How The Kings Can Make Things Work
Aug 19, 2021, 2:40 PM | Updated: 2:40 pm
Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images
Fresh off their second Summer League championship, the Sacramento Kings are now looking ahead to the upcoming 2021-2022 season.
The majority of the summer league roster will not be on the Kings team this season, but a few pieces will be, including lottery pick Davion Mitchell.
Mitchell was named Co-MVP of the Vegas Summer League after a brilliant run leading the team defensively and offensively.
When Mitchell was drafted by the Kings, many wondered why? At the time, the roster had Fox, Haliburton, Wright, Hield and was looking to re-sign Terence Davis.
The Kings traded Delon Wright and re-signed Terence Davis keeping the backcourt very skilled but very crowded. Fox, and Haliburton need minutes, and if Buddy Hield remains on the roster he will definitely get a lot of fun. That leaves Davis and Mitchell.
So how can this work?
This will be all about the competition that will benefit the team. Daily battles in practice will push the top minute guys and will also intrigue coach Walton about playing even more guards on a nightly basis. This will be a strength of the team. Injuries do happen and with the depth in the backcourt the Kings should be able to handle some missed games.
The real intrigue for me is Davion Mitchell.
He helped lead a lesser talented team to a complete turnaround on defense. It was so impressive what the team was able to do in the championship game against Boston. The Celtics had been stellar offensively in their run to the title game. Then the met up against Mitchell and the Kings.
The Kings held them over 30 points below their average and made them look like a sloppy mess. Forcing turnovers, creating steals, the Kings just flat out got after it.
If Mitchell can be an “All-Defensive” type player in no matter how many minutes he plays that will be huge for this team. The Kings have not been good defensively but do have the ability to be a lot better.
The area they can improve the most is in a spot that has the most offensive weapons in the league right now and that is the backcourt. It is such a guard oriented league and if the Kings can utilize Fox’s ability to elevate his defense, combined with the instincts defensively of Haliburton and paired with the intensity of Mitchell the Kings backcourt defense could be really good. Let’s not forget that Davis has an edge to him and this could really be an area of strength.
I think we will see a lot of three guard lineups and tinkering from Luke Walton. Remember last year the closing lineup in games was Fox, Haliburton, Hield, Barnes and Holmes. That had one of the best +/- differential and was a good closing group. The Kings can keep some of the elements of that group and slide in Mitchell to close games.
It was exciting to watch the Kings win the Summer League based on their defense. Can the 2021-2022 Kings take that intensity and make that their DNA this season?
Big question, but it looks like they may have some of those answers.
