 10.5 points over his last two games after sitting out Sunday due to an illness. He is still fourth in scoring among rookies and will look to get back on track Wednesday on the road against his hometown Toronto Raptors.
Coby White, Bulls: 13.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists
The boom-or-bust potential with White has been fascinating this season. He recorded a career-high 28 points on Saturday but followed that up with eight points on Monday. If he can gain some consistency this season, White would certainly have a place among the best in the rookie class. He is shooting 43.5% from 3-point range over his last four games.
Hachimura has struggled some over his last four games after shooting 43.6% from the field for the Wizards. Like White, he has also had issues with consistency at times as his playing time has been sporadic. Hachimura has shown flashes this season but, like most rookies, is still learning the ins and outs of the NBA.
On the Rise:
De’Andre Hunter, Hawks:
Suddenly, after a slow start to the season, Hunter has been on a tear recently. He scored the most points among rookies over the past week and is averaging 19.5 points over his last four games. He is shooting 50% from the field and 50% (11-of-22) from beyond the arc in that span.
Ky Bowman, Warriors:
The Warriors’ two-way rookie is averaging 19 points over his last three games, including a career-high 24 points against the Thunder on Monday. He has been on fire from all over the floor and is producing in a pinch for the injury-rattled Warriors.
Shout Out:
Tremont Waters, Celtics
With Kemba Walker out on Monday, the Celtics called up Waters from the G League. The two-way guard may have only scored seven points in his NBA debut but he made quite an impression on the team and it likely won’t be the last time we see Waters with the Celtics.
The Warriors couldn’t close out Chris Paul, as they drop another close game to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
A common theme throughout the young Golden State Warriors season has been grit. The “baby Dubs” have hung around and battled teams with superior talent, but have wilted while the opposing team made a run.
On Monday night in the Chase Center, the Warriors answered every run the Oklahoma City Thunder had until the fourth and final quarter.
The Warriors had a 15-point lead in the 3rd quarter, but it wasn’t good enough. Golden State got sloppy with the basketball at the same time they hit a wall with scoring. In the meantime, the Thunder sneaked back with a 22-5 fourth-quarter run to complete the comeback, 100-97.
Warriors offense in the final six minutes: Three points, 1-of-12 shooting, two turnovers, blew a 10-point lead. Just don't have a healthy closer right now. Only 14 fourth quarter points. They lose again. Record now 3-15.
The Warriors didn’t have anyone to close out the final portion of the game and protect the lead. When veterans, Chris Paul and Danilo Gallinari, started to make their run, and the Warriors needed to call on someone to step up, no one answered. Ky Bowman and Eric Paschall looked like rookies during crunch time. The Warriors were only able to only score 14-points in the game’s final frame on 5-of-22 shooting from the floor. Losses like this show just how much Golden State misses Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell.
Although Bowman struggled down the stretch, he scored 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting with five assists and three steals. The two-way undrafted rookie was again efficient as the team’s primary ball-handler, playing 39 minutes with only one turnover.
Glenn Robinson III turned in another solid performance for the Warriors, going for a career-high 25-points in the tight loss. Robinson, only 25-years-old, is making a case to be apart of Golden State’s plans for the future.
The Warriors will get another opportunity at home against the Chicago Bulls, before heading out on a five-game road trip after the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Warriors only had eight healthy players for a majority of their four-game road trip and were still able to show some fight.
The Warriors lost three-of-four games on their recent road trip; however, not all hope is lost after the team turned in a handful of valiant efforts with an understaffed and inexperienced rotation.
The team played inspired basketball with only eight-healthy players after Draymond Green missed the final two games of the trip with a sore heel, pushing Golden State to have to reach deep into their already thin bench.
Injuries to Green, D’Angelo Russell and Kevon Looney has given more minutes for some of the Warriors young pieces. The youth-powered Dubs were able to battle the playoff-contending Utah Jazz, and the New Orleans Pelicans down to the wire. It was an up and down trip, with a historic loss to Dallas mixed in, but there were still some positives that stuck out.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors four-game roadie:
Ky Bowman belongs in the NBA.
Nov 22, 2019; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr speaks with Golden State Warriors guard Ky Bowman (12) during the second quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Green was initially slated to handle point guard duties with Russell out, but once the former Michigan State Spartan went down, undrafted rookie free agent, Ky Bowman had to step up— and he delivered.
