A Royal Pain
Fansided

Grading Each Player on the Current Sacramento Kings Roster

By Rafe Wong

Oct 29, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings bench celebrate after a play against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. The Kings won 106-103. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings bench celebrate after a play against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. The Kings won 106-103. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 23, 2017; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malachi Richardson (5) slaps five with guard Ty Lawson (10) during the forth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 23, 2017; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malachi Richardson (5) slaps five with guard Ty Lawson (10) during the forth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

Malachi Richardson

In the 9 minutes he averaged in 22 games, Richardson was able to make some impact in his rookie season. For the year, Richardson averaged 3.6 points, 1 rebound, and 0.5 assists per game. He also was able to shoot 41.2% from the floor, 28.6% from the perimeter, and 78.9% from the free-throw.

There wasn’t much to be excited about in Richardson’s performance this season, but the positive in Richardson was that he was able to display confidence on the court. Richardson wasn’t fazed when he put his foot on the hardwood. Despite having subpar shooting numbers, Richardson felt comfortable taking shots and had a good feel for his role on offense. Richardson was also able to showcase flashes defensively, but there is still room for improvement in that facet of the game for him

Overall, there were times where Richardson showcased his true potential, but most of the time he experienced the struggles of being an NBA rookie. It was a shame, however, that Richardson suffered his hamstring injury back in February because it sidelined him for the rest of the season. It’s pretty close to inevitable that if Richardson was able to get some run time with the team post All-Star break, fans would have seen more improvement in Malachi’s overall game.

Overall Grade: D

Click here to read the full analysis on Richardson

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