The Sacramento Kings were one of the most exciting teams to watch last season, and they were even fighting for a playoff spot throughout most of the campaign, ending with a much-improved 39-43 record despite their young roster.
Luke Walton is set to take the reins of this team to bring the most of their youth, and while firing Dave Joerger may have seemed like a mistake at first, it’s more likely that Walton will be able to replicate the Warriors’ system with this personnel than the one he had with the Lakers.
The Kings have stars in the making that could help turn this franchise around once and for all, and they also added some proven veterans to finally put an end to their playoff drought. But, how will they lineup to start the season? Let’s break it down:
Bench: Cory Joseph, Yogi Ferrell, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Trevor Ariza, Nemanja Bjelica, Harry Giles, Richaun Holmes
Point Guard: De’Aaron Fox
De’Aaron Fox’s slow start of his career is far behind the rearview mirror. He impressed a lot during Team USA’s camp and looks poised to have a breakout season with the Kings after showing glimpses of greatness during his first two campaigns.
Fox’s speed, playmaking and aggressiveness make him one of the most promising point guards in the league. He’s made great strides in the defensive end as well, and looks like a lock to improve those averages of 17.3 points and 7.3 dimes from last season.
Shooting Guard: Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield’s career was completely turned around when he made it to the Kings. He’s finally flourished as the prolific scorer he was in college, and the sky seems to be the limit for one of the most versatile offensive players in the league.
Hield’s shot is finally starting to fall on consistently and he’s got the tools to be this team’s leading scorer for many years to come, after averaging over 20 points a night last season. Hopefully, his defense will eventually catch up.
Small Forward: Harrison Barnes
One may argue Harrison Barnes is getting a lot more money than he should’ve, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a great pickup for this team, especially considering how much they were craving a veteran leader to lean to when things got difficult.
Barnes is not the superstar we thought he’d be, but he’s still an efficient scorer and a guy that can do a little bit of everything. He brings Championship experience to this young team, and his averages of 16.7 points on 39.5% from deep were impressive last season.
Power Forward: Marvin Bagley III
A lot of people thought that drafting Marvin Bagley as high as 2nd overall was a huge mistake by the Sacramento Kings, but he broke out after the All-Star break when he finally earned the starting power forward spot with the Kings.
He showed he’s more than capable of putting opposing big men on skates with his footwork, and that he’s got the tools to become a star in this league. Averaging 14.9 points and 7.6 rebounds, he can only get better during his sophomore year.
Center: Dewayne Dedmon
The Sacramento Kings let Willie Cauley-Stein go but they landed a suitable replacement on Dewayne Dedmon. He’s going to embrace his role, do what he’s asked to, and swat a couple of shots as their physical presence below the rim.
Dedmon is not the rim-runner Cauley-Stein is, but he makes up for it with great instincts and positioning. Also, he’s slowly expanding his range in the offensive end as well, knocking down 38% of his three-pointers last year.
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