Kevin Huerter joined Kings all-stars on interesting NBA list

Earlier this month, The Ringer released their list of the top 100 players in the NBA. To the surprise of nobody, the Sacramento Kings were represented twice in the top 50 by their two all-star caliber players.

Guard De’Aaron Fox came in at 23rd overall while stud big man Domantas Sabonis earned the 37th overall ranking. Many will agree both of these guys should be on the list without a doubt.

As one goes further and further down the rankings, players get more debatable. That is natural and is certainly the case when it comes to the ranking of the third and final King to make the Ringers list: Kevin Huerter was able to claim the 78th spot.

Fans across the NBA are going to see that as inaccurate. Are those fans wrong, though, or as Huerter really earned himself entry into that kind of conversation?

It’s at least somewhat fair to debate in both directions. Huerter has been that good this year and the list is about the players that are the best right now.

Is Kevin Huerter really in the Conversation?

The three players ranked above Huerter are Klay Thompson, Christian Wood and Spencer Dinwiddie. The three after him are Malcolm Brogdon, Wendell Carter Jr. and Mike Conley.

Klay Thompson does feel a bit too low at first glance, but as we shared earlier, this list is just about right now. Klay isn’t fully ramped up and doesn’t need to be anyway. Wood, meanwhile, is making an impact but usually coming off the bench for the Dallas Mavericks. Carter Jr. is the one who may deserve to be higher considering the leaps he has taken this year in Orlando.

Positioning on this list is fun to debate. Of the six players around Huerter on the list, though, no one seems extremely out of place when compared to the others. An argument can be made for some players needing to be higher or lower, sure, but it seems like a reasonable group to have Huerter included in as of right now.

He is having a career year so far in his debut campaign for the Sacramento Kings. The Maryland alum is playing similar minutes to what he has gotten each year in his NBA career.  Despite the similar floor time and again playing with a score-first point guard, Huerter has increased his production and his efficiency which is a huge part of why he has catapulted into the top 100 players.

As things currently stand, Kevin Huerter is putting up a career-best scoring season behind career-best percentages from the field and behind the arc. From deep is where he has always been most lethal but this year he has brought it up to another level.

Since joining the Kings, Huerter is one of the absolute best shooters in the NBA. That holds true until proven otherwise. Among 33 players that have attempted over 200 three-point shots this season, only eight are connecting at a rate above 40 percent.

The Kings sharpshooter is sixth highest on that list in terms of percentage at 41.2 percent. On top of that list is Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry, with a success rate of 43.4 percent. It’s a shooters league, which explains why Huerter’s elite-level shooting helped him make The Ringers list.

Kings in the Top 100 Players, according to The Ringer:

De’Aaron Fox – 23

Domantas Sabonis – 37

Kevin Huerter – 78

While it’s clear this list is about in-the-moment rankings it’s fair for people to want to see more for a longer stretch before crowning certain guys. Keep an eye on the play of Huerter as we get closer and closer to the NBA all-star break. If he keeps playing at this level, he certainly has a case for the top 100.

The Kings are looking pretty well off from the trade they made to acquire him this past off-season. Up until this year, Huerter had spent his entire career with the Atlanta Hawks.