Sacramento Kings: 2018-19 NBA season preview
By Luke Swiatek
Best-case scenario
Marvin Bagley III comes into the season with a pretty (if not always effective yet) jumper, good touch around the rim and capable feet on defense. He and De’Aaron Fox quickly form chemistry and become one of the most exciting pick-and-roll duos in the league.
Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic fit perfectly as sweet shooting wings, and both prove capable as secondary playmakers and decent defenders. Giles shows flashes of star potential, and the young starting five pushes the team to 11th place in the East.
Worst-case scenario
Opponents back off Fox and take away Bagley’s left side, rendering both completely ineffective. Hield can’t do anything but shoot, Bogdanovic tops out as a high-end role player, and Giles gets injured again.
The ineffectiveness of the young players lead Joerger to give the veterans more time. Kosta Koufos, Iman Shumpert, Nemanja Bjelica and Zach Randolph all play heavy minutes. Willie Cauley-Stein and Skal Labissiere don’t even touch the floor, and the team ends up dead-last in the West anyway.