This article is part of a series that A Royal Pain is writing where we grade each player on the Sacramento Kings individually.
For this article specifically, we will evaluate the performance of Arron Afflalo. We will grade Afflalo based on his offensive, defensive, and overall performances for the 2016-2017 season.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: For this series, the players on the Kings will be graded on a curve, meaning that the grades handed out to each player say more about their ranking on the team rather than their actual performance grade.
Offense: B
For the last few seasons, the Kings have been clamoring for a reliable offensive two-guard on their roster. Fortunately, Afflalo was exactly what the Kings hoped for. Despite struggling early in the season, Afflalo was able to be a consistent shooter for the Kings this season.
In the 61 games that Afflalo played, he averaged 8.4 points per game while shooting 44% from the floor, 41.1% from the perimeter, and 89.2% from the free-throw line. Afflalo was also ranked 4th amongst his teammates in offensive efficiency with a rating of 109.9 (per Basketball RealGM).
Despite his low average in points, Afflalo’s shooting numbers were excellent, which made him one of the more efficient scorers on the Kings this season.
Defense: D+
Afflalo was efficient on the offensive end this season, but unfortunately, you can’t say the same about his performance as a defender. For the season, Afflalo only grabbed 2 rebounds a game in the 25.9 minutes he averaged per contest. As a result, Afflalo only recorded a 4.7% in total rebounding percentage which is ranked 15th amongst his teammates. Afflalo was also ranked 15th on his team in defensive efficiency with a rating 117.1 for the season as he played a part in what was a horrid perimeter defense for Sacramento (per Basketball RealGM).
Final Thoughts
Overall, Afflalo was a solid contributor for the Kings this season. Although he was a liability on the defensive end, Afflalo lived up to the expectation of being a reliable two-guard for the Kings offensively.