Top Three Players For Sacramento
De’Aaron Fox
There is no doubt that De’Aaron Fox had a heavy impact on his team tonight. For the game, the Kentucky Comet recorded 20 points, eight assists, and four rebounds while shooting over 50% from the floor. He did, however, turn the ball over six times, but he is the main ball handler for the Kings and they are playing at a pace that most NBA teams do not dare to do.
Fox is heading in the right direction in terms of being the franchise player for the Kings. In all the games that the Kings have won this year, he was a big reason why the team was victorious. He proved it again tonight against the Heat as he was a dominant scorer and playmaker which helped the overall offense succeed.
Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield continues to be the dynamic shooter that many expected him to be. For the night, he scored 23 points while shooting 57% from the floor and 67% from the three-point line. He also was able to grab eight rebounds and dish out five assists as well.
At the beginning of the season, it was unknown how Buddy would perform being the starting two-guard. But so far, he has been tremendous playing the role.
The Kings community knew Buddy was a great shooter, but the numbers he has recorded so far have been better than expected. Prior to this game, Buddy is making 50% of his shots from the floor and 43% from beyond the arc. Those numbers will for sure increase with tonight’s performance in the books.
If Buddy continues to be as efficient as he has going forward, Dave Joerger will have a tough decision ahead of him once Bogdan Bogdanovic returns back with the team.
Willie Cauley-Stein
Willie Cauley-Stein wants to get paid this summer and his play is definitely showing it. In tonight’s game, he recorded 26 points, 13 rebounds, and one block while making over 64% of his shots from the court. He also was able to show solid defense against guys like Hassan Whiteside, Bam Adebayo, and others.
Inconsistency has been a theme for Cauley-Stein throughout his tenure with Sacramento, but this year has been different. It is a small sample size, but Willie is playing more consistent and more like the big man that Kings fans wanted him to be for years.
Going into this game, Willie was averaging 16.5 points, eight rebounds, and 3.2 assists a night. If he keeps being a reliable asset for Sacramento night in and night out, he will become a core piece for the Kings’ future.