It's becoming increasingly apparent that Daeqwon Plowden is the perfect fit for the Sacramento Kings' rebuild process. If there was any doubt left, he put that to bed last night against the Pelicans with three clutch free throws that helped win the game. The man has ice in his veins.
Plowden is on a two-way contract between the basement-dwelling Sacramento Kings and their far more successful G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings. Getting the opportunity to play for both teams has definitely helped the growth of players like Plowden, Devin Carter, and Dylan Cardwell.
Since the injury bug tore through the Kings' main roster, two-way players like Plowden have been getting opportunities to shine. And he has taken full advantage of the situation, particularly throughout the month of March, which was good for Plowden.
He was averaging 12.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.9 steals in 29.0 minutes per game. On top of that, Plowden was shooting 42.8% from the field and 35.5% from three. While there are only a few games left in the Kings' season, he has continued to build on those numbers in April.
Clutch play has become Plowden's bread and butter
In last night's win over the Pelicans, Plowden delivered once again. He finished with 17 points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 31 minutes. For Plowden, it's more about how he scored, particularly when he came through with clutch play in the last minutes of a tough victory.
When attempting a three, a reckless closeout by one of the Pels resulted in a Flagrant One being called. Plowden got three free throws, walked up to the line, and absolutely railed every one of them. Then, the Kings got the ball on the side and went on from there to win the game.
Plowden keeps making plays like this. He doesn't usually score the most points, but he does score them when it counts. He's consistently the author of a well-timed shot that puts the Kings in a better position to win. Plowden has that clutch gene that not every player seems to have.
The Kings have some decisions to make over the summer, with multiple free agents coming up and the 2026 NBA Draft. When the front office is making their plans for the future, they had better include a regular NBA contract for Plowden. He has more than earned it at this point.