Sacramento Kings: 2016-17 Season Outlook
Three Key Storylines: 1. Center Logjam
Georgios Papagiannis was not a terrible pick considering all the value Sacramento squeezed from the rest of its draft, but it was a perplexing one — not only because No. 13 was surprisingly high for the Greek center, but also because the Kings were adding another center to the roster.
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As of right now, the Kings have Cousins, Willie Cauley-Stein, Kosta Koufos AND Papagiannis at the center spot — and that’s without including the 6’11” Skal Labissiere, who could play minutes as a small-ball 5. While the rest of the league embraces small-ball, the Kings have now ensured centers make up nearly one-third of their roster.
Boogie is the franchise star, that much is clear. He showed a rudimentary ability to spread the floor all the way to three-point range last season, shooting 33.3 percent from downtown on 3.2 attempts per game. But Cousins still is at his best when operating down low, and none of Sacramento’s other centers can spread the floor.
WCS’ status as a future elite defender will make him easier to pair alongside Cousins in the frontcourt, but Papagiannis has zero range or experience, while Koufos is an aging center with limited mobility and shooting touch.
After signing Koufos and drafting Cauley-Stein last summer, adding Papagiannis — and even a value pick like Labissiere– leads to more questions than answers about what the hell Sacramento is trying to build. Best of luck to Joerger trying to sort this mess out.
Next: Storyline 2: What's Going On With Boogie?