The Sacramento Kings are going to start playing their young players more by sitting at least two veterans each game. We examine which players are affected and why it is the correct move.
The Sacramento Kings sit in the cellar of the Western Conference on Dec. 15. Their 13 wins are the third fewest in the NBA. The defeat against Oklahoma City on Monday marked five straight losses. The Kings have just two wins in their last 12 contests. The season is trending in the wrong direction so Sacramento made the right decision on Monday. Below is a Tweet from Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee that outlines the plan moving forward.
Joerger says postgame going forward at least two of the vets will sit each game. Could be 3 some nights. Randolph and Carter were held out tonight
— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) January 16, 2018
What the news means
The Kings will now start resting at least two of their five veterans players in every game for the rest of the season (barring them being traded away before the deadline). Those five players are George Hill, Zach Randolph, Kosta Koufos, Garrett Temple, and Vince Carter. Each player has at least seven seasons in the NBA.
It also means the core young talent should all see 30 plus minutes a night and have time to develop on the court. They also will have more time playing together and getting comfortable with each other.