Is Marco Belinelli The Sharpshooter The Sacramento Kings Have Finally Found?
By Rafe Wong
Is Marco Belinelli the answer?
For all those hard core Sacramento Kings fans, we all know that efficient shooting is hard to come by for the this team in previous years. Marcus Thornton, Nik Stauskas, Jimmer Fredette, and even Ben McLemore were all hopeful solutions to the shooting woes for this franchise. Sadly, it has either failed miserably or hasn’t panned out so far.
Although in the past it has been brutal for fans to watch our version of “sharpshooters” underperform in front our eyes, this upcoming season may vary. Last offseason, Vlade Divac went out and signed former San Antonio Spur Marco Belinelli, in hopes of finally solving the shooting woes the Kings have had. So far it has turned out beautifully.
It may be a small sample size (plus it being preseason), but Belinelli has brought a shooting element to the Kings that they haven’t had in a long time. In the six preseason games he has played, Belinelli has averaged 15.6 points a contest, while shooting .452 from the field and .316 from beyond the arc.
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To be honest, I was shocked to see that Belinelli’s 3FG% was so low. But even though the percentage may be low right now, he has throughout his career consistently made around just under 40% of his perimeter shots, so I expect that percentage go up when the regular season begins.
What also caught my eye about Belinelli was that not only was he able to make jump shots consistently, but he also created shots for himself as well. By getting around screens and pump faking defenders, Belinelli found ways to get his shots, as well as finding his teammates to score as well. Those kind instincts and skills have not been showcased by a King’s two guards in quite a while.
Overall, although the stats do not entirely make my case, I think the Kings have finally found that sharpshooter that they can rely on regularly throughout the season. To be fair, Darren Collison has shot the ball effectively since coming to Sacramento, but the fact that the Kings now have a legitimate sharpshooter at the two guard position is huge for taking the Kings offense to the next level.
If Belinelli can replicate what he has done throughout his career, and even in this year’s preseason, he will find his niche with the Kings and help the offense become more versatile in scoring.
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