Post-Preseason Roster Battles

Zack Zolmer

Oct 10, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) loses his headband driving against Portland Trail Blazers center Meyers Leonard (11) during the third quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 94-90. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Damn did that preseason go by fast. Sacramento’s 2015-16 regular season starts one week from today, and apart from a few obvious takeaways (DeMarcus Cousins is still good, as is Rudy Gay, and Rajon Rondo is still entertaining), there’s plenty for George Karl and company to resolve until then.

Two of five starting spots have not yet been decided. There’s legitimate question over the exact importance of who starts and who doesn’t, but you’d like consistency, ideally.

Peer further down the depth chart, and you’ll find positional battles aren’t unique to just the starting five. Who gets backup minutes? Who gets little to no minutes? Who gets cut?

Here are, hopefully, some answers to five of the Kings’s most pressing roster battles today.

Next: Who's the Starting Shooting Guard?

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Who’s the Starting/Finishing Shooting Guard?

Karl believes Belinelli is best off the bench. Darren Collison’s in the conversation but, defensively, his six foot frame measures up poorly against Golden State’s 6-foot-7 Klay Thompson, San Antonio’s 6-foot-6 Danny Green, Dallas’s 6-foot-5 Wesley Matthews, Houston’s 6-foot-5 James Harden, Memphis’s 6-foot-5 Courtney Lee and the Clippers’s 6-foot-4 J.J. Redick, among others.

And that’s just the Western Conference. There’s little doubt both Collison and the Kings are better served with Darren leading the second unit.

James Anderson certainly put his name in the hat, shooting 40 percent (four of 10) from three this preseason while, in Karl’s words, providing a “no-nonsense, low-maintenance type of personality,” an “insurance blanket” between the shooting guard and small forward positions.

But just as voters hesitate to displace political incumbents, that must be the case here, too, with Ben McLemore, Sacramento’s starting shooting guard in each of the team’s last 137 games. It’s true, the 22-year-old’s preseason performance was less than encouraging, especially considering training camp reports that suggested the opposite.

But that fact must also help McLemore’s chances: Can you prioritize a six-game preseason performance over an entire sophomore season of overall growth, combined with a reportedly productive offseason?

If Ben isn’t starting, where does Karl put him? You have to assume Belinelli’s the backup, with one of Anderson or Collison replacing Ben in the starting five. Does that leave him outside the regular rotation?

If the Kings want McLemore to realize as much of his potential as possible, sitting him on the end of the bench would do little, if anything, to help him and the team realize that goal.

In 164 regular season appearances, despite his ups, downs and inconsistencies, Ben has proven himself better than that. He stumbled off of the block last season too, only to improve in essentially every statistical category compared to his rookie year.

This year, supported by better teammates and coaches, why couldn’t he do the same?

Next: So What About James Anderson?

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

So What About James Anderson?

At the same time, it’s hard to justify not giving Anderson at least a few minutes each game. Not that James is actually entitled to any specific amount of playing time (he spent last season in Lithuania) but, at least for the first few games, his preseason play has earned him an active role. Karl’s sentiments suggest as much.

But, if Karl starts Ben and backs him up with Belinelli, where and when does Anderson see time? The starting five is all filled up, with Omri Casspi serving as Sacramento’s reserve small forward.

Not to mention Caron Butler, whose style lends well to either forward spot, depending on various in-game factors.

That answer could come in the form of small-ball units where Anderson functions as Sacramento’s small forward, while a guy like Rudy Gay, Casspi or Butler plays the power forward position. This way, the 6-foot-6 Anderson allows Karl the option to move shooters to the four, without compromising size at the three.

Next: Cauley-Stein or Koufos?

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Cauley-Stein or Koufos?

As in, who will start next to DeMarcus Cousins? Willie Cauley-Stein or Kosta Koufos?

Because it won’t be Gay. He’ll undoubtedly log minutes at the four — Karl has voiced his belief in playing him there — but he’s held off starting Rudy as a power forward, and didn’t do so once this preseason.

So, between the Kentucky rookie and the eight-year veteran, who gets the starting nod? After Sacramento’s October 8 win over San Antonio, Karl offered his at-the-moment thoughts, via Sactown Royalty’s Blake Ellington: “Right now, my feeling is Kosta probably fits the bench better than Willie does and Willie probably fits Cuz a little better too,” Karl said. “I’m not sure that’s where I’ll go but that’s probably where I’m tilted right now.”

In the Kings’s three remaining preseason games against, in order, Portland, the Lakers and New Orleans, Cauley-Stein started versus Portland and New Orleans, and Koufos got the call against the Lakers in Las Vegas.

Across those contests, Koufos recorded eight blocks to Cauley-Stein’s two, 18 rebounds to Willie’s 20, two more assists (two to zero) and one more steal (two to one).

Acy or Moreland?

As in, who has priority in Karl’s rotation? Quincy Acy or Eric Moreland?

Initially, the obvious choice seems to be Acy: He averaged more minutes per game this preseason than Moreland (20.2 to 15.6), his contract is guaranteed (Moreland’s isn’t), and he’s played alongside McLemore, Gay and Cousins — not to mention, NBA-level talent — for longer than Moreland has.

Then this preseason happened, during which Moreland averaged seven points per game to Acy’s two, 2.5 blocks to Acy’s 1.5, 7.5 rebounds to Quincy’s 2.5, and a 77.8 percent field goal percentage to Acy’s 25 precent FG%, per NBA.com.

But, akin to the dynamic involving Ben McLemore and James Anderson, Karl can’t operate off six lone preseason games in determining whether Quincy or Eric gets into the rotation. This NBA season will be Acy’s fourth, and Moreland’s second. Acy has played in at least 29 games each year, and Moreland has played in three. Total.

Also, Acy provides a jump shot, inconsistency aside, that Moreland cannot even attempt. Here’s the Kings’s tradeoff: rebounding and rim protection with Moreland, shooting and experience with Acy. Consider that Koufos’s skills render Moreland’s abilities somewhat redundant and, in Quincy Acy, you have your man.

Next: Who's the Odd Man Out?

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Who’s the Odd Man Out?

In order of likely job security, between Quincy Acy (guaranteed contract), Seth Curry (guaranteed), Eric Moreland (non-guaranteed), Duje Dukan (partially guaranteed) and David Stockton (non-guaranteed) it has to be Stockton.

From our own Ti Windisch:

"Despite their limited playing time this preseason basically making them even in that sense, Dukan will probably get the nod. Partly because he’s the younger player who may have more potential than Stockton, who’s been around the Kings for a while now. Plus, the Kings are actually fairly staked with point guard talent at the moment. Stockton would be battling Rondo, Collison and Curry for minutes, and he probably ends up behind all of them on the depth chart."

Ti’s exactly right. There’s little to no room for another point guard on this roster, much less one in the form of Stockton, whose physical profile is below average, defense is less than stellar, shooting is suspect and whose contract is easily-cuttable.

Not to mention, the size and skills of Moreland and Dukan are more unique — to the Kings, especially — than Stockton’s are.

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Next: Who Will Be The Kings' Finishing Five?

Zack Zolmer