SANTA CRUZ — James Michael McAdoo might be a familiar name to Warriors fans.

After going undrafted in the 2014 draft, McAdoo joined the Warriors’ summer league team and played during the preseason before being assigned to the Warrior’s D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz. While the chances of being called up to play for Golden State are small, McAdoo has been thoroughly impressing during his current tenure with the Santa Cruz Warriors, averaging 18 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks.

McAdoo scored a season high and team high of 32 points in Saturday night’s 103-84 win over the Erie Bayhawks. In what was supposed to be Seth Curry‘s return to Santa Cruz — which was ruined by injury — McAdoo got to the line at will, making 18 of 20 free throws. He only missed one shot from the field and managed four blocks. McAdoo excelled at running the fast break as he was able to throw it down or draw contact in transition. He looked comfortable in pick-and-roll situations where he was able to catch and finish with an assortment of athletic moves.

“We looked at about 15 clips before the game and he’s got such length — it’s important for him to assert himself,” head coach Casey Hill said.

The team recorded 29 assists and much like their NBA counterpart, ball movement and spacing was emphasized. Four players scored in double figures, but McAdoo had arguably the best performance.

“We needed to set a tone early. I took it upon myself to try to get to the free throw line and stay aggressive,” McAdoo said about his high-scoring night.

McAdoo has shown he has the physical tools necessary to be make an impact on an NBA team someday. Standing at 6’9″ with a 7’1″ wingspan, he has the length to be a decent rim protector. While he plays at the center position, he may be undersized if he were to guard most NBA centers. He has shown a nice touch around the rim, but he will have to continue to further develop his offensive game to become a bigger scoring threat.

When asked about improving his game, McAdoo responded, “The biggest thing for me is trying to be more consistent, especially on the offensive end — being a guy on the low block — and have one or two go-to moves. On the defensive end I try to use my versatility to try to affect the game, block shots, get steals, as well as being a solid defender that can not only guard my man but help my teammates too.

While the road ahead may seem long for McAdoo, he may be able to eventually shine in the league given his hard work and athleticism. He plays with an enormous amount of energy and could be useful for a team that needs a spark-plug player with hustle.

If he can continue to develop his game, he can show that the hype surrounding him at the University of North Carolina was for real.