Can Eric Moreland Be A Rotational Player?

Earlier this offseason, the Sacramento Kings brought back Eric Moreland on a partially guaranteed deal, presumably to give him a chance to earn a roster spot in training camp. He’s certainly not guaranteed a spot, but if Moreland does make the team what can we expect out of him this season?

More from Kings News

The obvious answer is not much, considering he’s played just two minutes in his NBA career thus far. But obvious answers aren’t always right, and I want to take a deeper look at Moreland and try to determine if he does have an NBA future awaiting him.

Moreland’s NBA statistics may be useless to helping us see if he’s got real potential, but in his time with the D-League he played enough minutes to at least get a glimpse into his game. Still, I’ll use his per 36 minutes statistics because that’s just usually what I do.

Season	G	MP	FGA	FG%	FTA	FT%	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
2014-15	7	201	12.7	.592	5.7	.375	5.9	10.0	15.9	1.8	1.6	2.0	2.5	3.9	17.2
Career	7	201	12.7	.592	5.7	.375	5.9	10.0	15.9	1.8	1.6	2.0	2.5	3.9	17.2

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/18/2015.

It’s obvious right away what Moreland is good at–rebounding. Pulling nearly 16 boards per 36 is incredibly good for a non-center, hell, it’s really good for centers too. The offensive rebounding is what’s really intriguing, though.

Much was made over Tristan Thompson‘s fantastic offensive rebounding in the playoffs last season. Thompson averaged 4.4 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes in the postseason. Moreland averaged nearly six in his seven games with the Reno Bighorns.

So clearly, at least in his 201 D-League minutes, Moreland has a great talent for putting in the extra effort to dominate the offensive and defensive glass. Scoring and rebounding are very important skills (obviously) to power forwards, but normally you need at least one more trick up your sleeve to succeed in the NBA.

Thompson, for example, has defense. He’s a great defender who can switch onto guards without looking completely lost in the perimeter. Some guys make a living by being able to stretch the floor, like Kevin Love. Right now it doesn’t appear that Moreland is exceptional at either of those things, but I can’t say I’ve seen him play a ton either.

He should have the opportunity to showcase his third key skill, or at least start to develop one this season though, should he make the team. He is still just 23 years old and certainly has time to grow more as a basketball player.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Moreland actually see some minutes with the Kings this season if he does make the team. The only two power forwards ahead of him on the depth chart are Willie Cauley-Stein and Quincy Acy, neither of whom are proven NBA commodities yet.

If he simply stays above-average at scoring and rebounding, he may find himself a job somewhere as a bench forward. Those are the two most important areas of your average power forward’s game, after all. And Moreland seems to be capable enough at both.

The only chance I see of him eventually earning a starting job in the Association, however, is if he can manage to add something else to his game. A defensive boost, a better touch passing out of the paint (he averaged just 1.8 assists per 36 minutes with the Bighorns) or a better shot from at least mid-range would all be good options.

They may not be necessary for him to make it to the Sacramento Kings roster this season, but that extra skill will be essential to Moreland ever becoming more than merely a bench player.

More from A Royal Pain

Next: Will Seth Curry Have A Chance To Shine In Sacramento?

Home/Kings News

Can Eric Moreland Be A Rotation Player?

By Ti Windisch | Sep 18, 2015

More from A Royal Pain