3 Pieces the Kings still need to be serious title contenders
By Elaine Blum
1. A floor stretching rim protector
Domantas Sabonis is currently averaging a career-high 0.8 blocks per game, leading the Kings in that category. He is not a rim protector, and he never will be. That’s why the Kings re-signed Alex Len and brought in JaVale McGee over the summer.
Both of them can protect the rim, but Len is currently out with an ankle injury, and McGee only plays around 9 minutes a game. The Kings and the Warriors are currently the only teams in the West to not have one player who averages at least 1 block per game.
Besides, none of the Kings’ three centers is a threat from beyond the arc, meaning that Mike Brown can’t pair Sabonis with a rim protector.
It is either shot blocking or Sabonis’ offense and if that is the choice, the latter will win out more often than not.
Next. 3 Trades that would make the Kings true contenders. 3 Trades that would make the Kings true contenders. dark
So, a backup big who can protect the rim as well as stretch the floor and thus play next to Sabonis when needed could push the Kings to the next level. Even better would be a starting caliber power forward with those very qualities to replace Barnes in case no wing-stopper is on the market.