Two Things to Watch in Kings' Final Six Games

While Cardwell stole storylines all season on his way to earning a raise from his two-way contract to a standard NBA deal, he's struggled a bit since his return from injury. In the nine games since he made his way back to the court, he's averaged 4.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.4 blocks on 47.2% shooting from the field.

It may not seem like it at first glance, but that's a pretty steep drop-off for Cardwell. In his first 29 games of the year, he averaged 5.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.6 blocks on 59.8% shooting from the field. The numbers don't change a ton, but the block rate and efficiency are dramtically different.

He's not getting to shots like he was on defense before the injury, and he's not converting at nearly the same rate. Ankle injuries can be difficult to come back from, so it's possible he's still a step or two slower than he was before he got hurt, but I'll be keeping an eye on Cardwell to see if he can rediscover some of his pre-injury magic over the last handful of games.

Daeqwon Plowden

In a similar fashion to Cardwell, Daeqwon Plowden, a fellow two-way player, has impressed with his late-season opportunity. Unfortunately for Plowden, the season is near it's end, so he won't get the same contract conversion that Cardwell did in the middle of the year. But Plowden is lining himself up nicely for a big raise this offseason.

In the last 11 games, the 27-year-old is averaging 14.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.1 steals on 45.6% from the field and 37.3% from three. Those are legitimate NBA numbers, and it's not a small sample size either.

Plowden is averaging 31.1 minutes per game over the stretch and has become a huge part of what the Kings are doing. He provides energy, hustle, and most importantly, a consistent three-point shot. Everyone in the organization seems to love what Plowden brings to the court, and while his path to a rotational spot next year, for the Kings or another team, is still an uphill climb, a strong final six games of the season could be just what he needs to solidify another shot in the NBA next season.