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What we learned when Plowden led the Warriors to a win over the Suns in the Summer League Originally appeared in NBC Bay Area Sports
The Warriors opened their NBA Summer League 2024 with a brilliant performance in their 90-73 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Golden State took control from the start, building a commanding lead in the first half that set the tone for the Warriors’ resounding victory in Las Vegas.
Daeqwon Plowden, Brandin Podziemski and Jackson Rowe all finished in double figures, and the trio went on an impressive 21-4 run in the first quarter that gave Golden State a comfortable lead it could carry all the way to victory.
Plowden led all Warriors players with 19 points, displaying remarkable efficiency with an 8-of-12 shooting performance, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Below are three takeaways from a Summer League opener that Golden State handled from start to finish.
Plow Lead the way
California Classic star Plowden picked up right where he left off in his Warriors debut in Las Vegas, tying a game-high 19 points and looking like the best player on the court against the Suns.
The 25-year-old forward put on a show in front of general manager Mike Dunleavy, further strengthening his case to be included in the team’s plans beyond its summer schedule.
Dunleavy has a big decision to make regarding Golden State’s only remaining two-way contract, and Plowden could force him to act if he continues to dominate like he did Saturday night against Phoenix.
After averaging 17 points per game in three California Classic games, Plowden showed no signs of slowing down in Saturday’s win, getting to the rim at will with a remarkably efficient display from the floor.
With the number of aging veterans on the Warriors’ roster, Plowden’s plus athleticism would be a welcome addition to round out the backcourt of the team Dunleavy and Golden State plan to develop for the 2024-25 NBA season.
Podziemski finds his rhythm
After a string of rough games during the California Classic, Podziemski looked much more like the player who earned 2023-24 NBA All-Rookie First Team honors last season.
Podziemski did a little bit of everything as a scorer, driving to the basket to finish a tough and-1 before hitting a pair of baskets from beyond the arc to extend the Warriors’ lead.
Podziemski finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists, displaying the all-around game that earned him recognition as one of the NBA’s top rookies last season.
Given how reliant Golden State will be on Podziemski following the departure of Klay Thompson, Saturday’s performance offered an encouraging reminder that the young combo guard is still capable of being the impactful rotation player he was during his rookie campaign.
TJD dominates painting
One of the most exciting second-round NBA draft picks in franchise history, Trayce Jackson-Davis gave the Warriors an athletic, rim-running threat that Golden State had lacked in recent seasons at the center position.
The 24-year-old appears to have not missed a beat since his solid rookie campaign, flying up and down the court at the Thomas & Mack Center while displaying the vertical spacing that made him a key contributor in his debut season.
Jackson-Davis finished with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting in Saturday’s win, grabbing seven rebounds and finishing with a plus-12 in 22 minutes.
Jackson-Davis came into the NBA as a high-IQ center who can impact games in a variety of ways, which is perfectly summed up by this first-quarter sequence in which he managed to grab an offensive rebound while sandwiched between two opponents before finding Rowe with a crafty pass that led to a wide-open dunk.
With the expected workload Jackson-Davis will have in his second year, his performance over the summer indicates the arrow continues to point in the right direction for the young big man.