Pelicans Summer League: Who is Daeqwon Plowden?

The New Orleans Pelicans looked rusty in their first Summer League game, a blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Summer League is the time for young rotational players to get extra reps and for fringe NBA players to show they belong in the association.

There are a number of players trying to be the surprise of Summer League and some unfamiliar faces got some run and will likely get more in the final three games.

One player hoping to impress is Daeqwon Plowden, a 5th-year wing from Bowling Green State who went un-drafted but hopes to earn his way onto an NBA roster.

Plowden turned some heads in the NTX Combine, which you can see a bit of in these highlights.

He’s an older prospect, which many see as a red flag, but he’s an intriguing one who could see more minutes as the Summer League progresses after Dyson Daniels went down with injury.

New Orleans Pelicans Summer League: Forward Daeqwon Plowden

Daeqwon Plowden is a 6-foot-6 guard/small forward who played five seasons at mid-major Bowling Green State.

He improved every year, culminating with averaging 15.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in his final season.

Plowden is athletic and very strong, and what he lacks in quickness he makes up for with a big body that he uses to get to his spots. He’s an average 3-point shooter at 35.5 percent and probably needs to improve his volume and accuracy to have a chance in the NBA.

He excels at finishing in transition and in traffic, but is not a guy who is going to jump out of the gym. He’s a crafty finisher at the rim but might have trouble getting up his shot over NBA forwards.

He’ll have to show he can stay in front of quicker guards and wings on defense and that he can rebound at a high level as he did in college.

I love bringing in players like Plowden to compete in Summer League, as he is hungry and going to try to earn those minutes.