Tecumseh native on 10-day deal
Tecumseh native scoring points, playing well defensively on 10-day NBA contract
Tecumseh’s Mychal Mulder knows he has very little time to make a lasting impression with the NBA’S Golden State Warriors.
The 25-year-old signed a 10-day contract with the Warriors last week just hours before making his NBA debut against the Los Angeles Lakers. That 10-day deal expires Saturday and the Catholic Central high school grad is doing everything possible to extend his stay.
“I’m just taking it day by day,” said Mulder, who spoke exclusively to Postmedia. “My job is to show they should want to bring me back. Just attack every opportunity like it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and it is.”
This has been a long journey for Mulder, who spent two years at a junior college in Indiana before signing with the University of Kentucky.
He was a first-round pick in the NBA G League by the Windy City Bulls.
After two seasons, he signed a camp deal with the NBA’S Miami Heat, but ended up with the team’s G League squad in Sioux Falls, which is where he was when the Warriors came calling.
“It happened fast,” Mulder said. “We finished up at a game in Sioux Falls at home and I went back home with a few teammates and we were playing (the card game) Uno.
“I got a call from a number I didn’t recognize and then got sent a text saying to call and that it was time sensitive.”
It was the Warriors that wanted to put him on a plane and get him to California as soon as possible.
“I was really excited and they were apologetic that it was so late, but said they wanted to get me on a 6 a.m. flight,” Mulder said. “I told them I would start walking to the airport if I had to. It was the best call.”
The six-foot-four, 185-pound shooting guard got to Oakland just in time for the team’s morning shoot around and it wasn’t until after that when he signed his contract.
“It was awesome for me,” Mulder said.
His mom, Jennifer Gignac, got to town in time to see his debut, but he missed all five three-point attempts and finished with just two points in more than 22 minutes of play.
“I was getting acclimated to a new environment,” Mulder said. “I didn’t have the best idea of the entire playbook and new defensive schemes. The last two games have been a lot better for me.”
That’s putting it mildly, and it’s caught the attention of Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. Mulder played nearly 34 minutes in the Warriors’ 18-point comeback win over Phoenix, scored 14 points and added six rebounds while also helping to hold all-star guard Devin Booker to six-of-16 shooting defensively.
“I thought Mike Mulder played a big role in that,” Kerr said on Warriors Soundcloud after the win. “He came off the bench and missed his first four or five shots and very easily could’ve hung his head.
“He’s on a 10-day, and things weren’t going his way, but the job he did defensively on Booker and then getting a couple of shots to go late in the first half in the second quarter. I thought Mike really sparked us.”
He followed that with a 17-point effort in more than 31 minutes of action in a loss to Washington where the Warriors outscored the opposition by five points with Mulder on the floor.
He also played solid defence against Washington all-star guard Bradley Beal.
“He’s a really good player,” Kerr said on Warriors Soundcloud. “I’m impressed by not only his shooting, but his defence. (Saturday) he took on a really good challenge with Devin Booker. (Sunday) we put him on Beal at times. He accepts the challenge. Plays bigger than he is.
“When you’re on a 10-day, it feels like every play is important, every shot is important, it’s not easy to relax and just go play. I thought (Saturday) was a really good indication of what kind of competitor he is. He was 0-for4, 0-for-5 in the third day of his contract and the clock is ticking and he just kept shooting, kept firing, kept defending and helped us win the game. Came back and had a great game again (Sunday). He’s a competitor and a really good player.”
Mulder was averaging 11 points per game in his three games heading into Tuesday’s game in Denver, but knows there’s no time to sit back and savour the praise of his coach. After Saturday, the Warriors can sign him to a second 10-day contract, but after that must decide on whether to sign him to a deal for the rest of the season.
“I feel my defence was something that flew under the radar a little bit,” Mulder said. “Not playing so many minutes at Kentucky, people labelled me a shooter. If you’re a call-up, they’re looking for a role player. It’s not only important to knock down a shot, but to play defence and bring those intangibles.
“With these guys, being low on numbers and banged up, I came in and had (a) chance to play. That’s been huge for me, being able to showcase myself. I’m just locked into my job here and the potential these 10 days have.”
When you’re on a 10-day, it feels like every play is important, every shot is important, it’s not easy to relax and just go play.