Summer League Report Card: JaKarr Sampson

With the Sacramento Kings’ summer league campaign officially over, we here at A Royal Pain will give individual grades to the players on the team. This article will be analyzing JaKarr Sampson.

The Player

Summer League Stat Line (per game): Minutes: 16.8, Points: 7.5, Rebounds: 5.3, Assists: 0.8, Steals: 0.8, Blocks: 1.3, Field Goal Percentage: 38.5%, Three-Point Percentage: 25%

Prior to playing with the Kings, JaKarr Sampson played two seasons in the NBA from 2014-2016. In two seasons, Sampson played for two different teams: the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets. In those two seasons, he averaged 5.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game.

Last season, Sampson was in the D-League playing for the Iowa Energy as he averaged 15.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.

Sampson had a great season in the D-League but was unable to get any runtime on the NBA hardwood. A good summer league outing could give him another chance to make an NBA team. Let’s check out how he did.

Pros

Sampson had the opportunity this summer to get back to the NBA, and his performance definitely showcased motivation to do so.

Sampson was a high-energy guy when he received the playing time he got. He was active and aggressive on the court whether it was to rebound the ball, defend opponents, or bruise the rim with his emphatic dunks.

What made Sampson an asset was that he found himself a role on the team. He understood that his energy and athleticism are his biggest assets, therefore, he seemed to embrace being the spritely and lively player for the Kings. Any NBA team would welcome a player that works hard and hustles when on the court.

Cons

Sampson’s motor helped him rebound and defend opponents, but when it came to scoring and shooting, there wasn’t much to see from the former St. Johns player.

Sampson did average 7.5 points a game, but most of his scoring came from high-percentage attempts that were set up originally by his teammates. Even with Sampson’s average in points, he only made 38.5% of his field goal attempts and 25% of his shots from beyond the perimeter.

This could give Sampson trouble from getting back to the NBA. With the league now putting an emphasis on shooting, especially at his position, this direction is steering away from Sampson’s bread-and-butter.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I thought Sampson had a solid summer league with the Kings. He was effective when rebounding the ball and defending players, which was possible because of the high energy he showed constantly on the floor.

With that being said, however, Sampson’s biggest weakness was his shooting, which added on to the shooting struggles that the Kings suffered throughout most of their summer league games.

Energy players are always welcomed on NBA squads, but an ability to shoot is welcomed as well. Especially with Sampson, who primarily is a wing player, he will need to be a more consistent shooter in order to get back to the NBA. A mix of hustle and shooting would benefit an NBA team for sure.