Toronto Raptors: Anyone to worry about besides Golden State in Pacific?
SACRAMENTO KINGS
Last season actual: 27 – 55
This season forecast: 25 – 57
Welcome: Marvin Bagley III, Ben McLemore, Deyonta Davis, Nemanja Bjelica and Yogi Ferrell
Farewell: Garrett Temple
On the surface, it might seem like the Sacramento Kings have improved. That’ not necessarily the case.
Drafting Marvin Bagley III over Luka Doncic could really set this franchise back a few years. That’s not a good sign for a team that has had one too many set-back seasons all too recently.
There is no denying that Bagley is a good player but how his skill set will translate to the NBA is another question.
De’Aaron Fox should improve a bit after a fine first season and the addition of Yogi Ferrell will add more depth at guard. However, there isn’t exactly someone who can lead an efficient NBA offense.
The Kings ranked 28th in the NBA for three-pointers attempted and 27th in effective field-goal percentage. Gross.
Wing duo Bogdan Bogdanovic and Buddy Hield greatly contributed to the team’s efforts from beyond that arc. Hield shot an absurd forty-three percent on five attempts a game, while Bogdanovic shot a much more down to earth – but still worthy of small applause – thirty-nine percent. Hield’s contribution came mainly from the bench and whether or not he can sustain that sort of success is questionable.
Losing the leadership and consistency of Garrett Temple is a huge loss too. Temple provided a nice combination of outside shooting mixed with solid perimeter defense, and while his departure won’t create headlines it’s a certainty that the Kings have lost a key cog.
Zach Randolph remains the de-facto veteran in the locker room heading into his seventeenth season and is the oldest player by a wide margin
Keep a close eye out for Harry Giles. The second-year big will be looking to make an impact after losing his rookie season due to injury. Giles heavily impressed in the Summer League and should feature regularly for Sacramento. The potential to create a lasting partnership with Marvin Bagley down low could be tantamount to this teams future.