The Sacramento Kings have not won more than 50 percent of their games in what will be 13 seasons this year. They have not been a team that has necessitated a real team preview in what feels like, but can’t possibly be, even longer than that. They are the team perennially looking not for next year but the year after.
The players on this team that are best suited for the year after are much more worthy of a detailed breakdown than the team as a whole is. They are what makes the team contain even a drop of intrigue and potential. They may not yet have a player whose stardom is as evident as the sun that shines on the city of brotherly love but they have depth of talent. So, instead of detailing the many flaws the Kings have as a team, here is a diagnosis of each one of their young studs.
Buddy Hield
Some players who get stuck in mediocrity or even lower down the NBA totem pole get completely forgotten. Buddy Hield has become one of these players. At just 24 years old, he has already made 324 three-pointers. In just two years in the league, he has attempted 787 threes and averaged over 41 percent from long-range. The list of players who have done this is so small that it appears to have been redacted because he is the only player in NBA history to have done this.
He is not a great ballhandler; seeing him pull off a successful pick-and-roll is rare. He has not been a good defender but he is a great, great shooter. The kind of shooter that sticks around on teams simply because of that one superior skill set. He may not be the Kings’ future Stephen Curry but he just could be their future Derek Fisher.
De’Aaron Fox
De’Aaron Fox’s most prominent asset since being drafted has been his speed. It translated well in the NBA as his speed on the fastbreak is as scary as any of the notable speedsters in the league. His ball handling is clearly also a strength as he needs it in order to jet down the court.
His shooting is still the largest issue. His mid-range jumper is a slight weapon out of the pick-and-roll but defenses were hardly afraid of it last year. He will need a jumper if he hopes to become an above average point guard but in all likelihood, he will fall below that mark.
Justin Jackson
Not possessing the ability to dribble is crippling. It shrinks not only what a player can do but how a team can use that player. Justin Jackon is one of these players. He is extremely stiff whilst dribbling nearly mirroring Nic Batum but with much less ability.
Batum is still a passable NBA player while Jackson is not. Batum is a much better passer and shooter than Jackson and his shooting was not much better in Summer League. He still has plenty of time to grow but his ceiling appears to be on the bench while his reality may be far worse than that.
Willie Cauley-Stein
WCS resides in the third tier of rim-runners. He does not have the statistics of a Clint Capela or Rudy Gobert and he even falls behind players such as Myles Turner and Hassan Whiteside. He is adequate at diving towards the rim but does not have the passers on his team that the aforementioned centers do. He also too often goes to a hook shot from 3-10 feet. Capela and Deandre Jordan, the preeminent players in WCS’s archetype, shot just 14 percent to 18 percent of their shots from this range while more advanced bigs like Anthony Davis sit around just 20 percent. Damagingly, Willie Cauley-Stein managed to attempt 30 percent of his shots from this 3-10 feet, something Davis has never done in his entire career.
His sub-one block per game averages are also not suitable. When engaged, he can be a very capable defender but, as with most OK defenders, he is not always engaged. He will probably top out as a tier two rim runner who could become tier one if he just was cognizant of his missteps.
Marvin Bagley III
Their newest “year after” piece is a mobile center with a bunch of talent but with a questionable future. His offense is the largest concern. His post game is totally unpolished while he is just a fine shooter and decent rim runner. In Summer League he quite often looked indecisive, looking much more comfortable on a fastbreak than in the half court. His dribbling ability for his size allowed him to flow by defenders and led to easy Kings buckets, a statement that has barely been uttered in the 21st century.
His largest positive came in the form of off-ball defense. He showed a remarkable ability to track down the basketball and play nearly perfect help defense.
Harry Giles
Sometimes negatives mean less than others. In Harry Giles’s case, his lackluster shooting in Summer League did not distract from his very evident talent. In just seven games Giles was able to display his incredible athleticism, superb handles for his positions, and his fantastic feel for the game. Pure talent, Giles may be the Kings’ best hope for a star.
Harry Giles has a very Chris Bosh-esque shooting motion. He needs to get his feet into it much more like Bosh does but his mechanics look pretty good #Kings pic.twitter.com/LwaVePNtFA
— Justin Jett (@JustinJett_) July 5, 2018
The large question mark is his shot. His form, though, seems nearly where it needs to be. It is a near twin to Chris Bosh’s and he just needs to understand, much like Bosh did, that he needs to jump more into his shot for it to be successful. Giles can do so many other things right, it won’t matter if his shot never is perfect but it needs to be at least serviceable. No matter what, his passing, rebounding, speed, and ballhandling will all sit above average compared to his positional counterparts.
The Kings may not have a bonafide star but they have a potential one and a treasure chest worth of young talent. They won’t be good this year and likely not the next either but maybe, just maybe, they will be good the year after.