Bowman played 30 minutes per game across the road trip averaging, 13.8 points, four assists and 1.8 steals per game. The Boston College product most impressively only had one turnover in that time while being the Warriors’ primary ball-handler.
Bowman is quickly burning through his 45-day two-way contract with Golden State, forcing them to make a tough decision about keeping him. The Warriors don’t have much flexibility when it comes to cap-space, but Steve Kerr has made it clear he wants to keep the undrafted rookie. Warriors general manager Bob Myers will have to get creative to give his team a chance at keeping Bowman.
Omari Spellman can shoot.
NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 17: Omari Spellman #4 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans on November 17, 2019 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
Another pleasant surprise for Golden State has been the arrival of big man, Omari Spellman’s shooting. Spellman stand’s at 6-foot-8, weighing but has looked like a smooth shooting guard over the Warriors road trip. Spellman shot 56.3 percent from beyond the arc in the last four games, including 4-for-4 on the final leg of the trip against Utah.
If Spellman can continually shoot the three at his current clip, he’ll bring a role to Golden State they haven’t had since the departure of fan-favorite, Marresse Speights. Spellman’s minutes might take a hit when Looney and Green return, but he could be Kerr’s best option to stretch the floor when needed.
Jordan Poole shooting is still a problem.
Nov 20, 2019; Dallas, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) sits by himself on the Golden State Warriors bench during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Rookie first-round pick, Jordan Poole has already had a rough start to his career, and his woeful shooting bled into the road trip. Poole shot a miserable 2-of-17 from three-point range on the trip, bringing his three-point percentage to 23.7.
On the back end of the road trip, Poole was able to knock down a flurry of field goals and even looked in rhythm at times, but overall his ghastly shooting has been a consistent problem.
Luckily for the Poole, the Dubs don’t have many options outside of the former Michigan Wolverine. The only solution the Warriors have when it comes to solving Poole’s shot is for him to continue to let it fly.
After a much needed weekend off, the Warriors will get two home games before heading out on the road again for another four. This time around, the Warriors should have some reinforcements to bolster their injury-riddled roster with Looney and Green returning.
Steve Kerr is impressed with what two-way guard Ky Bowman has done with his opportunity in the NBA. The coach wants to keep him around for the future.
The one positive to come out of injuries to Stephen Curry and D’Angelo Russell has been more opportunities for Golden State Warriors two-way guard, Ky Bowman.
Bowman signed a two-way contract to split time with Golden State and their G League affiliate the Santa Cruz Warriors after going undrafted out of Boston College. However, the rookie is quickly moving towards a guaranteed contract inside the association.
Bowman’s played in all 16 of the Warriors games so far this season and is averaging 7.6 points and 2.3 assists. Bowman’s seen the lion’s share of minutes at point guard during Golden State’s recent road swing while Russell deals with a sprained thumb, and Draymond Green nurses a sore heel.
In that time, Bowman has stepped up for the injury-ravaged Warriors, averaging 13.8 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals in four games.
What’s been most impressive about Bowman’s game in that time is his ability to take the care of the basketball. He’s only turned the ball over once over during Golden State’s recent four-game stretch.
Bowman’s shown complete control of Steve Kerr’s offense while having to guard players like Mike Conley, Luka Doncic and Ja Morant on the defensive end.
“All we can do is keep giving him the opportunity, and he’s seizing it,” said the coach of Golden State. “It’s a great opportunity for him as well as our other young players— In a season that’s obviously disappointing in terms of the wins and losses, there’s a lot of individual battles to be won and a guy like Ky Bowman is playing for his career and so for him to get this opportunity and seize it and play well and show the league what he’s about it’s fantastic.”
Players signed to two-way contracts can spend a maximum of 45-days on an NBA roster meaning Bowman’s days are currently numbered with Golden State, unless they can find a way to add him to their roster for the remainder of the season.
The Dubs will have to get creative if they plan on keeping Bowman around, as they are currently hard-capped with their salary. Regardless of the cap situation, Kerr is making it clear he wants Bowman to stay with the Warriors.
