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Summer League Willie: What We Know Now About Willie Cauley-Stein

By Zack Zolmer

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Coming out of Kentucky, the cardinal concern surrounding Willie Cauley-Stein’s game was his ability to score unassisted—or, at least, with less assistance. His defensive prowess was well-regarded by basketball fans, writers and scouts alike, and three years of college was more than enough to showcase Willie’s über-athleticism, which he’d leverage into baskets via catch-and-dunk lobs and flying put-backs.

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But that was the general extent of his offensive ability. He lacked any number of reliable post moves, rarely challenged opponents off the dribble and his jump shot was largely nonexistent. Thus, when the Sacramento Kings drafted Willie Cauley-Stein to accompany DeMarcus Cousins, Vlade Divac and company did so for defensive purposes. (Last season, out of 30 teams, the Kings ranked 27th in Defensive Rating, at 106.5. Only the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves were worse.)

Because defense was the priority, Cauley-Stein was the pick. But, as his Summer League play strongly suggests, defense may just be his calling card–not his only offering.

On offense Willie continued to display his known prowess around the rim with dunks and acrobatic lay-ins, but this summer he did so out of the pick and roll—something he couldn’t do – or perhaps was not needed of him – at Kentucky.

When the Kings’s offense wasn’t being stymied by some of the worst, most selfish guard play the team’s Summer League roster has seen in quite some time, Cauley-Stein displayed a certain adeptness in executing a successful staple of NBA offenses: setting a high screen, diving into the paint, catching a pass and finishing over/around/through defenders, taking contact and drawing a foul when necessary. It’s a sign of Willie’s offensive potential, which is now all the more intriguing.

Still, questions remain.

This newfound offense came against Summer League-caliber opponents, so the same play will prove to be tougher against better, NBA talent. How does this scoring translate to the NBA? Perhaps more importantly, how does it suit the Sacramento Kings?

Promising flashes aside, all of Cauley-Stein’s half court offense came by way of post ups and pick and rolls. The man he figures to play alongside already acts in that role, and already operates around the basket. How will Willie fit?

To properly understand Cauley-Stein’s role with the Kings, one must consider DeMarcus Cousins as context.

Since Cousins’s arrival in Sacramento, from Petrie to D’Allesandro to Divac, management made its intention to pair Boogie with either a stretch-four or a rim protector well-known. After years of failing to acquire a single respectable player of either category, Divac found Cousins a rim protecting partner in Cauley-Stein (and Kosta Koufos, too).

The worry surrounding Cauley-Stein and Cousins’s fit together lies predominantly on the offensive end, as visions of double-teams and clogged spacing cloud the team’s prospective offensive output. Though this is a legitimate concern, it can be easily remedied.

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It is unknown just how often Cauley-Stein and Cousins will share the floor during the early stretches of the upcoming season. After all, Willie is a promising but ultimately unproven prospect, and George Karl – like many other long-tenured NBA head coaches – has a history of limiting his rookies’ minutes.

And for good reason. No doubt, Cauley-Stein was drafted to complement and start alongside Cousins for years to come, but at this point in his progression (apart from his athleticism), he doesn’t really offer anything Kosta Koufos can’t.

But when the two Kentucky Wildcats do play together, there’s still reason to believe they can coexist offensively. Because much of WCS’s offense comes from above the rim, when around the basket, he’ll demand attention from defenses even when Cousins has the ball. DeMarcus’s passing helps to neutralize the defense’s threat of a double team, and if Cauley-Stein’s man abandons Willie to double Boogie, Cousins-to-Cauley-Stein lobs could become a frequent occurrence.

The Los Angeles Clippers – a team that starts two bigs who largely operate around the basket – present an offensive dynamic the two Kentucky big men could emulate.

Blake Griffin sets a pick for Chris Paul to reposition Andray Blatche (Griffin’s defender), flashes to the high post and catches the pass from Paul. Open at the top of the key, Griffin skips towards the basket, attracting DeAndre Jordan’s original defender (Brook Lopez), and throws the ball up to Jordan for the finish.

It’s not tough to envision the Kings running a similar play when Cousins and Cauley-Stein/Koufos share the paint, especially when you introduce Cousins’s mid-range jumper.

Speaking of jumpers, Cauley-Stein did showcase new, seemingly-consistent shooting mechanics during pre-draft workout videos. Though he failed to connect on any of the few jumpers he attempted during the team’s stay in Vegas, that doesn’t mean he can’t rectify that part of his game with more repetition. If his jump shot ever does demand a reasonable level of attention from opposing defenses, Willie – and the Kings – will become that much more dynamic.

Regardless, the idea that Cauley-Stein’s lack of offense – and the team’s subsequent lack of offensive spacing – will hurt Cousins’s scoring is a misconception. Jason Thompson was far from DeMarcus’s ideal front court partner, but he didn’t keep Boogie from putting up career-best, All-Star numbers. Cauley-Stein won’t either.

Pairing Cousins with a PF/C who can defend AND stretch the floor is probably ideal, but it’s not absolutely essential to his – or the team’s – ultimate success. Defense is. Above all else, that’s what Willie Cauley-Stein gives Sacramento.

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