Golden State Warriors: Ky Bowman has a great underdog story

Ky Bowman’s rise to success with the Golden State Warriors has been one of the NBA’s best underdog stories in recent years.

We all love a good underdog story. One player who isn’t receiving the credit he deserves is Ky Bowman, who has fought his way into a consistent role with the Golden State Warriors.

The road to basketball wasn’t smooth for Bowman. He originally committed to play college football as a three-star recruit before changing his mind to chase his hoop dreams. After three under the radar seasons for Boston College, Bowman entered the 2019 NBA Draft.

However, all 60 picks went by and Ky’s name was not called. He went undrafted, eventually signing a two-way contract with the Warriors. It was unlikely Bowman would ever play a big role on the team, playing behind two star-guards in Stephen Curry and D’Angelo Russell. But, things quickly changed.

Curry fell with an injury early in the season and Russell needed a backup. This gave Bowman an opportunity to play consistent minutes with the second unit. His gritty defense and constant motor helped him earn a multi-year contract with the team.

By the time Russell was traded, Bowman had proven himself enough to be a fringe starter. Towards the end of the season, he really began to hit his stride, averaging 11.8 points, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals on 54.1 percent shooting.

There are still some concerns in his game. He is undersized and will likely get abused by bigger opponents. Furthermore, he is shakey shooter from deep and has yet to make the leap as a playmaker.

Nonetheless, Bowman will be the first man off the bench for the Warriors when Curry needs a break next season. This puts a ton of pressure on Bowman to live up to expectations as the franchise is looking for a serious playoff run this time around. If he secures a spot in the rotation, this will be a great underdog story.