One King might not be a starter much longer (and it's good for Sacramento)

Head coach Doug Christie has a lot to deal with this season in Sacramento, particularly with the Kings' rough start. Some decisions make themselves, though, and rookie Maxime Raynaud might be taking over for Drew Eubanks as the starting center until Domantas Sabonis returns.

For the Sacramento Kings, this has been an even rougher season than expected. They were going into their first full season without Mike Brown and De'Aaron Fox with an imbalanced roster and some big expectations. Sactown fans wanted to see a lot better from their hometown squad.

Making matters worse has been the seemingly endless torrent of injuries the Kings have had to deal with. That includes Keegan Murray, who missed much of the season due to a thumb injury, as well as Domantas Sabonis and Dennis Schroder, who are both currently out with their own issues.

Keeping their problematic roster in mind, it's impossible to get a rhythm going if different players are always injured. That's what makes positives like Maxime Raynaud stand out even more, and all of his hard work and incredible gameplay are about to be rewarded by his head coach.

Maxime Raynaud could take center stage soon

With Sabonis out, Drew Eubanks has filled in as the starting center. He has done well as a backup, but doesn't seem settled in a starring role. His play is serviceable at best and isn't the driver the Kings need right now. That's where Raynaud has stepped up, right off the bench and into the starting lineup.

Everyone, including Doug Christie, has been impressed with Raynaud's work. Over the first 25% of the season, his improvement has been drastic and obvious. More than that, he has become the go-to center for the Kings in the absence of Sabonis and is picking up more minutes than Eubanks.

As such, it comes as no surprise that Christie is thinking about starting Raynaud and having Eubanks play off the bench. Given the numbers Maxime is putting down, that may be the right call. At the very least, it's a chance to try him out in the position and see how the rookie does.

This could happen as soon as the Kings' next game, which is tonight on the road against the Miami Heat. At the very least, it's becoming quite evident that Sacramento's organization sees Raynaud as a big component of the team, and hopefully one who will be part of their long-term plans.