Injuries are a part of the game and the Kings have been fortunate to avoid any serious hits so far. Now, players are starting to drop, however. Sasha Vezenkov has been out for a while with a grade three ankle sprain and is still working to get back.
Normally, losing Vezenkov, who is only in his rookie season, wouldn’t be a huge issue, as he was stuck in the forward rotation behind Keegan Murray, Harrison Barnes, and Trey Lyles. Then, Lyles suffered an MCL sprain, and the Kings’ frontcourt rotation suddenly started to look incredibly thin.
Lyles already missed time early in the season but has been one of the most consistent contributors off the Kings’ bench. Losing him is a huge blow, and he will only be reevaluated in one to two weeks.
As if that wasn’t enough yet, Kevin Huerter just left last night’s game with a nasty-looking shoulder injury and will miss some time as well. That means it is time for others to step in because this is the most important stretch of the regular season and the Kings cannot afford any unnecessary losses.
So, let’s look at three players who need to step up so Sacramento can survive these injuries.
3. Keegan Murray
The Kings’ latest lottery pick has made huge strides as a defender, but his offense has been rather up and down all season long. He has shown that he can be much more than just a catch-and-shoot threat, putting the ball on the floor, attacking the rim, and crashing the glass.
March has been a solid month for Murray so far despite some rough three-point shooting. Over eight games, he scored double-figures six times, and the Kings need that now more than ever.
Kevin Huerter has been struggling offensively, but opponents still respect him more than Keon Ellis, who will likely start in his place. Ellis can hit threes, but his calling card is defense, so Murray will have to step up offensively. With Lyles, Huerter, and Vezenkov out, the Kings aren’t just missing a lot of size but also three legit three-point threats.
The team will need Murray’s production and this is his chance to show his potential as a future All-Star again.