Opinion: What To Expect in Willie Cauley-Stein’s Return
By Rafe Wong
When Willie Cauley-Stein was reported injured last December, there’s no question it would negatively affect the Sacramento Kings rotation.
Cauley-Stein was averaging almost 19 minutes a game before his injury, meaning George Karl would have to find a way to replace 19 minutes of sheer athleticism, defense, and most improtantly effort from his frontcourt.
James Ham reported on Twitter recently that Cauley-Stein is likely to return back to full action against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, and the news couldn’t have come at a better time.
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Right now the Kings are at rock bottom, or least close to it. They are currently enduring a three-game losing streak, which consisted of the injury prone Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, and the hapless Philadelphia 76ers.
A lot of the struggles the Kings are currently facing are due to playing sloppy basketball and showing a lack of effort on the court. With Cauley-Stein being back on the court soon, at least the Kings will be getting a boost in the effort category.
Cauley-Stein is a raw player indeed, but he shows a lot of energy when on the court. It’s one of the many things that Kings fans loved about him when being drafted by Sacramento last summer.
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Expect Cauley-Stein to be an energizer for the Kings in his return. Also, expect him to be a rim protector on defense, run the court the well, and so lots of hustle. He’ll have the motivation to do so not only to help spark his team but also to get his rookie season back on track.
The bottom line is the news about Cauley-Stein coming back with the Kings soon is great. It will definitely be refreshing to see a big on the Kings that can display insane athleticism and agility on the court.
Not only does his return give versatility for the Kings in the frontcourt, but also could potentially spark his team, who are in need for a catalyst to help boost them to start off the new year.