Golden State Warriors: Breaking down the signing of Ky Bowman

The Golden State Warriors have officially signed undrafted point guard Ky Bowman to a two-way contract. Here is a breakdown of the late-July signing.

The Golden State Warriors have officially come to terms on a deal for former Boston College standout Ky Bowman who will join the team on a two-way contract for the 2019-20 season.

The keyword there being “officially.”

This is a move that was widely expected for weeks now as it was originally reported back in early July that the Warriors have given Bowman one of their two two-way contracts. But on Tuesday night, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the deal was now official.

Bowman joined the Warriors in this year’s summer league and obviously impressed enough to earn a contract with the team. However, his numbers left a lot to be desired.

In four games in Las Vegas, Bowman shot just 22% from the field averaging 2.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 15.0 minutes per game. The numbers don’t jump out at first glance, but it’s clear that there’s more to Bowman’s game than the numbers indicate.

The 22-year-old is regarded as a scrappy defender and has drawn comparisons to Los Angeles Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley. Assistant general manager Larry Harris had some high praise for the Boston College product in an interview a few weeks ago with KNBR.

"“I don’t know if we just fought the Clippers [to sign him]. I think there were a couple other teams involved. He’s a ball of energy, and he’s different than anybody else that we have at that position. This guy is a tough, tenacious, ‘Patrick Beverley get-in-your-face-type guy.’ “"

That “ball of energy” trait is likely what made him so endearing to the Warriors. With the team looking to rebuild most of their bench depth, they could certainly use a guy like Bowman who could come off the bench and be an immediate spark plug.

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While Bowman’s offensive game didn’t impress in the summer league, he’s proven to be a capable shooter during his time at Boston College.

A three-year starter at point guard, Bowman averaged 19 points per game as a junior and shot an encouraging 37.4% from behind the arc. It’ll likely take some time for his offensive game to come along in the NBA, but the potential is certainly there.

But where Bowman truly stands out is with his defense.

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The North Carolina native uses his long 6-foot-7 wingspan to jump into passing lanes and that translates into some impressive steal numbers. Bowman averaged over 1.2 steals per game in each of his three collegiate seasons and was one of the very best in the ACC at creating turnovers.

His defense is what could lead him to some actual playing time with the Warriors this season as the team lacks reliable defensive depth coming off the bench — especially at guard.

Of course, Bowman will have to abide by the 45-day limit meaning that he should spend most of the season down in the G-League with Santa Cruz. But that might just be for the best as his game is clearly still raw and in need of development.

The best-case scenario would see Bowman earn his way on to the Warriors roster at some point, impress with his defensive prowess and improved offensive game, and solidify himself as the backup point guard of the future.

Anything close to that should be considered a huge success for the former Boston College standout.