Daron Holmes II
2023-24 Stats: 20.4 PPG/8.5 RPG/2.6 APG/0.9 SPG/2.1 BPG on 62.7% True Shooting (33 Games)
Speaking of size, shooting, and positional rim protection, enter Daron Holmes II. At the NBA Draft Combine, Holmes measured in at 6'8.75 with a 7'1 wingspan. He placed in the 92nd percentile in block rate in the Atlantic 10 last season (KenPom). And he shot 38.6% from three in that time, too.
There are two main question marks surrounding Holmes' fit on the Kings. First, he spent last season primarily playing center for the Dayton Flyers. Given his height, Holmes probably can't play center at the next level. So, that begs the question: is he mobile enough to play the four at the next level?
The other big concern with Holmes is his shooting. Yes, he shot a high mark from three, but he did it on low volume (2.5 3-point attempts per game). Remember, when it comes to spacing, volume is more important than efficiency. Plus, Holmes was a mediocre free throw shooter (39th percentile in the Atlantic 10), which is a great context-independent measure of a player's shooting ability.
For any team, Holmes' ability to slide over to the four and adequately space the floor will be important. But that is especially true if he plans on playing next to Sabonis – a defensively-limited center who can't really space the floor.
There has been some people out there who compare Holmes to Naz Reid, and if that turns out to be the case, that would be a huge win for Sacramento.
DaRon Holmes II has had a great start to his season. So far this year Holmes is averaging
— KJ (@KJ__Hoops) January 21, 2024
20 PPG
8 RPG
3 APG
2 BPG
56% FG
44% 3FG
Very underrated pic.twitter.com/agYIZZ0DgS