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Sacramento Kings season report card: JaKarr Sampson

By Tyler Watts

SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 7: JaKarr Sampson #29 of the Sacramento Kings looks on during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 7, 2018 at 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 7: JaKarr Sampson #29 of the Sacramento Kings looks on during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 7, 2018 at 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Sacramento Kings forward JaKarr Sampson saw limited action on his two-way contract.  Today, Sampson is given a grade for his performance this season.

The Sacramento Kings finished the season with 27 wins and will once again select in the top ten in June’s draft.  The season was one of growth and development for their young talent.  The Kings used the 2017 Summer League to add two players on two-way contracts.  One of those players was JaKarr Sampson.

Today, we put JaKarr Sampson’s time with the Kings through the grading machine.  He will receive a grade for his offense, defense, and overall contributions this season.  Then, the article concludes with some final thoughts.  Without further ado, let us jump right into it.

Offensive grade: C

Sampson is a player who does a lot of little things that go unnoticed in a box score.  Sure, he only saw action in 22 games and played just 15.6 minutes night, but he brings high energy and hustles every second on the court.  Sampson can also throw down a dunk or two.  Check out his top-five plays from this season below.

Sampson earned a C offensive grade for this season because he played within himself.  He shot 54.3 percent from the field and had an offensive rating of 117.  Sampson also was a positive 0.4 in offensive win shares.  Those are all impressive in limited and inconsistent action.

Defensive grade: C+

Sampson’s high paced game shows out more of the defensive end.  He secured 3.5 rebounds and blocked 1.0 shot per game in just 15.6 minutes.  If you expand that out to per 36 numbers, it is 8.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.  Sampson is a capable man-to-man defender on both forward spots and displayed that talent this season.

Related Story: JaKarr Sampson earned a spot with the Kings next season

He also earned a positive 0.4 defensive wins shares this season and had a positive 1.9 defensive box score plus/minus.  The advanced metrics favor his defense and rightfully so.  Sampson earned a C+ in this category for the year.

Overall grade for the 2017-2018 season: C

JaKarr Sampson played well for both the Sacramento Kings and the Reno Bighorns this season.  In his time with the Kings, he earned a C grade for the year.  According to win shares per 48 minutes, Sampson was a 0.114 (league average is 0.100).  His energy and hustle earned him positive marks.

The grade could not shoot up too high because Sampson lacked the games and minutes on the court.  He did earn a more substantial opportunity next season.  Hopefully, Sacramento is the organization that provides him that chance.

Final thoughts

JaKarr Sampson played well in limited action with the Sacramento Kings and earned a C grade for this season.  Sampson enters free agency after just turning 25 in March.  Expect him to be playing a role off the bench for some NBA team next campaign.  Stay tuned to see where he lands.

Next: A look at 7 looming free agency decisions for the Kings

A Royal Pain is a Sacramento Kings fans top source for opinions on the franchise.  Our team prides itself on producing unique content that fans cannot find anywhere else, so please check back with us frequently.  Thank you for reading.

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