Getty Ky Bowman #12 congratulates Eric Paschall #7 of the Golden State Warriors after he made a basket against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Former Golden State Warriors starting guard Ky Bowman has agreed to sign a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers for the upcoming 2020 – 2021 season per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Former Warriors guard Ky Bowman has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Bowman will compete for a roster spot in training camp.
Bowman was waived by the Warriors last week to begin their 2020 free agency. Since then, the Warriors have drafted former Memphis Tigers center, James Wiseman #2 overall, drafted former Arizona Wildcat guard Nico Mannion #48 overall, traded for former Phoenix Suns forward Kelly Oubre Jr., signed former Boston Celtics guard Brad Wanamaker, and signed former Los Angeles Laker and Warriors Ken Bazemore.
The contract for Bowman is expected to be for training camp only and will give him the opportunity to make the Clippers roster as they are in sore need of another point guard. For the Warriors last season in his rookie year, Bowman averaged 7.4 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from behind the three-point line.
Warriors Replacement for Klay Thompson
Getty Kelly Oubre Jr. #3 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half of the NBA game against the Houston Rockets.
This NBA offseason has been a crazy one as trades have fallen apart, the Los Angeles Lakers have arguably gotten better, and stars have gotten hurt such as the Golden State Warriors star shooting guard Klay Thompson who tore his right Achilles last week.
After hearing of the injury and then, hours later, turning their attention toward the draft the Warriors officials made quick work to begin to supplant the production drop-off they’ll likely feel with Thompson being out for the entirety of the upcoming 2020 – 2021 NBA season.
That said, belief is growing that the newly acquired Oubre Jr. will be able to add a punch to the starting lineup to help the team stay competitive. Last season, Oubre Jr. averaged 18.7 points and 6.4 assists per game while shooting 35.2% from beyond the three-point line in what was his most productive year thus far as a professional. With the Warriors’ open and free-flowing offense and playing alongside a superstar and 2x MVP, Steph Curry, Oubre Jr. will have a chance to have some of the best open looks he has hand in his career.
Combining the production of Curry, Oubre Jr., former defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green, former #1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins, and Wiseman the Warriors may not be as bad as what some analysts believe.
Curry’s Emotional Response to Thompson’s Injury
GettyPatrick Beverley, Clippers and Stephen Curry, Warriors
This Warriors team may indeed be very good this upcoming NBA season but they will not be able to achieve the heights they initially believed before Thompson’s injury. Many had the Warriors, and rightfully so, as one of the top teams in the NBA’s western conference and the NBA overall as they had their core stars and have then added 2 top picks in Wiggins and Wiseman.
As some analysts believe the Warriors could finish anywhere between third to sixth in the west, Curry still holds the belief that they can compete with the best of the best and make a run for the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.
“We know we can compete with anyone in the league,” Curry said, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “It’s kind of crazy. We know how great Klay [Thompson] is. Don’t get me wrong. But we hear the chatter. ‘It’s the end of for us. This year is a wash. What are we going to do in the future?’ But we are in the moment right now. It’s kind of refreshing being in that category as guys that are chasing. We know [the Lakers] are the defending champs. We got to beat them. We’re ready for it.”
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Former Warriors Starter Joins Los Angeles Clippers