With the Sacramento Kings’ preseason campaign in the books, the question has to be asked. Which guys from the purple and white stood out above the rest?
The preseason is officially over for the Sacramento Kings as they concluded their campaign against the Portland Trail Blazers last Friday. The Kings played six matches during the preseason which resulted in a 2-4 record for the purple and white.
To begin the action, it was great for Sacramento as they won their opener against the Phoenix Suns by a score of 106-102. Then the Kings played against the Los Angeles Lakers where they played great but lost in the end. After that, Sacramento played against the Golden State Warriors in Seattle, Washington where Golden State showed why they are the reigning champions of the NBA, beating Sacramento by a score of 122-94.
The Kings then returned back to the Golden 1 Center for two games where they hosted Maccabi Haifa and the Utah Jazz. Sacramento won easily against Maccabi Haifa while dropping an egg against the Jazz. Finally, they concluded their preseason in Portland where they lost a nailbiter in the end.
When looking back at the Kings’ preseason, individual performances were definitely highlighted from the campaign. Dave Joerger, Kings’ Head Coach, opted to play his young guys a ton of minutes this last week, and as a result, some of Sacramento’s young talent was able to show promise.
Even though a lot of guys from Sacramento had their moments during the preseason, which five players stood out above the rest? To find out my perspective on the topic, enjoy this slideshow which will show the five players that I thought helped the Kings the most during preseason play.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: PLAYERS WHO PLAYED FOUR OR MORE GAMES WILL ONLY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS LIST.
Harry Giles
The hype is real when it comes to Harry Giles’ game. An argument can be made that he was the most efficient and consistent player for the Kings during the preseason as he did not have a single bad night.
When on the floor, Giles was doing a little bit of everything in order to help his team win. In the six games that Harry appeared in, he averaged 13.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and one steal per contest while shooting 43.3% from the floor. Giles also displayed solid defense as well which was a refreshing site for Kings fans to see.
It is uncertain how Giles will pan out this season due to coming back from multiple knee injuries, but so far it has been good. Although it is only preseason, Giles showed that he will be a good piece to the Kings’ rotation this season. And in my opinion, Giles will at the very least be a solid player once his career is all said and done.
Kings fans. It is finally happening. Harry Giles is on the court and is showing the NBA world that he is a player on the rise. Who said the Kings cannot draft well?
De’Aaron Fox
De’Aaron Fox has a lot on his plate for this upcoming season. The Kings are trying to create a new identity by playing a faster-paced offense, and Fox is the player who will anchor it.
So far, it has been solid for Fox since he took the reigns as the franchise guy. He has done his best to increase the tempo of the offense which has resulted in easy scores for his team. Not only has Fox been able to get better as a facilitator, but he improved his abilities to distribute the ball, shoot the ball, and defend his opponents.
Although a lot went right for Fox this preseason, he did suffer some bad nights as well. For example, his performance against the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz. But with that said, I still thought he was one of the better players for Sacramento this preseason.
Fox was given a ton of responsibility to be the main guy to lead the Kings’ offense, and as a result, he did indeed make the Kings a more efficient and entertaining team to watch, in my eyes. If Fox is able to keep gradually improving his game throughout this season, I would say that the Kings’ long-term plans are heading in the right direction.
In five games, Fox averaged 9.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.2 rebounds a game while shooting 39.6% from the floor and 35% from the perimeter.
Frank Mason III
Frank Mason III just made Dave Joerger’s job harder for this upcoming year. However, it is for the better. Before preseason started, it seemed pretty concrete that De’Aaron Fox and Yogi Ferrell were going to be the top point guards in the Kings’ depth chart. But after Mason’s preseason campaign, there might be some reconsideration.
During the preseason, Mason appeared in six games in which he displayed solid minutes of basketball for his team. He ended up averaging 11.2 points, 5.7 assists, and 2.2 rebounds a game while shooting 50% from the floor, 61.5% from the three-point line, and 95.5% from the free-throw stripe. Mason also recorded the highest PER (Player Efficiency Rating) for the Kings with a 26.5, the highest offensive rating with a 135.2, and the fifth best defensive rating with a 109.6.
Mason’s numbers were definitely awesome during this preseason, and the eye test showed me that his game definitely has grown compared to his rookie year. If Mason continues to produce for the Kings during the regular season, the Kings will have a good trio of young point guards on their roster. Dave Joerger is going have headaches on how to give all three of them playing time going forth.
Willie Cauley-Stein
Willie Cauley-Stein wants to prove that he deserves a good contract next summer, and so far, he has done a decent job. Willie appeared in six preseason matches in which he averaged 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and two assists a night. He also recorded the second highest PER on the team with a 25.2, the fifth highest offensive rating with a 116.6, and the second best defensive rating with a 105.5. He would have had the best defensive rating if Wenyen Gabriel, who played a lesser role, was not on the list.
Although Willie had some subpar performances during his preseason campaign, he still proved that he is one of the better players on the current Kings roster and definitely the starting center when opening night comes around.
The way Willie played this last week does not earn him a big contract yet, but there is some promise that he will be a better player during the regular season. If Willie continues to improve his game, especially in his rebounding and defense, he can help elevate the Kings to another level this campaign. And with that, he can be one of the core guys that the Kings build around for the future.
Marvin Bagley III
Marvin Bagley III started his preseason campaign slow, in my opinion. But the more experience he gained, the better he got. In the six preseason matches that Bagley appeared in, he averaged 13 points, 6.8 rebounds (led the team), and almost one block per game. Marvin also recorded the fourth highest PER amongst his teammates with a 20.4 rating.
It is almost certain that Bagley will go through growing pains in his rookie season, but the important thing to look at is how he responds to his setbacks. In my mind, I thought Bagley started his preseason being overwhelmed by the speed and strength of the NBA. But after getting more acclimated with his teammates and the level of competition, he looked more comfortable on the court.
By the end of the preseason, Marvin was more physical and active on both ends of the court which is what Kings fans expect from him this season. He also showed that his inabilities to defend can be put to rest as his defensive awareness was a bright spot in his game.
Although Bagley is not a player who can make an immediate impact yet, there is hope that he can be one of Sacramento’s main guys going forward. He has the athletic potential and mindset to help change the losing ways of the Kings and return them back to relevancy.