Richaun Holmes
The most obvious beneficiary during Bagley’s absence has been Richaun Holmes.
Holmes was an under-the-radar signing in the offseason, one that was questionable at the time given the log jam in the Sacramento frontcourt. Dewayne Dedmon had recently been signed to be the starting center alongside Bagley. The Kings also had Nemanja Bjelica and Harry Giles who were expected to provide sparks off of the bench.
But Bagley’s injury, as well as the disappointing production from Dedmon, have propelled Holmes into the starting lineup and into becoming a fan favorite in Sacramento.
He is applauded for his relentless energy. His athleticism allows him to rim run, catching lobs and slamming home put backs with regularity. Before Monday’s game in Houston, Holmes was leading the entire league in FG%, eFG%, and TS%.
Richaun Holmes is officially leading the NBA in FG%, eFG%, and TS%. pic.twitter.com/dIDW6OImoI
— Richard Ivanowski (@ivanowskinba) December 9, 2019
He has eight double-doubles through 23 games after having five all of last year. He has been featured on Top 10 Plays videos around the league all season and has a handful of signature posterizing dunks.
It will be interesting to see how head coach Luke Walton handles the minutes once Bagley returns. Holmes has certainly earned himself the starting job as well as the support of the fan base. But Bagley is the one who is supposed to be the franchise frontcourt player, the one who was selected over Luka Doncic.
Even if Holmes is relegated to a lesser role, even one where he comes off of the bench as a reserve, the Kings know that they’ve struck gold given Holmes’ production and the size of his contract.
The very worst-case scenario is that Holmes becomes a backup to Bagley and feasts on backups centers. And that’s not a bad scenario at all.