A Royal Pain
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Opinion: Is Kirk Hinrich the Point Guard to Fill Out the Kings’ Roster?

By Tyler Watts

Mar 13, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich (12) brings the ball up the court against the Indiana Pacers during the second half at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Pacers 104-75. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich (12) brings the ball up the court against the Indiana Pacers during the second half at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Pacers 104-75. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Sacramento Kings have a dearth of point guards on their roster.  This article examines if Kirk Hinrich is the player to improve their roster.

The Sacramento Kings are searching for a point guard to complete their roster with the impending suspension of Darren Collison.  They need a player that can play an 8 to 15 minute per game bench role.  A current free agent option is Kirk Hinrich.  Below is a short highlight video to give you a taste of Hinrich’s on-court game.

Why the Kings Should Target Hinrich

Kirk Hinrich could bring the Kings a boost in 3 point shooting.  Hinrich is a career 37.5% shooter from distance connecting on 1.3 3’s a game in 30.7 minutes.  Last year, he split time between the Bulls and Hawks, but still connected his 3-pointers at 38.7%.  He played limited minutes last season (only 13.7 per game), but still knocked down 0.5 from beyond the arc per game.  The Kings need perimeter shooting and Hinrich could fill that void.

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Hinrich has the experience and ability to run an NBA offense.  Hinrich has always been a prototypical point guard and coupled with his 13 years of NBA experience he knows how to command the offense on the court.  Being a veteran, he could also bring some much-needed leadership to Sacramento.

Hinrich can still defend on the perimeter.  The raw totals of 0.3 steals, 0.0 blocks, and 1.3 defensive rebounds per game last season do not jump off the page, but if you look at advanced metrics Hinrich rates as an adequate defender.  He earned positive 0.5 defensive win shares last season and has never had a season in his career with negative defensive win shares.  All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.  The Kings need perimeter defending and Hinrich can use his knowledge and craftiness to get the job done in an effective yet unspectacular fashion.

Why the Kings Should Pass on Hinrich

Kirk Hinrich is 36 years old and is best NBA days are behind him.  He was a starting point for big stretches of his career, but now he is limited to bench duty.  He could fill the role for the Kings, but it would not be an exciting signing with expectations of greatness.

The injuries have piled up on Mister Hinrich the last few seasons.  According to Fox Sports, Hinrich has suffered 12 different injuries since December 2013.  He seems to get banged up causing him to miss games more and more frequently.  That could be a big issue for a Kings team in need of a body to play early in the season.

The Verdict

The Kings could do worse than taking a shot on Kirk Hinrich.  He will bring perimeter shooting, perimeter defense, and leadership that the Kings desperately need.  Hinrich is a player in decline and the injuries have been frequent in recent seasons, so the fit is not perfect.  He would be a serviceable target to fill a small bench role for the Kings early in the season, in my opinion.  Mister Hinrich would not hurt the team in the minutes they are in desperate need of being filled.

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