A Royal Pain
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Rookie Report: Giles Is Getting Better With Sacramento Kings

By Ryan Ritter

SACRAMENTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: Harry Giles #20 and Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Sacramento Kings pose for a portrait at media day on September 24, 2018 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: Harry Giles #20 and Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Sacramento Kings pose for a portrait at media day on September 24, 2018 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Sacramento Kings’ rookie Marvin Bagley III may have found success with a certain lineup and Harry Giles may have turned a corner after a stint in Stockton.

The Sacramento Kings came back to earth somewhat last week, going just 1-3, including a disappointing flop against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Golden 1 Center.  At least there has been continued forward movement with the two rookie big men. The Rookie Report is happy to say that Marvin Bagley III may have found a groove with a particular lineup. Meanwhile, although Harry Giles’ rough start continues, he may have found just the right boost he needed in the city of Stockton.

Usually, the Rookie Report considers a week to be Sunday through Saturday, which would include the games against the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Lakers.  However, to prove a point at the end of this article, I cheated and took a sneak peek at last Monday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. Do not tell anybody.

On to the Rookie Report!

Related Story. Rookie Report: Bagley Continues to Shine. light

Marvin Bagley

Weekly Stats: 10.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.3 apg, 0.0 stls, 1.5 blks, 40.5% FG, 40.0% 3PT, 57.9% FT, 21.0 MPG

Overall Stats: 12.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.5 stls, 1.2 blks, 50.8% FG, 50.0% 3PT, 59.6% FT, 22.6 MPG

Advanced: PER 16.5, .560 TS%, 13.0% TRB, 5.3 AST%, 4.7 BLK%, 23.8% USG, ORtg 103, DRtg 109

Bagley regressed somewhat in an overall rough week for the Kings. He did start to put together the beginnings of a mini-comeback against the Lakers before the team as a whole lost their legs.  But overall, Bagley’s numbers have settled in a bit. His shot, in particular, was not great this week. And, actually, for a guy who flashes occasional range, he has been pretty poor everywhere except around the rim this season. It should be reiterated, however, averaging 12 and 6 coupled with breaking around even from the field for a rookie off the bench is nothing to be mad about. He certainly continues to surpass my expectations in limited minutes.

Speaking of an interesting statistic, I stumbled upon what a potential starting lineup with Bagley might look like down the line. According to Basketball-Reference, one of the best five-man combinations for the Kings this year has been a Fox-Hield-Jackson-Bagley-WCS lineup. With a +10.2 difference between made field goals compared to opponents, along with an eye-popping +17.6 made free throws (and +37.6 in free-throw attempts!), and a phenomenal +43.0 in points, it is clear that Bagley has potential as a starter alongside the established four (okay, maybe three, jury is still out on Justin Jackson).

The above differentials are especially important if the Kings plan to maintain this fast-paced offense. That lineup has only gotten about 11 minutes of burn, but it is promising nonetheless and something to keep an eye on going forward.

Harry Giles

Weekly Stats: 3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.0 apg, 0.5 stls, 0.0 blks, 42.9% FG, 0.0% 3PT, 0.0% FT, 6.1 MPG

Overall Stats: 3.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.6 apg, 0.4 stls, 0.2 blks, 36.6% FG, 0.0% 3PT, 28.6% FT, 9.7 MPG

Advanced: PER 2.5, .363 TS%, 13.9% TRB, 7.7% AST, 2.0% BLK, 25.9% USG, ORtg, 70, DRtg 107

Another week of not-much-going-on for Harry Giles. It should be noted, however, that Giles was given his G-League assignment on Sunday, suiting up for the Stockton Kings against the Agua Caliente Clippers. It is my pleasure to announce that he was terrific, putting up 30 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in a losing effort.

The fact that he was able to easily dominate against not-quite-NBA talent should not be that impressive. However, it should indicate that the Giles story is not over this early into the season. Giles is caught in a major big-man glut as well as being the victim of elevated expectations.

Frankly, it should come as no surprise that Giles’ best moments in his NBA career have been against sub-NBA competition (summer league and G-League). He had been off the court for over a year prior to his first summer league game. As excited as we are for him to be the dominant force he may become, real life gets in the way.

Also. Pride and Patience: The 2018-2019 Sacramento Kings season. light

Also, as of this writing (and I am cheating a little bit, I know), Giles had easily his best game as a pro on Monday, putting in 12 points and 6 rebounds in 15 minutes. We will talk about that game more next week, but the evidence seems to point towards being patient and retaining confidence, both for Giles and for us as a fanbase.

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