Once again, Dylan Cardwell stepped up for the Sacramento Kings and shut down the Warriors on defense. Unfortunately, he also fouled out of the game. While Cardwell is a defensive force, he is having problems with fouls, something that he is going to have to get under control.
After missing a month due to an ankle injury, Cardwell made his return to the roster on March 14. It took a couple of weeks for him to find his groove on the court again. That's more than fair, as being benched for a month for a long period of time would throw anyone's game off.
Now, Cardwell is back in action, blocking shots and dishing out filthy dunks. It's exactly the kind of game the Kings want from him. There's no doubt that Cardwell is a legit lob threat, but defense is his bread and butter. His energy, versatility, and confidence allow him to take anyone on.
All of that being said, he still has some growing to do. At the age of 24, Cardwell is wrapping up his rookie season in the NBA and has some serious development ahead of him. That's especially evident when looking at his issues with fouls, something that keeps coming up.
Cardwell has to get his game under control
Over the first four games of April, Cardwell has collected 13 blocks. That's an average of 3.3 blocks per game, which is impressive by anyone's standards. He's also hauling down a lot of rebounds, picking up a total of 31 in the same time frame. His game is no joke.
Unfortunately, Cardwell has also collected 20 personal fouls in those same four April games. That's an average of five fouls per game, which is terrible. He's honestly lucky that he's only fouled out once this month. Cardwell was ejected in last night's Warriors game after picking up his sixth foul.
This is a reality of playing as a defensively-minded center. Considering the level of energy and intensity Cardwell plays with while hunting blocks, he is inevitably going to end up with a handful of fouls each game. But he also can't afford to ride the ejection line so tightly all the time.
Again, the guy is a rookie. Learning how to play as a rim-protector and defensive powerhouse without fouling takes time and practice. He will get there. The other side of that is he has to get there. Having a strong defender like Cardwell isn't particularly helpful if he's constantly fouling out of games.