Sacramento Kings: The Forward Thinkers or Joke of the NBA?
By Rafe Wong
The Sacramento Kings community wanted their young talent to play more. Well, they are getting exactly that. But that did not stop Dave Joerger’s squad from continuing to have their fans scratch their heads.
The Sacramento Kings recently won their preseason opener against the Phoenix Suns by a score of 106-102. There is a legit argument that can be made that the majority of Sacramento’s fanbase was satisfied with their team’s performance. The Kings showed that they are committed to playing a faster-paced offense, and as a result, they executed well offensively throughout the game.
But even though there were many positives to take away from the Kings’ last contest, there were also some head scratchers as well. I mean, these are the Kangz that I am writing about.
The Kings Are Mad Scientists
At the end of the first quarter against the Suns, the Kings put a lineup on the floor which no one expected to see. The lineup included Frank Mason III (5’11”) at the point guard position which makes sense, right? Well, how about adding Marvin Bagley III (6’11”), Willie Cauley-Stein (7’0″), Harry Giles (6’10”), and Skal Labissiere (6’11”) to that quintet as well? A lineup that Joerger called the “4-7s”. Again, we are talking about the Kangz.
This lineup, a group I like to call the City of Trees lineup, ended up playing for a short stint in the game, but still caught the attention of the Kings fanbase. When asked about the reasoning behind the lineup, Dave Joerger answered that he was just trying to experiment and give his young guys as much playing time as possible. To see more details of the interview, click here.
Should The Kings Pursue This Lineup?
Just when you think the Kings cannot get any weirder! Although seeing the “4-7s” lineup play together last Monday was unusual, there is the chance that it can be effective. Although there are four bigs on the floor, all of them are very athletic and lengthy which could cause havoc towards their opponents. Especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Sounds crazy, but I hope Joerger continues to play this lineup during preseason play. If it works, then it could be a lethal weapon that the Kings can use during the regular season. And if it fails? Well, it is only preseason.