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Expectations For Willie Cauley-Stein’s Rookie Season

By Nathan Grubel

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number six overall pick to the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number six overall pick to the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Even though there has been turmoil in the Sacramento Kings front office for quite some time, the team has managed to put together some talent on the floor.

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Center DeMarcus Cousins is no joke as a superstar, Rudy Gay is a capable wing scorer and Rajon Rondo and Darren Collison are an excellent point guard duo. Add in Ben McLemore and the only piece the team is missing to truly become competitive is a defensive-minded big man.

They may have that player on their roster in Willie Cauley-Stein, who figures to be a special defensive presence in the NBA.

Here’s how I see his rookie season shaking out with the Kings.

Offense

There really isn’t much to say about Cauley-Stein’s offensive game other than his ability to finish at the rim. Cauley-Stein is an electrifying athlete capable of monster dunks. He’s not quite the leaper that Deandre Jordan is, but he’s no rookie when it comes to finishing off the lob pass.

Around the rim Cauley-Stein shot 59.3 percent in his three-year career at the University of Kentucky, showing that he can put the ball in the basket when he’s set up properly. If he could become a reliable option off the pick-and-roll and in transition as Tyson Chandler has throughout his career, then Cauley-Stein will be just fine on the offensive side of the ball.

Where he could stand to expand his game is with his jump shot that he started to knock down his last season in college.

In workouts before the NBA draft, Cauley-Stein showed off expanded range on his shot outside of the 12-foot jumpers he rarely took at Kentucky. If he can become a legitimate jump shooter at 7-feet tall with his athleticism, then he may have been drafted too low, especially because of what he can do on defense.

Defense

This is where Cauley-Stein makes his mark on the basketball court. Blessed with elite size, athleticism and defensive instincts, he is capable of switching and guarding all five positions, making him one of the most unique NBA players before he’s even played a game.

Multiple times in college, Cauley-Stein chased down point guards like he was a guard himself, something that just isn’t seen in players that big.

Not only can he guard anyone on the floor, but he also protects the rim like few big men can thanks to his lateral quickness and leaping ability. There is no shot that Cauley-Stein can’t block, as he would consistently put on block parties like Anthony Davis did when he was at Kentucky.

Swatting shots into the bleachers was a regular occurrence for Cauley-Stein, and changing shots was something he did every time a player challenged Kentucky at the rim. In today’s NBA, rim protection at the center position has become one of the most important parts of a top-flight defense, and he will provide that for as long as he’s on the floor for the Kings.

Conclusion

The interesting part of Cauley-Stein’s rookie season will be how he shares the floor with fellow big man Cousins. They do have complementary skill sets, with Cousins being a dominant offensive force and Cauley-Stein being capable of cleaning things up on defense. But they do both spend most of their time around the rim which brings floor spacing into question.

However, the more Cauley-Stein expands the range on his jump shot, the more playing time he will be guaranteed as a starter instead of a backup. His athleticism and ability to run the floor mesh well with head coach George Karl‘s up-and-down style, a big reason why he was probably drafted in the first place.

The Kings have needed another big man next to Cousins, and they may have found him. Will he have his rookie struggles? Absolutely. But make no mistake, when he’s on the floor the Kings’ defense is going to make some major improvements.

Predicted 2015-16 Stat Line: 8.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.9 BPG, 58 FG%

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