Midseason Report Card: Garrett Temple
By Rafe Wong
This article will analyze how Garrett Temple has performed with the Sacramento Kings so far in his 2017-2018 campaign.
As Garrett Temple is in the midst of his second season with the Sacramento Kings, I will analyze and grade how he has performed with the team so far this season.
Offense: B-
Temple has been a solid asset on the offensive end. For the season, he is averaging around eight points and two assists a game while shooting 41% from the floor and 37% from the perimeter.
There is not anything that Temple specializes in on offense, but he does a little bit of everything as he can occasionally become a hot spot-up shooter, can move well without the basketball, and can create his own shot.
Temple has also been a big help when playing point guard. The Kings have been thin at the facilitator spot this season, so having a player like Temple who has some experience at the position gives more flexibility for Dave Joerger in his rotations.
Defense: B+
In my opinion, the main reason for the Kings signing Temple was because of his defense. Especially during his time with the Washington Wizards, Temple was known as a defensive specialist which made him a valuable role player.
This season with Sacramento, Temple has remained to be a productive defender as he constantly shows energy and effort when manning up against his opponents. He also is able to guard multiple positions which again gives Joerger flexibility when choosing his lineups.
Although Temple has a 112.9 defensive rating for the year, my eyes show me he is the best defender on the Kings, especially the best one-on-one defender.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Garrett Temple has performed the way I expected him to play this season. He is not going to be a top-tier player for a team, but he is going to bring lots of energy and versatility which makes him a valuable player. Plus his veteran leadership on the Kings is impactful considering the majority of the roster is filled with young talent.
Final thoughts are that I have no huge complaints about Temple. He has been an ideal player for the Kings’ rebuild right now as he has been a good role player and even better veteran leader.