What will the starting five look like for the Sacramento Kings to start their 2017-2018 campaign? A Royal Pain has given our opinions on the topic.
There still is a long way to go until the NBA regular season starts, but it’s never a bad time to converse about the Sacramento Kings.
With the roster set in place and summer league officially over, it gives the people a better idea of who will likely be in the starting lineup for the purple and white once the NBA season begins.
With that being said, we hope you enjoy this slideshow on who A Royal Pain thinks Dave Joerger should place in the starting lineup for your Sacramento Kings!
Point Guard: George Hill
Although starting De’Aaron Fox would have the potential to speed up his development process, starting George Hill is the right move here.
There is a good argument that Hill is the best player on the Kings’ current roster. He is a player that can help his team right away on both ends of the court. Not only would starting Hill benefit the Kings this season, but also can benefit Fox as well.
As Hill is on the hardwood leading the starting unit, Fox can be on the bench taking in valuable knowledge from the nine-year veteran. The Kings are in a position where they don’t need to rush Fox, but instead, have him develop a gradual pattern of improvement during his rookie season while Hill mentors him.
For the full analysis on our reasoning, click here.
Shooting Guard: Buddy Hield
There is no doubt about who should be the starting shooting guard for the Sacramento Kings on opening night. The Kings traded away their franchise player, DeMarcus Cousins, to secure 2016 lottery pick, Buddy Hield.
Hield played fantastically in Sacramento, and he deserves to start next season. Buddy Love played well enough to earn himself All-Rookie First Team honors with the Kings. He also displayed fantastic three-point shooting and the ability to score the ball at the highest level.
Most importantly, Hield is a building block on this young talented core. The Kings are hoping a starting five of De’Aaron Fox, Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Skal Labissiere, and Willie Cauley-Stein is the group that leads them back to the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Hield started 18 games last season and earned his spot, so no reason to limit his development and bring him off the bench. Let the 23-year-old begin the game and play a huge chunk of minutes. It will only help his development and improve the Kings chances of growing their young core together.
The real question is rather Hield or Bogdanovic is the shooting guard. They both are considered two-guards by most outlets, but in this NBA they both are just wings and are interchangeable based on the matchup. Expect to see both of them playing a heap of minutes on the court together for years to come.
For the full analysis on our reasoning, click here.
Small Forward: Bogdan Bogdanovic (written by Tyler Watts)
Bogdan Bogdanovic seems to be the right guy for the small forward spot. At least based on his resume overseas, Bogdan is a player that should be able to provide consistent production for the Kings on offense as he was the top scorer for his team, Fenerbahçe, who recently became the Euroleague champions. Not only can Bogdan become an offensive asset for his new team, but he has the ability to be a great defender due to his size, length, and athleticism.
Bogdanovic’s competition for the small forward spot will likely be rookie Justin Jackson, veteran Vince Carter, and the versatile Garrett Temple.
Temple seems to be the only competition for Bogdan for the starting job, but I believe Bogdan will showcase that he’s worth the starting role, and his contract, in training camp and throughout the regular season.
For the full analysis on our reasoning, click here.
Power Forward: Zach Randolph
The possible choices here are Zach Randolph, Harry Giles, and Skal Labissiere. With the Kings seemingly being cautious with Giles due to his recent knee injuries, the choice for the starting power forward will be between Randolph and Labissiere.
Picking Randolph to be the starting four is the best move in my opinion. Labissiere played well in his rookie season, but as summer league showed basketball fans, he still needs to improve if he wants to be a significant piece for the Kings going forth.
I think whoever is the best player will receive the starting spot. Dave Joerger has been a coach who has played guys who legitimately earn their playing time. So with that being said, I think Randolph will be able to outplay Labissiere in training camp and preseason as he is a stronger presence in the interior. Randolph may be past his prime, but he showed last season with the Memphis Grizzlies that he can produce for a competitive squad.
For the full analysis on our reasoning, click here.
Center: Willie Cauley-Stein
Willie Cauley-Stein has to be the obvious choice here. During last season, Willie made great strides as he became a better defender and expanded his offensive game outside the paint. With Cauley-Stein continuing to prove himself while being young, he is due to have a breakout season with the Kings.
Starting Kosta Koufos is a solid option as well, but I think Willie has been more productive than him. Plus, Koufos was a solid player last season being the backup big man. Another option to start at center is Georgios Papagiannis, but he still has long ways to go before he can become a reliable asset for the Kings. But the potential is there.
For the full analysis on our reasoning, click here.
Kings and NBA fans, if you agree or disagree with our thoughts about the Kings’ potential starting five, feel free to express yourself either through our website, Facebook page, or Twitter account.