The Sacramento Kings Power Forward Situation
The Sacramento Kings power forward situation has been a hot topic this off-season. At first I didn’t know why people were questioning starting Kosta Koufos and moving DeMarcus to the four. And if having the twin towers of Kosta and Demarcus Cousins clogged things up in the paint, then let the defensive minded rookie Willie Cauley-Stein have a crack.
But then there were reports from training camp about Willie’s endurance. And there are the questions about if Rondo is starting do the Kings need more of a scorer at the four…so, maybe Rudy Gay? Who is going to start for the Kings? This might be a bigger issue than I thought.
Or maybe it’s not.
Oct 5, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay (8) Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Overreact with me to the first and only preseason game the Kings have had so far, will you? Koufos started at center and impressed with his hustle off the ball. He was constantly moving, setting picks creating lanes and more importantly, he was not getting in Boogie’s way. This starting lineup could work well and it is putting the best prepared players on the floor.
Then WCS subbed in and did not appear to be out of shape. Coming off the bench, he was a whirling dervish making steals, defending and getting a breakaway jam. Who wouldn’t want that guy starting as their PF?
Kings also ran a small ball lineup. It was fast, dangerous and can actually shoot the ball. Having Rudy Gay in at the four works well with his isolation play, as he is capable of shooting over almost any defender, and the outside shooting threat of Marco Belinelli and Darren Collison will be a concern for opposing teams.
“This is a problem”, you are probably thinking, “who are you going to start?”
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My answer is this: It doesn’t matter who starts.
Perhaps this is positionless basketball. Perhaps this is finally NBA 2.0. These three lineups I’ve pointed out and others I haven’t even thought of, work just as well as any other. And remember, we are talking about a defensive minded power forward position here. Does it matter if the starter in this position is fluid? I’d argue no.
Having the starting line up change, particularly for the four, depending on the opponent’s starters might be a smart and successful strategy to use. Is there a power forward situation for the Kings? No, just a lot of potential.
Now the shooting guard position, that might be a situation.
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