The Sacramento Kings (8-6) are a good team, but they are not without their flaws. One weakness that has been a major talking point on this website is the team's lackluster bench.
As it stands, the team is 27th in bench points per game (24.8 PPG). And to make matters worse, the team will be without Malik Monk (one of the best combo guards in basketball and the team's designated sixth man) for the next few weeks.
The Kings are desperately in need of help off the bench, and on Saturday, they got some assistance from a player that fans of the team may have forgotten that we signed this offseason.
Why you may have forgotten about Orlando Robinson?
The Kings had a busy 2024 offseason. It started with re-signing Monk to a deal that was way cheaper than what many people thought he would settle for. Then, the team drafted Devin Carter with the 13th overall pick. In early July, the team agreed to a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs to land DeMar DeRozan. The list goes on and on.
Hidden in the fog of all that was the minimum contract handed out to Orlando Robinson in late July.To be fair, it is hard to get excited about someone who might be your backup big man when you are adding a lottery pick and a six-time All-Star (and retaining a fan favorite).
To make matters worse, Robinson sustained an offseason injury that forced him to miss the first few weeks of the season. After that, only the most ardent of Kings' fans had him on their radar.
Robinson plays well in season debut
After being cleared to play, Robinson was sent down to the G League to get back in shape. He quickly proved to be a level above his competition.
The Kings have recalled Orlando Robinson from G League Stockton. He played 29 minutes last night in a win over Salt Lake, where he scored 26 points, pulled down 5 rebounds, dished 4 assists and had 2 blocks and 2 steals. Sacramento will host the Utah Jazz tonight.
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) November 16, 2024
As the tweet above states, Robinson was recalled to the NBA team to help them against the Utah Jazz. The team was missing Domantas Sabonis for this game (lower back tightness). So, they needed the extra depth at center.
In just over 12 minutes of action, Robinson tallied six points and three assists. Most importantly, the Kings were a +2 when he was on the court.
When Sabonis is healthy, the Kings have been using Trey Lyles as their small-ball backup center (he got the start in this game, by the way). However, if Robinson keeps playing like this, they may decide to change their strategy.
At the very least, Robinson could be a useful role player who gives the Kings another tool in their toolbox. To win big in the playoffs, you need as many of those types of players as you can get.