Sacramento Kings: Turnover Woes Start With The “Big 3”
By Rafe Wong
Every team in the NBA has their strengths and weaknesses as a team, it’s inevitable. However, what the good teams do when they face these issues is that they find a way to limit their weaknesses so it doesn’t become too much of a nuisance for them going forward.
For the Sacramento Kings, this has not been the case.
Like all teams, the Kings have their weaknesses. But unlike the good teams, they have not been able to lessen their deficiencies to a degree. The flaw, in this case, is their lack of ball security.
In the NBA, the Kings are currently ranked 28th in the league in turnovers committed a game, averaging 16 a contest. Because of this, it has played a role in the Kings losing the momentum in games, costing the team in key possessions, and leading to poor transition defense. Like it wasn’t bad already.
Overall the Kings as a whole have been a turnover prone team this season, but most of the burden have been due to the play of the Kings best three players
The “Big 3” for the Kings consists of players in DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo, and Rudy Gay. Although all three players have played significant roles in the offensive success that the Kings are having, they have also been big contributors the turnovers woes as well.
The total numbers turnovers that the Kings have given away this season is 769. The “Big 3” alone for the Kings has committed a grand total of 400 turnovers, with Cousins, Rondo, and Gay, committing 144, 182, and 74 turnovers each (per Basketball Reference).
That is just over 52% of the turnovers being responsible towards only 3 players.
Not only do the numbers show the high rate of turnovers shown by the Kings trio, but it very visible to the eye of many fans that watch the games as well.
Too many times fans are seeing Rondo trying to make low-percentages passes that either goes over the head of players, being underthrown to defenders or going out of bounds.
There have also been a bevy of times where both Cousins and Gay have tried to drive to the basket against multiple defenders only to leave the ball exposed for their oppositions to slap it out of their hands.
Too many times the “Big 3” for the Kings have taken risks within the game, and although it has rewarded them at times, it has cost them more often.
Until the Kings can start winning games at a higher rate and become the team that they hope to be by the end of the regular season, the team has to show dramatic improvement in taking care of the basketball.
In the 2nd episode of “Inside the Kingdom”, which followed the Kings throughout their training camp, coach George Karl stated that for teams to succeed they need to focus on getting rid of their deficiencies rather than focusing on what they are good at.
In order for the Kings to get rid of the bad, in this case, turnovers, it starts at the top with the Kings best three players being more cautious and less risky when the ball is in their hands.