Who should the Sacramento Kings start at center 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 center position.
Enjoy this slideshow presenting three possible candidates.
Willie Cauley-Stein
The argument to start Willie Cauley-Stein is that he has earned it. After facing early struggles in his 2016-2017 campaign, Cauley-Stein had a gradual pattern of improvement once the season ended.
On defense, he remains to use his athleticism and length to give opponents trouble when defending them. On offense, he found his niche as he has expanded his game outside of the paint area, and as a result, he has been a better all-around offensive asset.
Last season, Cauley-Stein was the best center on the Kings, so if he continues to prove that going into training camp, he should be called upon to start on opening night.
Kosta Koufos
Kosta Koufos had himself a low-key solid season last year. Taking on the role as the backup big man, Koufos averaged 6.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while playing solid defense on the other end.
Starting Koufos gives the Kings a player that can contribute on both ends of the floor to start games. Also, Koufos and Zach Randolph have played with each other in the past during their days in Memphis. If Randolph were to start at power forward, having Koufos pair up with him wouldn’t be a bad play.
Georgios Papagiannis
There really isn’t an argument to make for starting Georgios Papagiannis. His size is great, but he hasn’t done much to utilize it to his advantage. Also, one can’t argue to start Papagiannis because he is young. There is already another young talent in Cauley-Stein who should be ahead of him on the depth chart.
If Papagiannis were to ever be in the starting lineup, it would either be because he dramatically improved during the season, for matchup purposes, or because of injury towards his teammates at his position.
Final Thoughts
All three guys have played for Sacramento in the last year, so judging off their sample sizes, I would go with Cauley-Stein to be the starting center for the Kings to begin next season.
Willie made a huge leap of improvement last year. Once the Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins last February, Cauley-Stein averaged 12.9 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. Not bad for an “offensive liability”, right?
What also makes Willie a good choice is that he doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. He is a guy that gets most of his production based on his freakish athleticism and relentless effort on the floor. Ideally how a center performs in today’s NBA.
Although Koufos could make for a solid starting center, I feel Willie has been a better player due to his potential and production so far. Therefore, Cauley-Stein should be given the chance to be the starting center until he proves he is unable to be efficient.
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