What To Expect From Willie Cauley-Stein This Season

In this year’s draft, the Sacramento Kings selected Kentucky big man Willie Cauley-Stein, and a lot of experts are predicting him to be NBA ready this season. However, I’m not so sure about that indication.

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A couple of days ago I wrote an article about who should be the starting power forward that will pair up with DeMarcus Cousins.

The only two names that came to mind were Rudy Gay and Kosta Koufos because I think Cauley-Stein is still a project in the making.

I do agree that there are aspects in Cauley-Stein’s game that will positively impact the Kings, but there are also parts of his game that are still questionable. Here my pros and cons about what to expect of Cauley-Stein in his upcoming rookie season.

Pro #1 (Defense): As a defender, Cauley-Stein is already there. He displays athleticism that gives him the ability to hold his ground against literally any player. He also shows length, as his ability to sniff and block shots already has him inevitably earning the reputation as a “rim-protector”. This Summer League he added to that testimony by averaging 2.8 blocks a contest.

Overall, Cauley-Stein seems to be an absolute plus defender. The only concern will be if he is strong enough to defend NBA bodies, but that will come once his body starts to fill out. Other than that, Cauley-Stein should help with the struggles the Kings have had on defense.

Pro #2 (Hustle/Effort): Another part of Cauley-Stein’s game that is refreshing is his level of effort on the court. The statement of “will over skill” is the epitome of Cauley-Stein’s game, and is the driving force to his success.

His hustle will not only help on defense, but also on offense, as the majority of his scoring will come from fast break opportunites. Even though I don’t see Willie getting much playing time, I do see him making the most of the minutes he gets.

Con #1 (Offensive Liability): Like I mentioned just above, the majority of Cauley-Stein’s offense will come from the result of his efforts because he is still very raw on that side of the court. Pre-draft, I thought Cauley-Stein had more game offensively than what many critics were not giving him credit for, but honestly since after Summer League that perspective has changed.

Although averaging double-digit points per game, almost every point that Cauley-Stein scored was off a dunk or an easy lay in (DeAndre Jordan much?). The post game and jump shot that I thought just needed a bit of a tuneup, actually needs to be dramatically improved if he wants to be more polished offensively.

Con #2 (Durability): Throughout his three years in Kentucky, Cauley-Stein has averaged 24.5 minutes per game, which can question how effective he can be once he takes on a bigger role.

The low number minutes played weren’t the only concern. Even in Summer League he was being subbed in and out more often than most players would during a game, which indicates that Willie might not be used to playing a large amount of minutes consecutively. If that is the case, than he is more reliable as a backup for now.

Final Thoughts: My thoughts on Cauley-Stein are that I think he will eventually become that perfect asset to pair up with Cousins, just not for this year. For this year, I think it would be better if Cauley-Stein was a reserve.

There are parts of his game that are still considered a liability, and for a team that is looking to contend for a playoff spot, it would also be too risky to put a rookie in that kind of pressure if he did indeed start.

I think this season George Karl will take it easy with Cauley-Stein. He can fulfill the role as a backup big, and be that potential spark that comes off the bench. Although he will have a smaller role than what most fans would expect, I still see him being effective for this season.

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