3 Non-Stars who could pose a big problem for the Kings in the West playoffs

2. Norman Powell

So far, the Kings have lost two of the three games against the Clippers by double-digits. The trio of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden causes the Kings plenty of problems. They just don’t have the size and defense to deal with them on the perimeter.

Besides, most of the Clippers are battle-tested veterans, and the Kings would rather not face them in the playoffs. The team has so much more than just star power, however, and Norman Powell is at the forefront of that. He and Malik Monk are currently the top two candidates for the Sixth Man of the Year award, and both would be incredibly deserving. 

Powell is currently shooting 43.5 percent on 5.1 three-point attempts per game. That alone could cause a huge problem for the Kings if they had to face the Clippers in the playoffs. Sacramento struggles to guard the three, allowing the second-highest three-point percentage for the season behind only the Utah Jazz. 

Besides that, Powell could pose a challenge in his very existence as a bench player. Despite coming off the bench, he is the Clippers’ fourth-leading scorer, and when he steps on the court, there is no notable drop-off, meaning that the second unit is pretty strong as well. He also allows the Clippers to withstand injuries to an extent because they have another reliable and efficient scorer ready to go. 

If the Kings had to face the Clippers in the postseason, Powell certainly wouldn’t be the main concern—that would be their big three—-but he could cause them real problems with his three-point shooting and scoring ability.