Ky Bowman returned to Boston College for his junior year after playing alongside NBA lottery pick Jerome Robinson as a sophomore. In his junior year Bowman averaged 19 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 2.9 TOPG on shooting splits of 40/37/76
Name: Ky Bowman
Height/Weight: 6’1/ 181
Wingspan/ standing reach: 6’7/ 8’2
Hand size: 9
Position: PG
College/ country: Boston College
Tools: Shot creation, athleticism
Pros:
- Good at playing bigger than his size on defense due to strength
- Good recovery time defensively
- Plus lateral quickness
- Great rebounder for his position
- Good athlete- quick and explosive
- Jump shot is successful when he gets a full follow through
- High intangibles and understands the game
- Succeeds in transition and in the half court
- Good ball handler against pressure- faced lots of double teams
- Solid pick & roll ball handler
Cons:
- Small hitch in jump shot slows down speed of the shot; doesn’t get consistent follow through
- Undersized height at 6’1
- Ball watches often, causing him to be late to react to plays defensively
- Lacks a quick/strong first step
- Dicey shot selection
Overall:
Ky Bowman is a sleeper point guard out of Boston College, where he served as a one man show in his junior year. A 2 sport athlete in high school, Bowman plays bigger than his size while possessing high quality guard skills. Bowman is a phenomenal athlete that can attack the basket and is a reliable spot up shooter. While Bowman’s first step prevents him from blowing past defenders, he can make up for it by using his athleticism, or even use his plus vision to find an open shooter. With continued jump shot polishing, his already efficient jump shot could become great. Another aspect of his shot that hurt his efficiency was his shot selection. He was forced into bad shots often, but I expect his decision making to improve with having multiple options surrounding him. This is evidenced by his higher assist rate and better field goal percentage as a sophomore, when he had Jerome Robinson playing alongside him. Look for Bowman to utilize his skillset more efficiently as a pro.
NBA Comparison: Floor: Bobby Jackson; ceiling: Kyle Lowry
Projected draft range: 25-42
Fit with Mavs/ best fit:
Grabbing Ky Bowman at 37 could wind up being a steal for Dallas. Bowman has had several workouts with teams picking in the middle-late portion of the first round, but has also been reported working out for teams in the early 30s. Bowman also completed a workout with the Mavericks on June 11th. Bowman would fit with Dallas, despite the current ball handlers under contract. Additionally, JJ Barea and Devin Harris could likely return to Dallas, as both are free agents. However, Barea is coming off of an Achilles injury, and both players are nearing the final years of their careers, which makes finding a long term point guard to pair with Brunson crucial. Additionally, if the Mavs do decide to explore selling high on Brunson’s value in the trade market, Bowman makes the transition in backup point guard easier. However, I do not like the idea of moving on from Brunson. Instead, if the Mavs do not add a point guard in free agency, and decide to start Brunson, Bowman would be an excellent backup point guard behind Brunson. He could also play in a 3 guard lineup due to his versatile play, length, and athleticism on both ends. His defensive play style is similar to Devin Harris’ bulldog approach, which could be a great mentorship opportunity for the two. Bowman has all the right tools to be a great fit in Rick Carlisle’s system and in the team culture.
If Dallas does not have the chance to draft Ky Bowman, the team I see as the best fit would be either Golden State or Philadelphia. Philadelphia has a more pressing point guard hole in their roster, and can easily address that issue with Bowman’s athleticism, playmaking, shooing, and defense. As for Golden State, with Shaun Livingston’s decline, they are in need of a backup point guard that can continue the change-of-pace approach Steve Kerr has employed with Livingston. With Bowman’s ability to play at any speed and use his versatile toolset, Bowman could be a lethal threat off the bench immediately.
