With the Sacramento Kings bringing back Ben McLemore, are there benefits to this move? In my opinion, there are a few reasons to be excited about Benny-Mac’s return.
Vlade Divac and company shocked their fanbase when they traded Garrett Temple to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Deyonta Davis and Ben McLemore. Once the trade happened, the Sacramento Kings community was upset for a variety of reasons. One of these reasons was that McLemore would return to the Kings.
With the addition of McLemore, the Kings now have a logjam at the shooting guard position, as well as a five-year pro who has not yet proven he belongs in the NBA. But in my opinion, there are some positives to take away from Benny-Mac’s return to the purple and white. Let us explore these reasons.
Shooting Ability
The Kings can always use more shooting, and McLemore has the ability to help them in this aspect. Erasing his previous season with the Grizzlies, McLemore has shown steady progress in his three-point shooting throughout the years. It is no guarantee that he will become a great shooter for Sacramento, but if he can make 37-40% of his perimeter shots this season, which is a realistic goal, I will take that any day.
Must Read: Grading Harry Giles’ Summer League
Constant Worker
McLemore has been one of the biggest mysteries in Kings basketball. The dude is a gym rat that constantly works on getting better. But somehow his hard work has not translated onto the court.
But with that said, McLemore is a player who understands he needs to improve and is willing to put in the work in order to do so. Whether Ben finally turns it around is unknown at the moment, but I know he is at least going to try.
Final Thoughts
Based on what I have witnessed, the Kings community is not too thrilled with their former first-round pick coming back. But in my opinion, there are some bright spots to his return as he is crazy athletic, has the ability to be a good spot-up shooter, and is a workaholic.
Yes, Ben did not live up to the expectations the Kings had when he was drafted in 2013, but now it is time to move on and focus on his current situation. At this time, he is going to be a bench player who is a relentless worker and has a ton of potential. In my mind, that is not a bad player to have on one’s roster.
Must Read: Evaluating Vlade’s Actions & His Current Roster
Kings fans. Do you think it was a good idea to bring back Ben McLemore? To give ARP your thoughts on the topic, feel free to comment on our website, Facebook page, or Twitter account.