Sacramento Kings: Biggest takeaway from the preseason so far

With two more games left in the preseason the Sacramento Kings are sitting at 2-2. They’ve had a few good performances and some not so good ones (see: Warriors).

De’Aaron Fox looked phenomenal in the first half against the Lakers for the Sacramento Kings. He showed flashes that has Kings fans excited for the future, hitting threes with ease and getting to the lane whenever he wanted. If Fox can become a decent shooter, he could be in the running for most improved player this season.

Marvin Bagley III on the other hand, has had his struggles. He’s averaging 11 points and 7 rebounds, but shooting just 40% from the field. Not ideal for someone who takes most of his shots near the rim.

The concerns I had for Bagley was that he did most of his damage in college purely off athleticism and not as much off of skill. He really doesn’t have a go to post move, struggles when defenders force him to go right, and he just isn’t quite strong enough yet to finish through physical contact.

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I expect Bagley to have a lot of up and downs this season, but the Kings have been focused on pushing the ball which should help him get some easy buckets.

Biggest Takeaway

Sacramento Kings fans have been waiting for Harry Giles to get some NBA action and he has taken advantage of the opportunity. Take out Yogi Ferrell’s 26 point performance against the Suns, and Giles leads the team in points per game, fields goals made and attempted per game.

It has only been three games, but it is quite obvious that Giles will be the Kings most versatile big man offensively. He has been the Kings most aggressive player offensively when he’s on the floor.

Though his shot selection hasn’t been the best, he is still extremely raw and it will take time for him to learn the difference between a good and bad shot.

He has shown he can score in multiple ways: he looks very comfortable shooting that mid range shot; he’s caught the ball in the post and attempted hook shots with both right and left hand and looks comfortable doing that; In the pick and roll, he provides a pick and pop and a rim rolling lob threat for the offense.

Combine those with his ability to run the floor, Giles gives the Kings versatility that they desperately need. Offensively, Giles is the total package. Now it’s a matter of staying healthy and polishing his skillset.

With Willie Cauely-Stein’s future up in the air, the Kings future front-court can consist of Bagley and Giles at the four and five spots. Giles looks comfortable playing either position.

Given the minutes, I think Giles will find his playing time rise throughout the course of the season. He is showing us flashes of why he was, at one point, the number one high-school player in the nation.

Final Thoughts

Like Jayson Tatum said when he appeared on a podcast with Bill Simmons, “You can ask anybody that was in our [draft] class. Harry was the only player I would’ve said in high school, ‘Yeah, he might be better than me.’”

Tatum also said, “I used to call him Chris Webber. That’s who I thought he used to play like.”

I see why he compared him to Webber. He has a natural feel for the game and everything seems to come easy for him. He can shoot, pass, and has even shown some flashed of putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim.

That’s a high-bar for Giles to live up to, but if he can stay healthy and gain experience, you will start to see Giles become more polished and potentially become the Kings best big man for years to come.

Next. Sacramento Kings: Top three players in the preseason. dark

I’m excited to watch him develop this season and so should you. It’s rare to find big men with the feel and skill set that Giles brings offensively.

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