Recently, the Sacramento Kings earned a victory against the Phoenix Suns in their preseason opener. In the game, which guys on the Kings’ roster stood out as top performers of the match?
On Monday night, the Sacramento Kings finished their first preseason game of the 2018-2019 campaign and ended up leaving with the victory as they defeated the Phoenix Suns by a score of 106-102. With this win, the Kings have a preseason record of 1-0 and will have the opportunity to build on that when they face off against the Los Angeles Lakers next Friday night.
A lot of excitement happened during the contest. The Kings were able to debut their new offensive system to the world which caused many Kings fans to feel optimistic about their team. To finish the game, the Kings were able to score 106 points (last year’s average was 98.8) while shooting 47.6% (39-82) from the floor, 44% (11-25) from the three-point line, and 60.7% (17-28) from the free-throw stripe. The team also was able to distribute 24 assists as well.
Yes, the Kings’ offense executed well as a collective whole as 10 of the 11 players who played scored in the game. But honestly, there were only a few guys from the group whose performances really elevated the Kings in the contest.
In this article, I will list the three Kings players who I thought had excellent performances during the team’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns. I will also explain my reasoning for why they were my players of the game through this slideshow.
De’Aaron Fox
The newly sophomore player De’Aaron Fox has a lot of pressure coming his way during this season. Being the former first-round pick, the point guard of the Kings’ future, and the likely franchise player, he needs to perform consistently well for Sacramento’s rebuild to become a success.
In order for Fox to have a good sophomore campaign, he needs to improve on a few aspects of his game. These aspects are running the offense efficiently, shooting the ball well, and becoming a better defender.
When watching Fox play against the Suns, two of the three goals listed above were noticeable in my eyes. When the Kings were on offense, Fox did what he could to make sure his team was increasing the energy. As a result, the Kings were able at times to get easy baskets and create momentum simply by increasing the pace of the game. And Fox being the facilitator, deserves a lot of credit for that happening.
Another part of Fox’s game that I saw improvement on was his man-to-man defense. During times of the game, Fox would give the Suns’ guards fits as his athleticism and length disrupted their rhythm.
It is only one game, but Fox’s performance against the Suns gives hope that he can become a reliable asset for Sacramento on both ends of the court going forward. For the game, Fox finished with 12 points, five assists, and three rebounds while shooting 50% (5-10) from the court.
Yogi Ferrell
The Kings did not make many splashes this summer during free agency, but a nice pick up from Vlade Divac and company was the acquisition of Yogi Ferrell. Originally, Ferrell was due to stay with the Dallas Mavericks for the 2018-2019 season but ended up backing out of the deal in order to join the Kings. The contract that Ferrell and the Kings mutually agreed on is worth a little over $6 million over the duration of two years.
For Ferrell, the expectation for him this season is to become a scoring spark for the Kings off their bench. If his season projection is based off his recent performance, I would say the Kings would be thrilled.
During Sacramento’s game against Phoenix, Ferrell lit up the place. He was obviously the Kings’ hottest scorer as he recorded 26 points off 64.3% (9-14) shooting from the floor and 66.7% (6-9) shooting from beyond the arc in just 30 minutes of play.
Without the services of Ferrell, the Kings do not get the victory against the Suns. His ability to push the pace on offense and make shots at a reliable rate is what the Kings and their fans hoped Yogi would do for their team. And last Monday night, at the least, he did exactly that.
Harry Giles
Maybe the most hyped basketball player from the Sacramento Kings this season. For the first time ever, Harry Giles suited up with the Kings in a preseason game.
For the last year, Giles has been a popular figure in the Kings community. Due to his massive potential, and also finally being healthy from his plague of knee injuries, many in the Kings fanbase believe Giles will be a core player during the Kings’ road back to relevancy.
Although Giles did not turn the world upside down with his play, he still had a solid performance in his first preseason game. For the match, Giles finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Not only did Giles contribute on the offensive end, but he was active and instinctual on the defensive side of the ball. Nothing spectacular, but overall, a well-balanced performance by the former top high-school prospect.
Harry Giles is another guy that the Kings are counting on to become an impactful player. With his combination of athleticism, skill, and talent, Giles definitely has the capability of becoming a great NBA player and a big man for the Kings long term. With him and Marvin Bagley III starting their rookie campaigns in just a few weeks, Kings fans cannot be more thrilled for the upcoming season.