Two-way contracts are one of the most underrated tools for filling out an NBA roster. When teams identify players who can truly contribute at the NBA level, they gain a real rotational option without sacrificing a standard roster spot. The New Orleans Pelicans front office has already had its share of poor decisions early in the Joe Dumars era, but one thing Dumars and Troy Weaver did well was sign Bryce McGowens to a two-way deal.

This signing was one I was a fan of from the jump, as, to me, McGowens has always had the tools to be a solid rotational piece at the NBA level. At 6’6″, he brings a ton of size to the guard position, is a solid shooter, can get into his own offense, is a passable defender, and is an underrated playmaker. 

He also dominated the G-League last season, averaging 29.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game for the RipCity Remix, the Portland Trail Blazers’ affiliate team. 

McGowens has made 13 appearances for the Pelicans, averaging 7.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 42 percent from three. A combination of the Pelicans’ injuries and McGowens’ play has led to him starting the last four games. 

In one of these four starts, McGowens recorded a career high 23 points against the Lakers, including an impressive 3/5 clip from three. But Thursday night against Minnesota was by far his best performance since arriving in New Orleans. While he didn’t record a career high in points, he logged a career high in winning plays.

The Pelicans have really found something here.

In the Pelicans’ loss on Thursday, McGowens finished the game with 15 points, three rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block. He absolutely stuffed the stat sheet in this one, finding different ways to impact the game. Despite having a good game scoring the ball, McGowens wasn’t interrupting anyone else’s offense—he was just getting his in the flow of the game.

Being able to fit into a team’s offense and still produce is such an incredibly underrated skill, and it’s often something two-way players struggle with. 

We saw last season with Brandon Boston Jr. that he was a great individual talent and could get his own, but he needed the ball in his hands to make plays, while McGowens is the opposite. Both players have similar skill sets as bigger guards, but McGowens is with the Pelicans while Boston Jr. is now in Europe because of McGowens’ plug-and-play ability.

McGowens can still be an instant offense, but he does so while playing with the understanding that he is a role player, not a star. Against Minnesota, we saw him grab a rebound and go coast-to-coast, but also cut backdoor, get stops, and hit the open man. The do-it-all skillset is why he has been such a good addition to this team and will likely continue to be.