Sacramento Kings: Assessing Willie Cauley-Stein’s Emergence

Since the All-Star break, Willie Cauley-Stein has gotten significant and consistent minutes and as a result, he’s showcasing his unique potential for the Sacramento Kings.

With the regular season winding down, the Sacramento Kings find themselves in well trodden territory once again.

As of Thursday night, the Kings are now officially eliminated from playoff contention, the 11th consecutive year for the historically mediocre franchise.  While it’s an all too familiar feeling for the Kings over the many years, there isn’t the same stinging feeling behind it like in previous years.

Coinciding with the trade of DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings have a drastically different outlook and an eye on their future.  While it was an incredibly stark turn for a franchise that had always gone for broke to make the playoffs, their burgeoning albeit hastily done rebuild has suited them well since play resumed following the All-Star break.

Over the last few weeks, hope for the future has lied on the shoulders of new additions like Buddy Hield to rookies who have suddenly earned their fair share of minutes like Skal Labissiere and Georgios Papagiannis.  Equally in that mix has been Willie Cauley-Stein, who is just finishing up his second year with the team.

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Like Hield and Labissiere, Cauley-Stein has become a bedrock in the team’s rotation since the All-Star break, even becoming a full time starter.  Although he’s played significant minutes in the past, the 31.9 minutes Cauley-Stein is averaging since the break has been a leap from the 13 minutes he was averaging a game before the break this year.

With his promotion to the starting lineup, Cauley-Stein’s production has grown as a result.  Again, since the All-Star break, Cauley-Stein is averaging 12.3 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game and 2.2 assists per game.

While the uptick in minutes certainly plays a factor in his inflated numbers, things have clearly started to consistently click for Cauley-Stein as well over the last month or so.

Armed with his impressive athleticism, Cauley-Stein’s bread and butter offensively lies directly at the rim and in particular, he’s become an excellent lob target with his ability to slip screens and instantly soar to the hoop to throw it down.

In addition to honing his scoring ability, Cauley-Stein has shown flashes of being a willing passer as he’s often seen operating from the high post to either connect with teammates cutting to the rim or spotting up from behind the three-point line.

Of course, for the growing positives Cauley-Stein has shown in recent weeks, concerns still stand for the 23-year-old product from Kentucky. Despite his high efficiency from in or around the rim, Cauley-Stein is still shooting 50 percent from the field and his true shooting percentage has taken a dip as well with his expanded workload, currently standing at 54.5 percent since the All-Star break.

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There’s also the issue of his rebounding ability, though Cauley-Stein has made significant strides in that department since mid-February as he’s upped his defensive rebounding percentage to 22 percent.

As is the often the case with players of Cauley-Stein’s age and limited experience, the true test lies in his consistency.  With that said, the template is clear for Cauley-Stein as much of what made him such an intriguing draft prospect still stands true nearly two years later.

Cauley-Stein possesses the necessary skills and abilities that are needed from the modern big man in the NBA.  Pair him next to a true floor spacer, or a promising one in Labissiere’s case, and that could make for a tantalizing tandem in the years to come.

Along with that, the possible changes at the team’s point guard spot this summer will certainly play an effect on Cauley-Stein’s effectiveness, considering both Darren Collison and Ty Lawson are set to become free agents, respectively.  So as the onus is on Cauley-Stein to continue to develop in the right way, a lot still falls on the Kings to find the necessary pieces around him to thrive.

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Of course, Cauley-Stein is not the only one who the Kings have to take into account in that regard, but his recent play has alleviated some of the concerns surrounding him before the drastic changes the Kings made not so long ago.