“Obviously, I want to keep him. I think we feel really strongly about that,” said Kerr. “But if we can’t, I’m really happy he’s shown what he can do and shown he belongs in the NBA.”
Russell is slated to miss a couple more games with his sprained thumb, giving Bowman more time to capitalize on the opportunity he’s getting with Golden State.
The Warriors have been successful developing guards off the bench in the past. Ian Clark, Kent Bazemore and Quinn Cook all went on to sign lucrative NBA contracts after time in Golden State, and Bowman could be the next.
The Warriors clawed back into a hard-fought battle with the Utah Jazz, but in the end, Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell were too much for the injury strapped dubs.
For a team that’s coming off a 48-point loss at the end of a week-long road trip, the Golden State Warriors gave as much effort as you could possibly ask for against the Utah Jazz.
The 15.5-point underdogs battled Utah for 48-minutes of the game. However, in the end, the talent of Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley overpowered the grit of the understaffed Warriors.
The scrappy Dubs were able to cut down The Jazz’s 21-point lead to single digits in the final minutes, but the team couldn’t manufacture a bucket when it mattered, falling 113-109 in Utah.
When the game got close, the backcourt duo of Mitchell and Conley took over, combining for 57 of their team’s 113 points. Conley’s handling of the pick and roll with Rudy Gobert was a problem all night for Golden State’s lowly defense.
Utah shot 61-percent from the field in the first half and was able to stretch a two-point first-quarter lead into a 14-point lead heading into the locker room at halftime. The Warriors slowly scratched their way back into the game behind a flurry of 3-pointers from an unlikely hero.
Big man Omari Spellman dropped four-threes on four shots behind the arc, with all four coming in the fourth quarter. Spellman had one of his best nights in a Golden State uniform, totaling 18 points with five boards.
Seven players scored in double figures for the Warriors on a night where they only had eight healthy players, and none of them included Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, D’Angelo Russell, or Klay Thompson.
Undrafted rookie, Ky Bowman turned in another impressive performance as the Dubs primary ball-handler, scoring 17 points, with five assists and four steals. Bowman had a crafty steal that led to a powerful dunk to cut the Jazz lead to six with less than two minutes to play. Bowman is currently on a two-way contract, but has easily played his way onto the Warriors full-time roster for the 2019-20 season.
After a four-game road swing, the Warriors will now get a rare weekend off and hope for good news on the returns of Kevon Looney and Draymond Green. Both bigs could return as soon as Monday against Oklahoma City, providing a much-needed boost to the Warriors injury-riddled roster.
Luka Doncic handed the Warriors their worst loss in the Steve Kerr era.
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Before referee, Ed Malloy tossed the ball into the air at American Airlines Arena for the opening tip, the Golden State Warriors were behind against the Dallas Mavericks.
Former Defensive Player of the Year, Draymond Green was ruled out before the start of the Warriors second stop in a road back-to-back bringing Golden State’s healthy player count down to eight against the Mavericks— a season-low for the injury-laden Dubs.
The Warriors-Mavericks game started with Green’s injury announcement and ended with a 142-94 win in favor of the home team.
The thin Warriors rotation didn’t hold back the Mavericks from stepping on the peddle, behind their Slovenian star showing why he’s the talk of the town.
Luka Doncic blitzed the Warriors from the first quarter on, recording a triple-double without even playing in the fourth quarter. The reigning Rookie of the Year tallied 35 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in only 25-minutes— the shortest 35-point triple-double in NBA history.
The second-year phenom, outscored Golden State alone in the first quarter, 22-16. For the first half, he dropped 33 points while the entire Warriors team only scored 38 going into the locker room.
Luckily for Golden State, as bad as it was, this wasn’t there worst all-time loss. Back in 1972, the Warriors lost by a whopping 63-points to the Lakers, It’s tough to find positives in a 48-loss, but here we are.
Similar to the rest of the season, Golden State was led by a pair of rookies who are making a case to be a part of the team’s future plans.
Undrafted Boston College product, Ky Bowman, started at point-guard and continued to prove he belongs in the NBA. Bowman controlled the game on the offensive side for Golden State, scoring 16-points, dishes out a pair of dimes, with no turnovers.
Eric Paschall added another solid game to his rookie campaign leading Golden State with 22 points and seven rebounds.
