With his performance drastically improving during the absence of Domantas Sabonis, head coach Doug Christie selected Maxime Raynaud to start against the Miami Heat. And it paid off in a big way as the rookie helped guide the Sacramento Kings to a huge win. It's a vision of things to come.
By this point in the season, Sactown fans have to be impressed with rookie Maxime Raynaud. He's an "always ready" kind of guy, and has worked to make the most out of any minutes he's gotten. The performance doesn't always pan out, but the work effort cannot be denied.
That same work is already starting to pay off. Over the last four games, Raynaud has scored 65 points for an average of 16.3 points per game over that time. He set a career best of 19 points against the Jazz on November 28, only to break that two games later with a score of 25 points.
It's this rapid pace of growth and development that earned Raynaud a starting spot. With Sabonis out injured, Drew Eubanks was the go-to starter, but he wasn't really moving the needle in that role. Being that they don't know exactly when Sabonis is coming back, it's time for something different.
Maxime Raynaud steps up for the Kings
For the first time on the Kings, Raynaud stepped onto the court as the starting center. It's a big moment for a rookie, one they are not always up to the challenge of since there's a lot of pressure on that role. Saying things went well is putting things mildly.
Raynaud played 25 minutes and clocked out with 12 points,10 rebounds, one assist, and two blocks. That is a more than respectable stat line for a rookie starting center still finding his game in the league. It was the first double-double of what is sure to be a long career filled with accolades.
More than that, Raynaud was an absolute menace on defense. The Kings only racked up five blocks against the Heat. Two of them belonged to Raynaud, while Keegan Murray also had two and Keon Ellis had one. Raynaud must keep working on his defense because the Kings need a rim protector badly.
At some point, Sabonis will return, and the Kings will need a backup center who can go to work off the bench. More than that, Sacramento will eventually trade Sabonis, and they'll need a new starting center who can help them find the next level. That center is, without question, Maxime Raynaud.