Sacramento Kings: Trill We Meet Again

One hesitates to write anything about a coveted draft pick going to the Sacramento Kings, but should they end up with the option to do so, central California’s more beleaguered franchise ought to make a fairly predictable choice. That choice – taking University of Kansas center Willie Cauley-Stein at around No. 6 – is one which would give those perplexed by recent draft choices and other organizational shifts a reason to sustain their hopes for the team’s future.

The Kings, like many developing teams at last week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, interviewed Cauley-Stein. Per the Sacramento Bee’s Jason Jones, Cauley-Stein enjoyed the interview experience with all the teams for whom he interviewed, and his apparent enthusiasm and candor seems encouraging. After all, “trill” is his middle name (legally so as of May 4).

He has been an oft-lauded candidate for a productive league career, but would his fit with the Sacramento Kings be an out-of-the-box solution to all their problems?

Or course not. Mr. Cauley-Stein is not known (despite his notable gifts) as an offensive dynamo; yes, he is roughly the same size as the Kings’ franchise player (matching DeMarcus Cousins at 6’11”), and he does not have the ball-handling skills that many would hope. That group includes, one presumes, head coach George Karl. With notions of offensive prowess put aside, he could certainly be the yin to Cousins’ yang, the second blurred monolith in the foreground of any opponent’s view.

His offensive deficiencies away from and even approaching the rim would be, from day one, mitigated by Cousins and any of the likelier returning characters next season. Names beyond those of Gay, Collison, and McLemore ought not be mentioned, lest we jinx them. His skills, in relation to the style of play the team has created recently, would be a necessary novelties. While Cousins would be free to create offensive security beyond the backcourt, Cauley-Stein could use his fluidity, size, and agility to give a second option off the glass, in perimeter situations, or in putting away lobs from the frontcourt. Working in tandem, the two versatile big men would be able to switch between sides of a sinuous system on both ends of the court.

Of course, this is all hypothetical. Looking not at potential, but at recent accomplishments, shows the reality of Cauley-Stein’s major idiosyncrasies.

He has yet to show he can create for himself on offense. The rim is home base, his mid-range jumper is his so-so, and threes are a no-no.

During his time at Kentucky, Cauley-Stein did not shoot a single in-game three-pointer. He is a center who could defend the outer perimeter, really never setting himself up to be cast in the NBA as a stretch four – at least in offensive situations. As such, he is fed more often than he feeds, averaging only 0.9 assists per game, according to sports-reference.com. As shown in the video below, he can certainly provide solid periods to the flowing sentences of others. One of his stronger enabling moves is his block, which can at least give the backcourt the ability to explode in transition if he doesn’t have a rebound opportunity.

Should they be paired on court, Cousins could dominate the basket while knowing he had a rubber band force field who can further assure rebounds. Any opportunity to close the turnover oven that was always running this season would be sorely needed, and having another, quicker big man in the picture would be a strategic way to clamp down.

Though he is very quick (both laterally and straight-line), with that comes a lack of heft. Willie Cauley-Stein is a good thirty pounds shy of DeMarcus Cousins‘ weight. His lean frame defines his game, and vice-versa.

Though he is seemingly more solid than Latvia’s Kristaps Porzingis (discussed briefly here), he will come into the league as a long and lean character defined by finesse. He is the sane person’s alternative to Sim Bhullar – rather than pairing Cousins with a immovable tall wall, pair him with someone even quicker and lighter, who can relieve some of the burden from the franchise player. Gaining the weight to match other centers may be a fool’s errand, and the Kings (or whomever is lucky enough to draft Willie first) may be better off building around his strengths rather than trying to augment him to the point of nullifying their pick.

Should the Kings go for a more clear-cut pick this year and take WCS, they ought to look at him as someone with a particular set of responsibilities out of the gate, while player development personnel work to solidify his shooting form and offensive consistency. To modulate him too much too soon may lead to a false start, something the team really does not need at this juncture.

So: take Willie, and keep Trill.

Next: The Greatest Player In Every Franchise's History

More from Hoops Habit

• The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout