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Sacramento Kings: Seth Curry Hoping For an Opportunity to Shine

By Scott Harris

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One of the most intriguing additions to the Sacramento Kings roster this offseason was the signing of combo guard, Seth Curry to a guaranteed contract with a player option for a 2nd season. As we have detailed previously at A Royal Pain, Seth has put up video game-like numbers in the D-League over the past two seasons making fans wonder how that will translate at the next level.

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Seth was offered a non-guaranteed by the Pelicans, Hornets, and Warriors but the Kings were the only team to offer him a guaranteed contract. Even if the Warriors, the reigning NBA champs, had offered Seth a guaranteed contract, he still would have picked the Kings.

Seth knew that if he had done back to play for Golden State, he would have remained in the shadow of his brother, reigning MVP Steph Curry. Seth Curry no longer wants to be compared to anyone other than Seth Curry. The trick will now be getting on the court long enough to allow people to form their own opinion of him.

The biggest roadblock that has stood in Seth Curry’s way up to this point in his career has been opportunity. In his 2 seasons in the NBA, Seth has been on the court for a whopping total of 21 minutes spread between three teams; four minutes for Memphis, nine minutes for Cleveland, and eight minutes for Phoenix. Those weren’t exactly opportunities to shine for Seth, mostly just a handful of minutes in garbage-time.

Unfortunately, Seth may not get much of a chance to play significant minutes on this Kings team either. On the Kings depth chart, he is the 3rd point guard and likely the 4th shooting guard. If George Karl starts Darren Collison at shooting guard, Seth could get 7-12 minutes a game, at best, in order to spell Rajon Rondo and Collison in the rare instances that they both need a breather. Fortunately for Seth, however, he is on the Kings who seem to always find a need for their 3rd string point guard to play heavy minutes.

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

In 2013/14, the Kings started the season with four point guards:  Greivis Vasquez as the starter, Isaiah Thomas as the first backup, Jimmer Fredette (a combo guard like Seth) as the second backup, and Ray McCallum as the third backup who wasn’t even active until the fourth game of the season and did not appear in a game until game #17. That season ended with Ray McCallum averaging 42.2 minutes a game over the final twelve games due to an injury to Isaiah, Greivis being dealt to the Raptors in the Rudy Gay trade, and Jimmer on the Bulls after his contract was bought out.

Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Last season the Kings started out with three point guards: Darren Collison as the starter, Ramon Sessions as the first backup, and Ray McCallum as the second backup. That season ended with Ray McCallum starting due to an injury to Collison and with Andre Miller as the backup after having been acquired for Ramon Sessions.

Considering that Rondo has not played more than 68 games since the 2009/10 season, it is very likely Seth will get the opportunity to serve as the backup point guard at some point this season. What Seth will be able to do with that opportunity remains to be seen but one thing’s for certain: Kings fans will be eagerly anticipating Seth’s chance to climb out from under the shadow of his brother.

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