What we discovered as Plowden leads Warriors’ Summer season League rout of Suns initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Bay Space
BOX SCORE
The Warriors opened their 2024 NBA Summer season League with a scintillating efficiency of their 90-73 win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at The Thomas & Mack Middle.
Golden State siezed management from the opening tip, leaping out to a commanding first-half lead that set the tone for the Warriors’ emphatic victory in Las Vegas.
Daeqwon Plowden, Brandin Podziemski and Jackson Rowe all completed in double figures, with the trio sparking a powerful 21-4 run within the first quarter that provided Golden State a snug cushion it may trip to victory.
Plowden led all Warriors gamers with 19 factors, posting outstanding effectivity with an 8-of-12 capturing efficiency, together with 3-for-4 from past the arc.
Listed below are three takeaways from a Summer season League opener that Golden State dealt with from begin to end.
Plowden Leads The Method
The star of the California Traditional, Plowden picked up proper the place he left off in his Warriors Vegas debut, tied for a game-high 19 factors whereas trying like the most effective participant on the courtroom towards the Suns.
The 25-year-old wing placed on a present with basic supervisor Mike Dunleavy in attendance, additional strengthening his case to be included within the group’s plans past their summer season slate of video games.
Dunleavy has a substantial resolution to make concerning Golden State’s lone remaining two-way contract slot, with Plowden probably forcing his hand if he continues to dominate like he did Saturday evening towards Phoenix.
After averaging 17 factors per sport in three California Traditional contests, Plowden confirmed no indicators of slowing down in Saturday’s win, attending to the basket at will with a remarkably environment friendly displaying from the ground.
With the quantity of ageing veterans on the Warriors’ roster, Plowden’s plus-athletcism can be a welcome addition to spherical out the again finish of the squad Dunleavy and Golden State plan on rolling out for the 2024-25 NBA season.
Podziemski Finds His Groove
After a tough stretch of video games in the course of the California Traditional, Podziemski regarded way more just like the participant that earned 2023-24 NBA All-Rookie First Staff honors final season.
Podziemski did just a little little bit of every thing as a scorer, attending to the bucket to complete a troublesome and-1 earlier than draining a few baskets past the arc to pad the Warriors’ lead.
Podziemski completed with 16 factors, seven rebounds and 6 assists, flashing the all-around sport that led to him being acknowledged as one of many NBA’s prime rookies final season.
Given the reliance Golden State can have on Podziemski following the departure of Klay Thompson, Saturday’s efficiency provided an encouraging reminder that the younger combo guard nonetheless stays able to being the influence rotation participant he was throughout his rookie marketing campaign.
TJD Dominates The Paint
One of the crucial thrilling second-round NBA draft picks in franchise historical past, Trayce Jackson-Davis gave the Warriors an athletic, rim-running menace that Golden State had lacked in latest seasons from its heart spot.
The 24-year-old seems to be like he hasn’t missed a beat since his sturdy rookie marketing campaign, flying up and down the courtroom on the Thomas & Mack Middle whereas displaying off the vertical spacing that made him a key contributor in his debut season.
Jackson-Davis completed with 10 factors on 4-of-5 capturing in Saturday’s win, knocking down seven rebounds and ending as a plus-12 in 22 minutes.
Jackson-Davis entered the NBA as a high-IQ massive who can influence video games in quite a few methods, completely summarized on this first-quarter sequence that noticed him pull down an offensive board whereas sandwiched between two opponents earlier than discovering Rowe with a artful cross that led to a wide-open dunk.
With the anticipated workload Jackson-Davis can have in Yr 2, his summertime displaying signifies the arrow continues to development in the precise path for the younger massive.
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