Skal Labissiere’s struggle to become an impact player has forced some to question whether or not he will be a part of the Sacramento Kings’ future. After a tumultuous season that saw his name circled in multiple trade rumors, shuttled between the starters and bench, and an offseason that saw the Kings adding another power forward via the draft, it begs the question. Are Skal’s days in a Kings uniform numbered?
If I said in the year 2015 that Skal Labissiere would not be a productive NBA player two seasons into his career, most would say I was crazy and did not understand basketball. And for good reason too.
Heading into the 2016 college basketball season, the “who goes #1 overall?” question revolved around two players: Skal Labissiere and Ben Simmons.
Now, as we head into the 2018-19 regular season, Ben Simmons is in the NBA MVP conversation, per Bovada. In the case of Labissiere? There are still questions about whether he will even see time on the floor this season, let alone be winning any awards.
Skal’s fall from grace has been fairly well documented, given the Haitian star played at a high-profile program at the University of Kentucky. His strengths and weaknesses were, and continue to be, picked apart and he is facing an uncertain future with the Sacramento franchise. But why? And perhaps more importantly, how can he redeem himself? To answer that question, you have got to go back to the beginning of his fall.
Let us jump into that beginning.