Sacramento Kings injury update: Willie Cauley-Stein practices

The Sacramento Kings’ Willie Cauley-Stein injured his back on Dec. 2 against the Bucks and missed the last three games as a result.  Read on for an update on that injury.

The Sacramento Kings lost 109-104 on Dec. 2 against the Milwaukee Bucks.  They also lost Willie Cauley-Stein to a lower back strain.  Below is a highlight video from the game in case you missed the action.

Cauley-Stein sat out the next three games, but he finally returned to practice on Dec. 11.  WCS looks ready to face the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.  Sacramento Kings radio reporter Sean Cunningham tweeted the following:

What the news means

Obviously, WCS returns and becomes a significant part of the gameplan for Sacramento.  The Kings figure to play him 24-32 minutes against the Suns and give him plenty of touches and scoring opportunities.

The return of Cauley-Stein marks the end of JaKarr Sampson.  Sampson played fantastic during his call-up from the G-League, but he was sent back to Reno this afternoon.  It was a shame to see him go after playing so well.

Zach Randolph should also be negatively affected by Cauley-Stein’s return.  Z-Bo has seen a boost in his playing time, and offensive looks during the injury.  Expect both he and WCS to return to similar roles they played pre-injury.

Final thoughts

Willie Cauley-Stein practices for the first since injuring his lower back on Dec. 2.  It looks likely he returns on Dec. 12 against the Phoenix Suns.  The Kings need Cauley-Stein’s presence down low.  Hopefully, he returns to the form he was playing at pre-injury.  WCS was playing hot and looking like a significant piece of Sacramento’s future.

Next: Why Michael Porter Jr. could be a steal for the Kings

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