A Royal Pain
Fansided

Sacramento Kings’ Lineup Preview: Vince and the Youth

By Michael Dugger

SACRAMENTO, CA - FEBRUARY 23: Buddy Hield
SACRAMENTO, CA - FEBRUARY 23: Buddy Hield /
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We continue our offseason lineup previews by looking at a unit consisting of two rookies, two second year players, and a veteran entering his 20th season.

The 5: Frank Mason, Buddy Hield, Vince Carter, Harry Giles, Skal Labissiere.

Offensive Potential:

Before delving into the defensive limitations this group would encounter, let’s discuss how successful this unit would be offensively. The backcourt contains the last two winners of the John Wooden Award in Hield and Mason. They won’t blow by opposing guards or out-muscle them, but they are smart and savvy enough to score points.

Buddy led the Kings in scoring (15.8 PPG) after coming over from the New Orleans Pelicans and Mason finished his senior season at Kansas scoring 20.9 points per game on an efficient 49% shooting from the floor. These two in the backcourt would space the floor and give coach Dave Joerger a pair of ball handlers to run the offense, as long as Buddy continues improving his pick-and-roll handle.

LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 10: Frank Mason III
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 10: Frank Mason III /

We saw a glimpse of Skal’s offensive game last year, and he would have an open paint to play in with three shooters around him. I would deploy Harry Giles as the screener/rim-runner in this lineup. I was higher than most on Giles before the draft and I’m well-aware of his knee injury history, but he can handle the ball and is a quick leaper attacking the rim, making him the perfect rim-roller. This also puts Skal in his most comfortable position to date: spotting up from the midrange and posting up.

Not to be overlooked is the elder statesmen of the group, Vince Carter. He can spot-up, attack the rim when needed, make the smart plays, and help get the offense set by simple communication. Carter would undoubtedly grow frustrated with this lineup’s mistakes, but he knows what he signed up for in playing with these young Kings.

HONG KONG, HONG KONG – JULY 30: Vince Carter
HONG KONG, HONG KONG – JULY 30: Vince Carter /

Defensive Potential:

This is where the lineup faces an uphill battle. In a point guard driven league, equipping Mason, Hield, and Carter as wing defenders are no recipe for success. Mason and Buddy lack ideal size and strength to stop the guards they’d face on any given night. And asking Vinsanity to chase around the opposition’s top wing players isn’t sustainable at his age.

This would put a ton of pressure on Giles and Labissiere to protect the rim. Skal hasn’t developed the defensive timing to match his length and athleticism to form an elite rim protector. Giles is a quick leaper and alters shots consistently, but it remains to be seen if his knees and timing will translate into the NBA. This group would struggle to stop anybody until we see an increase in defensive effort.

SACRAMENTO, CA – JUNE 24: The Sacramento Kings 2017 Draft Pick Harry Giles signs autographs on June 24, 2017 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA – JUNE 24: The Sacramento Kings 2017 Draft Pick Harry Giles signs autographs on June 24, 2017 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Final Thoughts:

Not all of the lineups I will preview are seamless fits, and this one is far from that defensively. The defense makes this unit less attractive unless each player takes massive strides.

But the offensive side of this lineup excites me. Mason and Hield are fun to watch as they would weave in and out of traffic to put up points. Skal has heat check ability and Giles is one of the biggest unknowns from the 2017 NBA Draft. And Vince can still produce highlight dunks when he gets a head of steam.

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