A Royal Pain
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Opinion: Is Arron Afflalo Worth the Dollars?

By Tyler Watts

Dec 7, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Arron Afflalo (4) works the ball around Dallas Mavericks guard Deron Williams (8) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Dallas Mavericks won 104-97. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Arron Afflalo (4) works the ball around Dallas Mavericks guard Deron Williams (8) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Dallas Mavericks won 104-97. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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Summary

Let us review what we learned about Mister Afflalo so far.  He agreed to sign a 2-year contract worth $25 million with the Kings during free agency.  On offense, he is a great 3 point shooter and solid contributor overall.  On defense, he lacks traditional stats and struggles with on-ball defense.  The advanced metrics for his career rate him as below league average player, but more valuable than a replacement player.  He has no injury history to worry about, but he is turning 31 years old next month.

So is Afflalo worth 2 years and $25 million to the Sacramento Kings?

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In my opinion, the Kings overpaid a little for a solid contributor, but not the perfect fit for their team.  I love the 3 point production Afflalo brings to the Kings, a team that could stand to improve its 3 point production.  The big worry for me is the defense.  This was a team last year that gave up the most points per game and then adds another so-so defender who is expected to start and play big minutes.  That scares me a lot.

I am hopeful Afflalo can bring more than on-court production to the Kings, though.  He is a veteran with experience on 5 NBA teams, so I am hoping he can come in and be a leader.  The locker room needs to be cohesive this season and with the influx of new veteran players, it is possible that happens.

I am hopeful that Afflalo continues to shoot well from beyond the arc this season and with Coach Joerger’s defensive schemes and focus, he improves Afflalo’s defense.  That allows Afflalo to play big minutes, be effective, and leads the Kings to a plethora of victories this season.

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