Former Louisville basketball glue guy Dwayne Sutton was a Warrior long before he signed a contract with the franchise.
To call someone a “warrior” is going to be a hyperbole regardless of how you use the word; unless, of course, that person is quite literally “a brave or experienced soldier or fighter.”
In the context of who former Louisville basketball star Dwayne Sutton is as a person, however, you won’t find much closer of a definition on and off the basketball court if you try.
As Chris Mack reminded his team after a win over South Carolina Upstate last season, Sutton had three scholarship offers coming out of duPont Manual High School in 2015.
He ultimately landed at UNC Asheville of the Big South conference.
“Dwayne got recruited by a school like USC Upstate. I asked him in the locker room in front of his teammates how many Division 1 offers did you have coming out of high school? Hee said three. It just shows what heart, will, competitive character and a kick-ass attitude can do for a kid. 15 rebounds, 15. He’s not 6’9, he’s 6’5. He doesn’t look much different than a lot of the kids guarding him tonight. HE’s a warrior. WARRIOR. We need more of those on our team.”
As State of Louisville’s Jacob Lane put it, “To try and capture the essence of what makes Dwayne Sutton so special just using words, isn’t really possible nor effective. You can say it all but it’s still not enough. He works hard, has grit, and fights for everything. Nothing is given. Everything is earned. As Chris Mack says, “he’s a warrior.”
“But still, it doesn’t fully describe the person and player that is Dwayne Sutton.”
A wild career, but a steady influence
Sutton was overlooked, and massively under recruited. He quite literally went to high school across the street from Louisville’s campus. When he sat in class every day at Manual, he was physically closer to the Kueber Center practice facility than when Louisville’s players were in Minardi Hall dorms.
Yet, former Louisville head coach Rick Pitino didn’t give the undersized Sutton more than a glance.
Instead, Sutton had to travel 360 miles to play a season in Ashville, North Carolina to receive the call he had been waiting for.
A year later, Sutton had to sit out a season in what turned out to be Pitino’s last one at Louisville. After losing his head coach days before the season began, Sutton still stuck it out, battling for playing time behind the likes of Ray Spalding, Deng Adel, VJ King, and Jordan Nwora in a wild year under interim David Padgett.
Finally, under his fourth coach in four years, the warrior mentality in the former 333rd-ranked player in the country came out.
By the time Sutton left Louisville, he had become such a staple in Chris Mack’s lineup, that it felt like he’d been there much longer than three short seasons.
On Monday, Sutton finally got the chance that he’s needed.
Sutton doesn’t jump out at you with ridiculous size or athleticism. He isn’t a prolific scorer. He’s not an All-NBA type of player.
However, if you’ve watched Sutton’s career, you know he has the intangibles that make him an asset- even at the highest level. Now, he gets the chance to prove himself.
Examining how Sutton fits in Oakland
So how does Sutton fit in with the Warriors? Well, the answer is however they may need him to fit in.
If Golden State needs a player who can guard wings and cause some havoc against bigger guards, Sutton’s their guy. When they need rebounding and shot-blocking from the guard or wing spots, Sutton can bring that. Or, if the Warriors need efficient passing and excellent offensive slashing, Sutton is their guy.
There is a precedent being set around the NBA that teams are looking for specialists that they can surround their superstars with. No longer are organizations looking for the complete package.
Instead, they are looking for players like Sutton’s former Louisville teammate Jordan Nwora.
The junior was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks as a sharp-shooting wing who can stretch the floor. However, what Golden State may see in Sutton is what so many of us have during his time at Louisville– He can be whatever they need him to be.
In this case, Sutton may start out as an undersized forward for the Warriors. When players like Forwards Kelly Oubre and Draymond Green either rest or are injured, Sutton may be called up.
If he can continue to improve as a shooter and show that he can fill in for a number of players, Sutton can begin moving his way up the NBA food chain. It’s players with his kind of work ethic that do all the small things right that can forge a path towards a long professional career. Players who hustle for every rebound and loose ball. They do whatever it takes to win games for their program. As Chris Mack calls it, they are “Warriors”. Sutton fits the mold to a T.
