With the Sacramento Kings’ first regular season game just days away, which five players should Dave Joerger start to begin the new campaign?
Kings fans, it is almost here. The regular season opener is close to starting up again as your Sacramento Kings will face off against the Utah Jazz next Wednesday night.
So far, a lot is in the air for the Kings and their roster. Although Dave Joerger has given the public hints on which of his players will get playing time going forward, nothing has been concrete yet. In the last few preseason games, the starting five has changed and the amount of minutes that each player has received has not been very consistent either.
According to James Ham, Kings Insider for NBC Sports California, Joerger already has a good idea of what his main rotation of players will look like once the regular season begins, hinting that the rotation could look similar to how it was in the Kings’ last contest against Maccabi Haifa.
If that is the case where Sacramento’s lineup and player rotation is similar to how it was against Maccabi Haifa, I believe this is the wrong way to go. Specifically talking about the starting five. In my opinion, I believe for the Kings to be competitive and to start games off strong, they need to tinker the starting lineup a bit.
With that being said, enjoy this slideshow which has my thoughts on who should start for the Sacramento Kings once opening night begins.
Point Guard: De’Aaron Fox
This is a no-brainer here. When Vlade Divac and company invested their 2017 first-round pick on De’Aaron Fox, it was then that the organization viewed him as the starting point guard going forward.
With Fox starting at the point, it will make the Kings a better team this season. His athleticism, length, and skill set give him the capability to be a great point guard for his team on both ends of the floor. Even the Kings see this as Dave Joerger mentioned that Fox is their franchise guy going forward during the team’s media day festivities.
So far, Fox has looked great during preseason. The numbers will not show the entire story, but his ability to increase the tempo and facilitate the offense has greatly improved compared to his rookie season. Not only that, but he has gotten better in both his shooting and defense.
Aside from Fox having the potential to be the Kings’ long-term facilitator, he is just the best point guard on the team period. So with that, he definitely deserves to start on opening night. And if he continues to make leaps of improvement in his game, the league better watch out.
Shooting Guard: Buddy Hield
Originally, I had Bogdan Bogdanovic starting for the Kings at the two-guard spot. But since Bogi is sidelined due to recovering from minor knee surgery, he will miss the beginning stages of the upcoming season. So with that, Buddy Hield is my selection here.
In my opinion, starting Buddy at two-guard is another no-brainer. Last season, Buddy was arguably one of the best players that played for Sacramento as he displayed outstanding shooting on the offensive end and was pesky against opponents on defense.
Last year, Buddy made a leap of improvement that impressed the Kings and their fans. He has a good chance of repeating that pattern for this upcoming season, and if he does, he should definitely be one of the guys that Vlade Divac builds around for the future.
This is why I think Buddy should be a starter on opening night, especially with Bogi being out of the picture. With him being paired up with De’Aaron Fox, they have the ability to be a dominating backcourt on the offensive end.
Hield showed last season he can be an asset coming off the bench, so he at least deserves the opportunity to prove he can be effective as a starter as well. He has earned it, in my eyes.
Small Forward: Nemanja Bjelica
This may be a head-scratcher for some people. Yes, Nemanja Bjelica’s main position is forward, but he has experience playing small forward as well. And with the Kings being very thin at small forward, Bjelica is the best option right now, in my opinion.
Offensively, it makes sense to have Bjelica at the three. Having him on the court creates more spacing on the floor which opens up more opportunities for Sacramento to get easy scores. Bjelica is also versatile as he has the ability to create plays whether it is distributing the ball or scoring on his own.
Last season, Bjelica made over 46% of his shots from the floor, over 41% of his three-pointers, and 80% of his free-throw attempts. Defensively, Bjelica could be a liability. But on the other hand, what other players does Sacramento have that have proven they can be reliable as defenders?
Bjelica is the best option at small forward if the Kings want to be competitive. He proved last season to be an asset at small forward for Minnesota when Jimmy Butler was out, and I believe he can produce the same impact for Sacramento if given the opportunity.
Power Forward: Harry Giles
When selecting players for the starting lineup, it should be about picking the best guys. Harry Giles has been one of the top players for Sacramento, in my mind. During the preseason, Giles has been a beast for the Kings. He has not had a bad performance yet as he has produced for his team on both ends of the court.
In the four games Harry has played in, he is averaging 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and two assists per contest while shooting 46% from the floor. All of this is happening as he is coming off the bench and getting around just 20 minutes of action in every game.
A lot of hype is surrounding Giles for this upcoming season, and so far, he has lived up to the expectations. Because he has stood out during the preseason, he deserves to be in the starting lineup once opening night comes around. He has shown he can impact his team in multiple ways as he has displayed great athleticism, skillset, and instincts when on the court.
If the Kings are truly about winning as many games as possible, I say put in their best guys to start the games. And in my opinion, Giles has undoubtedly been one of the top guys for the Kings so far during the preseason.
Center: Willie Cauley-Stein
Honestly, this was an easy decision for me. With Giles slotted at the power forward spot, Willie Cauley-Stein should pair up next to him at the center position. Although Willie has been inconsistent the last few seasons, he is the best option at center.
Offensively, Cauley-Stein is versatile as he can score either in the paint or in the midrange area. Willie also has the ability to pass the ball to set up his teammates for scores as well. Defensively, Cauley-Stein has all the physical tools to be an elite defender. He has shown flashes of his defensive potential throughout the years but needs to be more reliable going forth.
During the Kings’ preseason campaign, Cauley-Stein has been good. In four games, he is averaging 10.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and three assists a game while making over 50% of his shot attempts.
Right now the Kings’ best option at center has to be Willie Cauley-Stein, even though he has not played like the ideal big man that I know he can be. But if he can score the ball, grab rebounds, and defend the paint effectively, he will definitely help Sacramento be more competitive this season.