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Sacramento Kings: Cory Joseph Is More Important Than We Think

By Anthony Cardenas

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 20: Cory Joseph #9 of the Sacramento Kings looks on during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Golden 1 Center on February 20, 2020 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. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 20: Cory Joseph #9 of the Sacramento Kings looks on during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Golden 1 Center on February 20, 2020 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. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /
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The Sacramento Kings will be trimming fat off of their roster this summer, but Cory Joseph is one player who should be here to stay.

Did the Sacramento Kings overpay Cory Joseph during the summer of 2019? It may look like it on paper. The 28-year-old point guard is scheduled to make $12.6 million next season to play a backup role to starter De’Aaron Fox, making him an expensive backup. Joseph is paid more annually than Robert Covington and Spencer Dinwiddie, and just a shade less than Brook Lopez and Jusuf Nurkic.

But when analyzing the contract situation for some of the Kings’ free agency signings, there is a major caveat to consider. If every signing made by the Kings’ front office seems like a slight-to-heavy overpay, that is because it is. And it is out of necessity. As much as we love our city, Sacramento is not exactly a sexy free agency destination, and the team must be willing to fork over a couple of extra million to lure a player to the California capital.

As for this particular situation, Cory Joseph is not an overpay even with the Sacramento tax added, and here’s why. The Kings have long been known for their lack of defensive effort and prowess, and it is true once again under new head coach Luke Walton. Starting point guard De’Aaron Fox is currently an average defender, though he has been making strides on that end of the floor over his first three seasons.

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Enter: Joseph. While having a good defensive point guard on your roster is good for any NBA team, it is especially important in the Western Conference. The West is loaded with an immense about of guard and point guard talent. Check out this list:

Stephen Curry

Luka Doncic

James Harden

Damian Lillard

Russell Westbrook

Jamal Murray

Chris Paul

Ja Morant

Mike Conley

(LeBron James is even listed as a PG)

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Yikes. Those are some serious matchup nightmares. For that reason, Joseph becomes all the more important. Fox is certainly the better player of the two and the catalyst of the Sacramento offense, but Joseph can be a secret weapon of sorts who can give opposing guards fits.

It was Joseph who was widely credited for his performance in two huge wins back in December. After coughing up a game against the San Antonio Spurs, Joseph redeemed himself by hounding Doncic, Westbrook, and Harden on back to back nights, allowing the Kings to score unlikely road victories in Texas. While he was unable to shut any of those players down completely, his ability to limit them put Sacramento in positions to win each game.

For all of the negative stigmas that surround his offensive skill set, Joseph’s scoring and facilitating were at least solid in 2019-’20. He shot over 35 percent from beyond the arc which is above his career high. His scoring numbers took a small hit, which could be due to his lowest usage rate of his entire career.

The 2019 free agency period will always be an interesting one for the Kings. They made two terrible moves by signing Trevor Ariza and Dewayne Dedmon to big contracts, but countered those with Richaun Holmes‘ valuable contract and the signing of Joseph. The two mistakes have already been dealt with, and the other two will look to make serious contributions when the NBA returns to action.

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