Sacramento Kings point guard Cory Joseph has been solid in filling in for an injured De’Aaron Fox, but he does not come without his weaknesses.
There are not a lot of good things that come with your best and most important player missing extended time with an injury. But if there has been a silver lining to the difficulties that the Sacramento Kings are currently enduring, it is that other players have been given the chance to showcase their abilities.
In the absence of Marvin Bagley, Richaun Holmes has become a fan favorite and a fixture on the court, having secured himself the starting center job (for now). Nemanja Bjelica has received extended playing time and has been a key contributor in a handful of games this season as well.
The injury to De’Aaron Fox has provided similar opportunities to backcourt players as well. Yogi Ferrell played a total of 25 minutes and received four DNPs over the first nine games of the season while Fox was healthy. In the 13 games since, he is up to 17.5 minutes per.
But it has been Cory Joseph who has emerged as a key contributor in Fox’s absence, and he has been a factor in a handful of victories for Sacramento.
Joseph’s Performance
Joseph has started every game since Fox’s injury and is averaging 31 minutes per, up from his 17.2-minute average previously. While his effectiveness only shows up in the box score occasionally, his contributions are evident in the win column.
His defense against some of the game’s best guards has been nothing short of impressive. During Sacramento’s recent four-game road trip, Joseph was tasked to defend Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic, and James Harden.
While Lillard was able to score 24 points and dish out 10 assists in a victory over the Kings, Doncic and Harden didn’t have as much luck against Joseph. Doncic was held to just 3 for 12 shooting from beyond the arc and was frustrated throughout the game, due in large part to Joseph’s peskiness. The Kings were able to pull off the upset despite being nine-point underdogs.
On Monday night against the Rockets, Joseph held Harden to 27 points, well below his season average of 38.5 per game. The NBA’s leading free-throw shooter (14+ attempts per game) was held to just 8 attempts. The Kings pulled out a thrilling victory in a game in which the Rockets were favored by 12.
While his defense has been a breath of fresh air for Sacramento, Joseph does not come without his weaknesses. The career 44% shooter is making just 35.8% of his field goals, and just 23.1% of his threes. Fox, in comparison, was shooting 43% and 33.3% before the injury.
Joseph has also made a handful of poor decisions in crunch time that have costed Sacramento. His back-to-back turnovers with under two minutes left against the Spurs last Friday sparked a 9-point comeback, allowing San Antonio to snatch a sure victory away from the Kings.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Joseph’s performance over the last 14 games has been solid. He has had a hand in some of Sacramento’s biggest wins, keeping the Kings afloat in a time when they needed him most.
Joseph’s role will obviously change and diminish once Fox returns, but his importance to the team will not. The Kings now know that they have a reliable backup point guard who has experience running their offense, as well as a defensive stopper at the position for certain situations.