Sacramento Kings: 3 takeaways from 2017-18 season opener

2. Willie Cauley-Stein starts off the season strong

Willie Cauley-Stein struggled in his preseason and NBA Summer League appearances for the Sacramento Kings. After a strong finish to the 2016-17 season, he shot poorly in both Las Vegas and throughout the preseason.

In the season opener, Cauley-Stein seemed to be on track for another rough night. He airballed a five-footer on his first shot of the game, missed a jump shot on his second, and was called for a charging foul on his third try.

Last year, this kind of a rough start would have led to WCS taking a back seat and letting others take over the offense. Instead, he made 10 of his next 13 shots and finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Four of those rebounds were on the offensive glass, including three in the first five minutes.

Cauley-Stein talked openly before the season about being more of a leader this year with DeMarcus Cousins out of the picture. On that front, his performance in the first game was a solid step in the right direction.