Opinion: Sacramento Kings Should Ink Jordan Farmar
By Tyler Watts
Why Jordan Farmar would be a great fit for the point guard needy Sacramento Kings.
The Kings lack depth at the point guard position especially with the impending suspension of Darren Collison. They need to add a body that can play a small bench role ranging from 8 to 15 minutes a night. The man they should be targeting is Jordan Farmar.
Why the Kings Should Target Farmar
The first and most important reason the Kings should target Farmar is his 3 point shooting. Farmar averages 1.2 3 pointers made on 37.4% in 19.5 minutes per game for his career. He is an above average 3 point shooter on a team that needs a floor spacer.
Farmar brings a solid, yet unspectacular offense skill set. He can dish a little and he is not going to turn the ball over at an alarming rate. For his career, he averages 2.9 assists and 1.4 turnovers per game. He can score a little from the point and has the experience to run the offense. He has created a positive offensive win shares number in 8 of the 9 years of his NBA career.
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Farmar is an underrated defender. He averaged 1.3 steals per game last season in 24.3 minutes per game, granted he only played 12 NBA games. Farmar has averaged 0.8 steals per game in his career. He has earned a positive defensive win shares number in every season in his career.
Why the Kings Should Pass on Farmar
Farmar turns 30 years old on November 30th and has played 89 NBA games the last 3 season combined. According to Fox Sports, he has suffered multiple back and hamstring injuries in his career. Which is concerning, but playing a small role should put less strain on his body and hopefully keep him healthy at least until Darren Collison returns from suspension.
He shoots a poor percentage from the field and maybe takes the ball into his own hands a little more than he should. He has a 20.0 usage percentage for his career. Not great for a player who shoots 42.3% from the field. All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.
The Verdict
In my opinion, the gains outweigh the negatives. If you can bring Farmar in on a minimum contract, the Kings could use his spacing and offensive ability. His defense will not be negative and this already a poor defensive team, so any positive play they can get will help.
I am by no means advocating that Farmar will be a revolutionary signing. He will bring a solid skill set and the ability to eat the end of the rotation minutes early in the season without hurting the team. Take the plunge Kings.