Opinion: How Much Will We See of Skal Labissiere?
By Rafe Wong
The Sacramento Kings left this year’s summer league without a win, but their first-round draft pick Skal Labissiere stood out as a player that fans can be excited about in the future.
Throughout the five games that Labissiere played with the Kings this summer he averaged 11 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1 block per game. He also shot 45.8% from the court, 75% from the perimeter, and 57.1% from the free-throw line.
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Skal’s play resulted in a lot of optimism from people in the Sacramento Kings community, but will fanatics be able to watch Labissiere play significant minutes once the regular season starts?
Express Yourself
Kings fans, we want to hear from you. Do think Labissiere will get consistent playing time once the regular season is in session?
To express your thoughts on the issue, feel free to partake in our survey that is currently up on our Twitter account.
How much playing time should Skal Labissiere receive this season with Sacramento?
— A Royal Pain (@ARoyalPain) July 17, 2016
Rafe’s Thoughts
When looking at the roster, it looks like the starting big men for the Kings will be DeMarcus Cousins and Willie Cauley-Stein. Kosta Koufos will be one of the big men that come off the bench, which means that the other backup big man spot is open for Labissiere if keeps on improving.
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Many people, including me, expected Labissiere to be a project once he came to the NBA, but there are parts of his game where he can contribute to the Kings already in a positive aspect.
He’ll have more difficulty scoring the ball against NBA bodies, but Labissiere has a good feel on the offensive end and can be the reserve offensive big that the Kings needed going into this offseason.
On the defensive end, however, Labissiere will struggle as he hasn’t fully grown into his 6’11” body. Hopefully, he is able to hit the weight room hard this summer and have the strength necessary to hold his own once the calendar hits the end of October.
Opinion: Top Summer League Standouts For Sacramento
In my opinion, expect Labissiere to get some decent playing time this season. At least more minutes than his rookie counterparts.
He showed in summer league that he could help his team offensively, and if he keeps on making strides in his game, he will earn the role of being a backup big for the Kings this season.