Opinion: Despite PG Success, Sacramento Kings Need A New Floor Manager
Having a playmaking point guard is vital to winning in the modern NBA. The Sacramento Kings must buck their trend of adding only veteran ball handlers if they want this rebuild to be taken seriously despite the play of the current veterans.
Sacramento scored an impressive road win in the latter half of a back-to-back in taking down the Minnesota Timberwolves 123-117 Saturday night. Buddy Hield tied a career-high with 22 points to go along with the 66 points scored by the Kings’ bench. Ty Lawson paced the 2nd unit with Arron Afflalo and Langston Galloway knocking down seven combined three-pointers to overcome an early 16-point deficit. Willie Cauley-Stein posted another double-double to continue his strong play since the All-Star break.
Ty Lawson stood out in particular, though. He finished the night with 21 points dishing out 11 assists and never stopped attacking the rim, which showed in his free throw numbers (11-14). His absence was felt in Friday’s loss in New Orleans as the team struggled to create easy looks in the half-court. Lawson pushed the tempo for the bench and showed his ability to create opportunities off the bounce, whether for himself or kicking it to an open teammate.
Darren Collison and Lawson are veterans that have been some of the most consistent performers for the team this season but are not the long-term answer at the position. Adding a point guard for the future is vital in this year’s draft. The Kings have drafted in the lottery the last ten seasons, but have not utilized one of those picks on a point guard. Luckily for Sacramento fans, this draft is loaded with potential star playmakers.
Possibilities At PG
Most likely, the Kings will miss out on the top two prizes in Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball, but the next tier of guards opens the door for them to grab their franchise floor general. It remains to be seen where they will select in the draft and who will be available at the time, but adding a De’Aaron Fox from Kentucky, Dennis Smith from NC State, or even taking a chance on the Frenchman Frank Ntilikina would provide this team another young piece to an increasingly exciting core of young talent.
Collison and Lawson could be retained to mentor a young point guard, but adding any one of the young prospects listed above instantly makes the game easier for the rest of the team.
Each player has shown a knack for getting to the rim at will. This threat pulls defenders away from the perimeter opening the door for open shots and lobs when the opposition commits to stopping the driving guard. They are all uber-athletic and have the ability to develop into strong perimeter defenders, an area of desperate need for the Kings.
This is the ideal backcourt partner for Buddy Hield. Hield would guard the lesser threat on the defensive side of the ball and be on the receiving end of open shots on offense, something he continues to knock down at a high rate since joining the team (leads the team with .597 EFG% according to basketball.realgm.com).
Final Thoughts
The play in the past five games has been encouraging for the Kings and their future. During the stretch, they are 3-2 with wins over the playoff-bound Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies while concluding with the victory in Minnesota on Saturday. This is an important offseason for the franchise with using one of their two (hopeful) lottery picks on a point guard for the future. Adding a young playmaker will position the Kings in a prime spot to build an exciting product for Sacramento’s loyal fans.