Royal Roundtable: Sacramento Kings’ Rookie of the Year?

Who was the best rookie player for the Sacramento Kings this season? The A Royal Pain (ARP) squad gives their intake on the subject.

The A Royal Pain team is back with its Royal Roundtable discussion. If you are new to the site or need a refresher, these articles start off with a topic that pertains with the Sacramento Kings.

The members of ARP then give their insights on the topic and can choose to debate with other members throughout the discussion. So without wasting any more time, here is the topic that was selected for this discussion and the responses that were given by the ARP team.

Topic: The Kings had a lot of rookies on their team this season, but which player stood out in front of the rest?

Rafe (@rafnation):

I think Skal Labissiere deserves this award. For the season, Labissiere was a pleasant surprise for Kings fans to watch as the so-called “project” averaged 8.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 53.7% from the floor. Labissiere was also able to record a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 16.91.

What made Labissiere so efficient this season was how skilled he was as a player. Offesnsively, Labissiere showed promise as he was able to score consistently in the paint and also in the midrange areas. Defensively, Labissere was also able to handle his own as his athleticism and aggressiveness were able to shadow his lanky frame. You could say that another player that should be seriously considered for this honor is Buddy Hield. But in the end, I do think Labissiere outperformed Buddy when evaluating their entire performances.

Michael (@dugger_fern):

My pick would have to be Buddy Hield. He doesn’t affect the game defensively like Skal does, but Buddy’s offensive impact is more important for me. Buddy led the team in scoring (15.1 PPG) and field goal percentage (.600 TS%) after the All-Star break. Hield showed the ability to score off the dribble and pick-and-roll to partner with his sharp shooting from deep (.428 3P%).

His shooting is invaluable to a team that struggled to create floor spacing before his arrival. This allows post-players like Labissiere and Cauley-Stein room to operate in ways that wouldn’t exist without Hield. Both rookies have ushered in a new era of Kings hoops, however, Skal appeared in only 33 games whereas Buddy played in all 82 contests.

Jonathan (@jonrxxiii):

I don’t think there’s anybody other than Hield or Labissiere to be considered here. With that being said though, this isn’t an easy choice. Buddy appeared in way more contests than Skal as Michael noted and I have to lean more towards giving the award to him as a result.

Skal had a great half season after the All-Star break and really cemented himself as a future building block. Even with this though, I do think Hield deserves this honor. He became a lethal sharpshooter when he came to Sacramento and I don’t think Skal or WCS would have played as well as they did if Buddy wasn’t there to space the floor.

I feel the Kings have lacked a strong three-point shooting threat, but with Buddy they have that now and he improves the rest of the team by providing the spacing that he does.

Rafe:

There is a good argument to make for Hield because he made a good case this season that he will be the long-term two-guard for the Kings. Also, Buddy started his tenure with Sacramento as a bench player and later made his way as a starter in the end so I give him props for that. But the reason why I’m sticking with Skal for this honor is because I think he brings a variety of benefits to the table.

Labissiere was a player that could score in various ways as well as become an aggressive and solid rebounder, even though he was physically outmatched. Although Buddy did a really great job in being a shooter and scorer for the Kings, that was really the only aspect of the game that he was good in. He stills needs to be a better defender and also provide more offensively than just scoring.

Michael:

Buddy must improve defensively, but that’s a problem lingering throughout the roster. When comparing what the two rookies bring to the table, Buddy’s scoring ability is more advanced and important to the team than Skal’s improving versatility and equaled the big man in rebounds per game (4.1 vs. 4.9). Hield’s shot creation improved with more responsibilities to run the offense, in particularly the pick-and-roll. His weaknesses are glaring and his potential is less than Skal’s, but Buddy played in all 82 games and was more effective this season.