The Warriors now head to Utah to cap off their four-game road swing against the 8-5 Jazz. Getting his young roster to respond to the worst loss of his coaching tenure with a step in the right direction will be Coach Steve Kerr’s next big challenge.
With most teams having played about a dozen games so far, Rookie Wire took a look at those undrafted players making an early splash.
While the 2019 NBA Draft class boasts plenty of star power, several undrafted players have emerged in the early going this season that have made huge impacts with their respective teams.
With most teams having played about a dozen games so far, Rookie Wire took a look at those undrafted players making an early splash to kick off the 2019-20 season.
Terence Davis, Toronto Raptors
Season Stats: 5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists
The former Ole Miss forward recorded a career-high 16 points Monday night in a 132-96 blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets. Davis scored all 16 of his points in the fourth quarter to finish 5-of-7 from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range.
In 13 games this season, Davis is averaging five points and 2.4 rebounds per game. While his overall numbers don’t jump off of the page, he is averaging 8.5 points per game and shooting 50% from 3-point range over his last six games as he sees more time on the court.
The Warriors are already thin due to injuries, but now with D’Angelo Russell out, they’ll have to dig deep to replace his production.
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Add D’Angelo Russell to the latest injury report that’s already full of All-Star talent.
Russell left Friday night’s game versus the Boston Celtics with a hand injury, and the next day, the Warriors announced the Kentucky native will miss at least the next two weeks with a sprained right thumb.
The injury couldn’t come at a worse time, as Russell was on a scoring heater the team needed. Before the Warriors squared off against the league-best Boston Celtics, Russell scored 20 or more points in five-straight games. In that span, he averaged 33.2 points per game with three 30-plus point games, including his first-ever 50-point effort.
Not only was Russell the Dub’s offensive initiator, but the primary ball handler with Stephen Curry out. How the Warriors replace Russell’s production over the next two weeks will be Steve Kerr’s latest challenge.
On Saturday night in New Orleans, Kerr told reporters he’d turn to Draymond Green for help with ball-handling responsibilities.
“Draymond is really good in a facilitating role, so Draymond will handle the ball quite a bit,” said the coach of the Warriors.
Over the former Defensive Player of the Year’s career, he’s been able to bring the ball up the court with success, but this time he won’t have a bevy of All-Star’s surrounding him. It’s safe to believe opponents will try to test Green when he’s tasked with being the primary ball-handler.
Green’s skillset is built for the defensive end of the floor, but an injury-riddled season is putting pressure on Green to pick it up on offense.
Kerr said the Saginaw, Michigan product won’t be the only player listed as a ball-handler.
“Draymond will play a lot of point and Ky will have the ball in his hands quite a bit,” said Kerr.
If Warriors fans are looking to take away a positive from early in the season, it’s the Boston College product, Ky Bowman. The two-way guard will now be entrusted to take over point guard responsibilities with Russell out.
The undrafted rookie has been a pleasant surprise since training camp and he will now get the opportunity to play big minutes due to the Warriors’ lack of guards.
Bowman isn’t letting the probable increase in playing time phase him, though.
“I just go out there and play my role,” Bowman said to reporters Saturday. “If that’s scoring, if that’s defense, just play my role. At the end of the day, it’s whatever they need.”
The Warriors can try to band-aid their need for a ball-handler, but there’s still the massive hole in scoring production with Russell out.
Alec Burks is a player highlighted to step up in Russell’s absence. He led the Warriors in points versus Boston, before that he’s posted scoring clips of 28, 23 and 18 on the season. Burks has been a steady slashing forward over his career, but the Warriors now need to depend on Burks to fill the stat sheet up.
The wildcard scoring option is struggling rookie Jordan Poole, who has a pretty shot but hasn’t seen it go in much this season. If the rookie is going to figure out the pro game, now would be a good time to start. Poole will need to mimic his college form where he recorded several 20-plus point performances as a Michigan Wolverine. Through the first 13 games of his NBA career, the struggling rookie is connecting on just 27.3 percent of his shots.
No matter what lineup Kerr and company can craft, it’ll be hard to replace the production of a former All-Star like Russell.
While they try, it’ll be a good opportunity to see what the Warriors have in players like Burks, Bowman, and Poole.
