The Kings' roster has a shocking number of flaws last season, a big one being how out of whack it was. Too many shooters at guard, not enough defense and play-making. If it wasn't for Domantas Sabonis, rebounding would have been rough for them, too.
One thing the Kings did well was back up their veteran big man. Jonas Valanciunas isn't often a team's first choice at center but they couldn't ask for a better secondary.
As such, the Kings trading him to the Denver Nuggets for Dario Saric remains one of the most baffling decisions of the offseason. And they have put Saric in a no-win situation.
Dario Saric is fine at best
In a career that has been repeatedly stalled by injuries, Daric hasn't really made much of an impact. He's been good enough to stay in the league but not good enough to be a major player.
Saric's stats were okay the first few years but have continued to consistently decline since then. Keeping in mind he only played 16 games, last season might have been his worst.
Valanciunas eclipses Saric in virtually every possible stat category, in some cases by a wide margin. That's what made Jonas such a good backup center. A coach could pull their regular guy, put Valanciunas on the court, and not give up ground at the very least.
This season will be rough for Dario
Saric is walking onto the court to face a Kings fan base that is still wondering why their front office gave up such a good second. They will demand a lot from Saric and fast, and it's unlikely he will live up to those expectations.
None of that is his fault. Saric didn't ask to be traded to the Kings. He was part of an agreement between two teams and goes where he is told. Period.
That won't change the fact that he will take the blame if and when things don't work out. Dario is unlikely to be an effective back up for Domantas Sabonis. The poor guy hasn't even played a game with the Kings and is already standing on thin ice.