3 Players Coach Brown should cut from Kings’ NBA playoff rotation
By Joe Chambers
For the first time since 2006, the Sacramento Kings will be in the NBA Playoffs. With the long wait, the last thing Kings fans want to see is their team make an early exit. While a deep run to the Western Conference Finals would be great, the Kings faithful would love to see their team lift the NBA Finals Championship trophy come June.
Sacramento has had a fantastic season so far. As of March 30th, they are the league leaders in points scored per game and fourth in assists per game. With prolific scorers like De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Kevin Huerter, Sacramento has the manpower to score 120+ points per game.
Obviously, there will not be too many high-scoring games when the playoffs start. Sacramento has already begun making adjustments to be prepared for changes in the team’s defensive schemes in their game plan.
There are solid reasons some players could make a negative impact if they are still getting regular minutes come the postseason. Whether it’s plus-minus numbers to bad free throw shooting, these players could make the Kings have a short stay in the playoffs.
1. Matthew Dellavedova
When Matthew Dellavedova was with the Cleveland Cavaliers a few years ago, he had a great defensive presence in the 2016 NBA Finals. His teammates on the Cavs during those times were LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. When the Cavs were playing the Golden State Warriors, Dellavedova had to guard Stephen Curry, one of the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history. He was a defender you wanted on your team, like Patrick Beverley is for the Chicago Bulls.
Currently, Dellavedova has a plus/minus of -1.6. He’s only played in 32 games this season and averages 6.6 minutes per game. With him being near the end of the rotation, Dellavedova has not had much of a chance to help the Kings this season. He does not score the ball much and is used more as a defender while on the floor.
He’s been in the league for eight years and is 32 years old. I would not consider Dellavedova washed, but he is constantly getting moved to the back of the bench game after game. With the manpower that the Kings have, Dellavedova does not have much of a presence on the current roster.