Who should the Sacramento Kings start at power forward once the NBA regular season is in session?
The NBA summer league is over for the Sacramento Kings, and now the team has a better picture of where each player should be placed on the depth chart. With that being said, this article predicts which player on the Kings should start at the power forward position.
Enjoy this slideshow presenting three possible candidates.
Zach Randolph
Earlier this month, the Kings signed Zach Randolph to a two-year deal. What Randolph brings to the table is his veteran presence and physicality. Randolph is a bruiser in the paint as he has great success in grabbing rebounds and getting second-chance points due to his post skills. Randolph also can make the three-point shot at times which displays his offensive versatility.
Although Randolph is a veteran at the age of 36, he is still a productive player. Last season, Randolph took on the role as the sixth man of his team and he averaged 14.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. All of this with a Memphis Grizzlies squad that competed in the playoffs.
If Randolph is granted the starting job, the team would increase in experience and toughness on both ends of the floor to start games. Randolph may be in his later years, but he can very much still handle his own against NBA competition.
Skal Labissiere
Skal Labissiere was one of the few bright spots from the Kings’ messy 2016-2017 campaign. When given legit playing time, Labissiere shined as he averaged 10.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 54.4% from the floor (post All-Star stats).
Starting Labissiere could mean two things, 1) Labissiere’s development process and 2) The direction of the Kings. For all we know, Labissiere could end up being the best power forward once training camp and preseason conclude. It wouldn’t be that surprising considering the type of improvement he showed from the beginning of his rookie season to the end. But starting Skal could also mean the Kings are primarily focused on seeing the young talent develop since they are in a full rebuild mode.
The benefit of starting Skal in terms of play would help the Kings offensively. His game primarily relies on his mid-range jumper and post skills. While Randolph’s game is more physical, Skal is more finesse when stepping on the hardwood. Skal also has the ability to make three-point shots as well, which fills a void for the Kings who don’t really have a stretch-four on their roster at the moment.
Harry Giles
The chances of the Kings starting Harry Giles is unlikely. Although Giles has top-tier talent that made him a top high school prospect, he has suffered multiple knee injuries for the last couple of years.
The Kings are being cautious with Giles. They showed this by not letting play in summer league a couple of weeks back. So the likelihood of Giles starting on opening night are as slim as the Kings bringing back George Karl as a counselor.
Who Should Start?
Right now, I would say Zach Randolph will be the starting power forward for the Kings on opening night. Even in the past few years, Randolph has continued to give his teams consistent production in the paint and toughness that can be contagious within the team. Plus, Randolph is reunited with Dave Joerger, his once head coach back in Memphis.
There is a fair argument to give Skal the starting spot due to the production he showed post-All-Star break of last season, but in his recent summer league outing, he showed that he still needs to improve a lot before he can be a starter on a competitive team.
I think it comes down to who is the better player in training camp, and I think Zach’s ability to bruise opponents will give Skal a hard time to defend and score on him.
Kings fans, if you have any opinions that you want to share with us on this topic, feel free to comment on our website, Facebook page, or Twitter account!