Player #1: Cory Joseph
As the second-string point guard, Cory Joseph will likely get promoted to the starting facilitator spot for the Sacramento Kings. So far in his tenure with the purple and white, Joseph has underperformed. In nine games, he is averaging around six points, two assists, and two rebounds per game. He also is making around 43% of his shots from the floor, 23% from the perimeter, and has a defensive rating of 115. Not the ideal numbers the Kings and their fans want to see.
The Cory Joseph experiment has not been encouraging, but with the chance to start, it could get the eight-year veteran rolling. The goal for Joseph should not be to imitate De’Aaron Fox but to play to his strengths. He needs to focus on being the best defender he can be, push the pace on offense, and set up his teammates for scores.
Joseph has shown in his career that he is capable of being a productive point guard on both ends of the court, and the Kings need him to return to that form now more than ever.