Sacramento Kings Report Card: Kosta Koufos
By Rafe Wong
This article is part of a series that A Royal Pain is writing where we grade each player on the Sacramento Kings individually.
For this article specifically, we will evaluate the performance of Kosta Koufos. We will grade Koufos based on his offensive, defensive, and overall performances for the 2016-2017 season.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: For this series, the players on the Kings will be graded on a curve, meaning that the grades handed out to each player say more about their ranking on the team rather than their actual performance grade.
Offense: C
Normally known as a bruiser and interior defender, Koufos was also able to provide offensive support for the Kings this season. In the 71 games that Koufos appeared in, he averaged 6.6 points per game while shooting 55.1% from the floor. Kosta was also able to record an offensive rating of 109.2, which was ranked 5th overall amongst his teammates (per Basketball RealGM).
When factoring in both the numbers and expectations for Koufos as an offensive asset, he overachieved. Throughout the year, Koufos was a guy that the Kings could rely on when needing a basket in the interior as he made strides in mastering his go-to half-hook shot. With that being said, however, Kosta’s role offensively is limited for a reason, therefore, he’s still isn’t a guy that the Kings can make a focal point in their offense going forth.
Defense: B
The defense for the Kings struggled this season, but Koufos was one of the bright spots in the area. For the year, Kosta grabbed 5.7 rebounds per game in the 20 minutes that he averaged per contest. Not bad. Koufos also recorded a defensive rating of 109.2 for the season, which has him ranked 3rd on the team in that category (per Basketball RealGM). Not bad either. Although Koufos won’t be gaining any All-NBA Defensive Team votes, he was still one of the better defenders for the Kings this season.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Kosta Koufos did a solid job in fulfilling his role during the 2016-2017 season. He was an asset on the defensive end and was a surprising contributor offensively. As a result of Koufos’s efforts on the court, he was ranked in the top five in both defensive and offensive rating within his team, the only player on the Kings to achieve that feat.