Sacramento Kings first-half player grades

Sacramento Kings first-half player grades: Fringe rotation players

Fringe rotation players consist of the members of the Kings bench that aren’t locked into a meaningful role every single night. All four of these players have played meaningful minutes at times this season but none has played 700 total minutes on the year.

Richaun Holmes: D-

Holmes had one memorable moment this season when he just played a good game in limited time on the floor. That game alone made his grade fall right between the deserving F and the deserving D+ because he did play a big part in a game at least.

On a serious note, Holmes has been far less impactful this season than in years past. Part of it is his bench role, sure, and part of it is simply the style of play the Kings deploy is not ideal for his game.

Many things play a role, but Holmes has failed to make a case for even 10-12 minutes per night just to allow all-star big man Domantas Sabonis to get a breather. Holmes is averaging career lows in most stats and this could be the beginning of the end in terms of his run with the Kings.

KZ Okpala: C

Okpala hasn’t had a lot of court time to prove himself this season but occasionally when he has gotten extra minutes he has found a way to help the team. Even with his somewhat limited game, the energy he carries onto the court with him each time he checks in is a better option than the Kings alternatives right now.

Okpala can make a sneaky impact on any given night. His stats won’t reflect a massive impact, or really any impact at all, but on tape, he has at the very least earned a higher grade than Holmes.

Terence Davis: A-

Terence Davis has handled tough circumstances as well as anyone can. His role has varied dramatically from game to game at times, one night playing a handful of minutes and the next playing 20+ minutes as the offensive engine for the Kings second unit.

Time after time, Davis has answered when Mike Brown has gone to him. His ability to play a number of roles is obviously very valuable and he is part of the glue that holds the Kings entire bench unit together.

Chimezie Metu: C+

Chimezie Metu has been relatively solid for most of the season. Like Holmes and Okpala, his game doesn’t really fit perfectly as a backup to Sabonis but he has done the most of the three to give Mike Brown an actual backup big man so his starter could get some air.

Not a shot blocker right now, Metu has at least taken the floor with rebounds on his mind most nights. That along with finishing easy buckets at the rim makes him the highest-graded big man outside of the Kings true rotation.