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Starting Garrett Temple Will Benefit Sacramento Kings, Ben McLemore

By Rafe Wong

Oct 26, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore #23 points to a teammate in front of guard Garrett Temple #17 and center Willie Cauley-Stein #00 during the first half of the game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 26, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore #23 points to a teammate in front of guard Garrett Temple #17 and center Willie Cauley-Stein #00 during the first half of the game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /
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This article will explain why starting Garrett Temple at two-guard would be beneficial for the Sacramento Kings and Ben McLemore going forward.

Why Start Garrett?

Garrett Temple has been a pleasant surprise for the Sacramento Kings and their fans. It was expected that Temple would bring a refreshing presence to the Kings’ perimeter defense this season, but Temple has also been an asset on the offensive end as well.

In the twenty-six games that Temple has played this season, he is averaging 7.1 points while shooting an efficient 45.5% from the court and 43.4% from the perimeter.

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What makes the idea of starting Temple so enticing is because of his versatility. He is not a player that solely relies on having the ball in his hands to be efficient.

He is going to make the adjustments needed in order to help his team succeed whether that is being a defensive enforcer in some games or having to adapt to a scoring mentality in others.

Overall, Temple has been the most productive two-guard on the Kings this season, and his ability to adapt to his personnel will be better fitted for the Kings’ starting five going forward.

Why It Benefits Ben?

So now the question is why “demoting” Ben McLemore to the bench will benefit him? It’s all about the fit.

Nov 23, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) warms up prior to the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 23, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) warms up prior to the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports /

McLemore has had a scoring mentality since joining the NBA, which is why it is tough for him to utilize his main strength when placed into the starting five. When you are in a lineup consisting of DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, and Darren Collison (Kings’ top three scorers), you are not going to get many opportunities to score the basketball.

Having McLemore see more run time with the second unit will increase these opportunities. He will be seeing more playing time with players like Ty Lawson, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Matt Barnes, players that rely more on their playmaking/defensive abilities than scoring.

Because McLemore will be playing with players that aren’t necessarily on the court to score, he will see an increase in scoring reps which I think will enhance his consistency on offense.

Final Thoughts

Overall, switching Garrett Temple and Ben McLemore in depth chart would help the Sacramento Kings moving forward.

In my opinion, it will help increase the efficiency within the starting lineup, which can be a solution to the rocky starts that Sacramento has had in games, and help their young talent in McLemore improve in his offensive development.

Next: Highs and Lows: Sacramento Kings Upset The Grizzlies

So far this season, the Sacramento Kings have a record of 10-16 and are currently looking outside of the playoff window in the Western Conference. What do they have to lose?

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