The Sacramento Kings have a lot of problems to sort out, a big one being short on point guards. But they have the opposite issue at shooting guard with way too many. That leaves a player like Daeqwon Plowden having to fight his way into the rotation, and that is not going to be easy.
When it comes to point guards, the Kings have once again backed themselves into a corner. They drafted Darius Acuff Jr. as their starter, but also lost their depth by letting Russell Westbrook, Devin Carter, and Isaiah Stevens go. Malik Monk and Adam Flagler can fill in, but it's not their focus.
Monk is a natural shooting guard while Flagler is a combo. The problem at shooting guard is the crowding. Beyond Monk and Flagler, the Kings have Zach LaVine, Nique Clifford, Emanuel Sharp, and the aforementioned Plowden. That's a long list of guys looking for minutes at the two. Logjam!
For Plowden in particular, this represents a big issue. LaVine is the starter, with Monk and Clifford as his main backups. Sharp had a great Summer League and will be a strong developmental focus for the Kings. Even if they lock in on Flagler as a point guard, Plowden still has a problem on his hands.
The Kings have to be careful to not leave Plowden behind
After several years in the G League, Plowden finally has his first standard NBA contract, which is great for him. Less great is the fact that he's in a crowded field of shooting guards fighting for minutes. There are no guarantees on how this is going to play out for him.
There's no doubt that Plowden will do the work to earn his shots. He already persevered in the G League and made it to the NBA, so he's ready for another major effort. The issue is more about the Kings front office and coaching staff, and how they handle this situation.
If Sacramento has no intention of keeping LaVine past the end of his current contract at the latest, then putting too many minutes into him doesn't make sense. The same is true of Monk, who saw really inconsistent usage last season. It's hard to say what the Kings' plans are with him.
Naturally, Clifford and Sharp are going to get minutes. At the same time, it's on the Kings not to forget about Plowden. He has earned this spot and will keep working his butt off for Sacramento. This is a guy who will never stop grinding it out for this team if they give him a chance.
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