Who Gets the Crown? Darren Collison vs Ray McCallum
By Kareem Gantt
In our fourth instalment of our “Who Gets the Crown?” series, A Royal Pain editor Kareem Gantt takes a look at a position that needs improvement in the offseason. Darren Collison or Ray McCallum. Who gets the crown in our point guard battle? Let’s find out.
In some ways, the point guard position for the Kings both disappointed me and surprised me. It surprised me because Darren Collison, the de facto starter, played remarkably well before going down in the latter half of the season.
More from Kings News
- 3 Ways Chris Duarte improves the Kings chances in 2023-24
- Bleacher Report crazily lists Kings’ All-Star as “most overrated NBA player”
- Kings and Heat fans clash on Twitter to debate All-Star players
- Sacramento Kings’ Chris Duarte playing in 2023 FIBA World Cup
- 3 Young players the Kings must develop, 2 to give up on
Who would had though that Collison would average a career high 16.1 points a game, and play efficient ball throughout the season? I’ll tell you who, nobody. Nobody saw it coming, but yet in still, Collison had a stellar 2014-15 campaign.
But as crazy as it sounds, Collison’s steady season was also a disappointment. Why? Because now it makes it harder for me to throw out the fact that the Kings need a starting point guard going into next season.
As good as Collision is, he is a backup point guard who was thrust into a starting role. The number two point guard on the roster, Ray McCallum, is also a backup point guard, but after Collison went down, he was thrust into the starting line-up.
So Sacramento has two backup point guards, and no bonafide starter, and that needs to be addressed this offseason.
But this piece is not about the Kings point guard issues, it’s about which point guard has the right to wear the crown this year, and the choice is so obvious: Collison.
Collison did everything right this season, and he actually meshed well with DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay when all of them were on the floor together. The Kings need to chase after a starting point guard, but Collison could give Sacramento a dangerous option alongside a re-born Derrick Williams in the second unit.
Can you imagine Collison and Williams on the floor together? That would be a juicy tandem coming off the bench, and he would be better utilized as a sixth man, in the same role Jamal Crawford plays with the Los Angeles Clippers.
No offense to McCallum, as he stepped his game up in the latter half of the season, and 7.4 points a game on nearly 48 percent shooting from the field is nothing to sneeze at. But if one player has to be moved, I think the Kings could sacrifice McCallum.
So kneel down Collison, you sir deserved to wear the crown. And make sure that you play the same way as a sixth man that you did as a starter in 2015-16.