The Sacramento Kings finally won their second game of the season by narrowly defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, led by a returning Giannis Antetokounmpo. While a number of factors went into this big win, the Kings did finally try something different by getting their rookies on the floor and letting them play.
Through the first six games of the season, who hasn't been playing has been quite noticeable. In particular, the Kings' three rookies haven't seen much time on the court. In the case of Nique Clifford, he missed several games due to an injury and only returned against the Bucks.
Dylan Cardwell has seen sporadic usage, which was disappointing considering how well he performed in the preseason. The same is true of Maxime Raynaud. At least Cardwell got playing time. The Bucks game was only Raynaud's second time playing in the regular season.
Despite these rookies having big potential, the Kings kept going back to the same group of players, which just wasn't working. Then the game against the Bucks happened, and the coaching staff finally tried something a bit different. It seems like it might have worked out.
The Kings put the rookies in
Cardwell actually started the game at center with Domantas Sabonis at forward, though his stat line wasn't great. The same is true for Raynaud, who only got a few minutes of playing time. Clifford got a lot more minutes, but though it wasn't his best performance. Honestly, all of them were pretty quiet.
While none of the rookies put up big numbers, it's important to remember a few things. Clifford just came back from an injury, Cardwell hasn't played much, and Raynaud hasn't played since the season opener. All of them are a little rusty and need to find their rhythm with the team.
What was good about all three of them getting some time against the Bucks was that it injected a different energy into the Kings. They broke up the monotony of the last few games, and showed the team's potential from a completely different angle. Sometimes that's all it takes.
The Kings spent several games essentially using the same answer for every question, except it was almost always the wrong answer. Even making a slight change to the lineup was a difference-maker for the Kings. It was a close victory, but a win is a win and a step in the right direction.