Sacramento Kings first-half player grades

Sacramento Kings first-half player grades: Bench unit

Davion Mitchell: C+

For all the things Mitchell does and does well on the defensive end of the court his offensive struggles hold him back from being a true game-changer on any given night. The offensive woes are also why Mitchell grades out low here.

He’s averaging under six points per game despite having a well-defined role and his shooting has been problematic all season. He has hit 31.8 percent of his three-point shots so far this year. Mitchell’s inability to make easy (or difficult) shots has been on display for most of the season. Without much distributing going on either, Mitchell is close to being a complete non-factor on the offensive end of the court.

Malik Monk: B

The backcourt mate that has been saving Mitchell more often than not is Malik Monk, who rightfully earns the higher score. He has been electric on occasion this year as the Kings sixth man but he is proving too inconsistent for Mike Brown to count on him to make a big impact night in and night out.

When he does get going, it’s a pleasure to watch. He creates for himself and others, defends and can score in a variety of ways. He is fifth on the team in scoring and third in assists this season.

Trey Lyles: A-

If just looking at the cumulative stats for the season you might not understand how Lyles grades out so much higher than his bench unit teammates. His versatility in switching lineups and on the defensive end of the court initially earned him some minutes and he has continued to battle on that end of the floor.

Oftentimes this year he has been the Kings best individual player from a defensive standpoint. His ability to carry some of the momentum over to the offensive end is what boosts his grade up so high. Lyles has had a few good to dominate moments this season and has been the reason for the Kings getting wins on numerous occasions.